The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-06-01
Old ssTopeka mr. WIN Entpa
international Event. ? :
Gas Bag That Placed Topeks
on Aerial Map.
Local Enthusiasts In Races Of
Intense Interest.
History Of Capital City as .
Balloon Center.

Topeka - to be represented in anoth-
er balloon race. Next month the elm
ination flight for the fall international
event will start from st. Louis. Be-
tween dozen and 10 balloons viii en- :
ter the elimination. which will start
some time during the third week In
July. and the old Topeka H." which
never won q big race, but which has
furnished moro newspaper COPY than
any OF the winners, will be among
those present"
Rafte Emmerson, who ID now material
expert with big Philadelphia con-
struction company, and Ernest Cole,
formerly with the Santa Fe shops de-
partment at Topeka and now with .
large steel structural company Of 81.
Louis. will enter the old western Aero
association gas bag. For nearly three
years the once-famous balloon has been
stored In warehouse at Atchison.
Ine last great flight Of the noble old
and Frank Jacobs took the flight from
Kansas City in the big race. They en-
countered weather that was more than
painful Rain ran into the basket %
last that It would not leak out. and
the half drowned pilot and his fat aide
stood knee deep in soft water for hours.
They landed at Bunnell. Mimi. $50
miles from the start. were IA hours in
the air and had assembled to an altitude
OF e'ooO Feet In an attempt to get above
the storm. They scored third in a big
race. =
An Exciting Incident.
Another flight of the Topeka IT,
that will 60 down in balloon history
and IL talked of even now in German
ana french by aeronants of Europe.
Frank Jacobs, pilot, and RATE EN-
merson. aide. representing the West-
ern Aero association Of Topeka. start.
ed from Kansas City in the interna-
t1onal race. In the getaway, the valve
| blight of the valve rope. An increase
OF ouoyancy resulting from heat ex-
| panslon OF the gas, caused the balloon
to rise rapidly. and the pilot attempted
TO open the valve. but could not.
| Tne gas bag was headed for the
stars at speed of 700 feet per min
ute, and there was nothing to do about
1t. At an altitude of three miles EN-
| merson tainted. Then Frank jacob
climbed into the rigging Of the bag.
the appendix, or lower outlet, and de-
ltberately pulled the rip cord A foot
too much and the force of the Kas
would complete the entire rip. letting
oltfit, a dead weight, over three miles.
But Jacobs pulled the cord just right,
| made the rip just large enough. and
| the machine settled. Then he busted
himself in restoring his unconscious
comrade.. They alighted at La Harpe,
ILL.,. but owing to the unfortunate ac-
ctdent to the valve, were fifth in n
seven-entry race. and only made 100
miles. Frank Jacobs. who was one
| of the nerviest aeronauts in the west
came to his death by being drowned
In a mere mud puddle in the Kaw
river.
| Frank Jacobs was only q years of
age when he made the balloon flight
l kt~nk ~ A<pI1 - T.
guages His subsequent flight with w.
w. Webb as aide, was the last ascent
| of the Topeka H." The 80 900 cubic
foot gas bag was stored in an Atchison
| warehouse, and is there now. Mr..
Webb says that the 1912 flight, when
the rain came down by the barrel, was
| hard on the III" The bag was ship
ped wet, and was soaked for two days
before it could be aired. The varnish
| according to Mr.. Webb. will have to be
f1eplaced before the balloon will be tit
! for further use.
No Longer q Balloon Town.
Topeka is no longer a balloon town.
Four years ago, Mr.. H. w. Jacobs. Of
| the Santa Fee shops; Mr.. Raffe Emmer-
sn. material expert for the Santa Fe:
Mr.. E. E. Cole, of the Santa re. ana
several other live sports, started the
Western Aero association. They bought
10000 cubic foot balloon which they.
IIIKmt0
were made from Westlawn park. where.
at great expense. the association had
installed a filling station connected
with the stem gas main ON Tenth
street. Later. they bought the big one.
topeka H. an 8O,000-foot bag, that
carried six men at load and qualified
Tor the International races with To-
peka pilots.
Topeka began to look like ! beIIoon
centre. and other aeronautical asso-
Citations talked OF moving here with
Ineir machines. And then. one fatal
day. the drag rope of the .sTopeka' TT''
tore IA shingles off the rof Of ! house
on the edge Of the starting park. The
association Immediately sent the house
owner check that would almost re-
single his whole house, and he took
It: but was not Satisfied. He com
planned to the city commissioners, and
they passed an ordinance prohibiting
the flights. That was the end Of To-
peka as q balloon town. The ..II',
has been stored in Atchison for nearly
three years. No one seems to knoy
where the Topeka r. il at this time.
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