The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-04-08
LANDS IN TOP OF. TREE
NEAR ARGYLE, EIGHTY
MILES FROM THE CITY
Reported That Natives Cut
the Bag to Pieces and
Only Basket Left.
WAS NEW AND COST.
TWENTY THOUSAND
Broke It's Moorings At Aero
Station After a Fight Of
Nearly An Hour.

The giant observation balloon, the
only craft of it's kind owned by the
United States navy, is q wreck near
Argyle, eighty-four miles from PEN
sacola. 1t ran away from the aero
station early yesterday morning and
ended its journey in the top of q
tall pine tree. The latter was feIled
by the natives and what was left of
the balloon was cut into strips accord
ing to a man reaching the city last
night, by those who gathered about
and viewed the craft with amazement.
A detachment went from the aero sta
ton last night, composed OF Lieut..
Gillespie and Chief Machinist Mates
Congo and Weltey, who expected to
bring back the run-away, but they
will find only the basket intact. The
balloon was new, arriving only a
few weeks ago, and cost the navy
department between $4,000 and
$25, 900. It was about SIS feet In
length, made Of rubber and some
what resembled Zeppelin in shape.
FOUGHT FOR AN HOUR.
Shortly after I o'clock yesterday
morning the balloon was sent up and
had reached height of about eighty
feet when a strong puff of wind
struck it. The craft Immediately be-
gan to fight for it's release and an
fort was made to bring It back
earth. Tt was anchored TO rs
ton anchor, firmly Undecided il
| ground, as well as being held
about thirty guy ropes weighted wth
sand bags. A cable, used to raise
and lower the balloon, was also at
tached to a large motor truck, the
latter being used to regulate the
height Of the balloon In the air.
All of these combined weights
however, were not sufficient and after
a struggle Of about an hour, the two
ton anchor was pulled from the
ground. The driver Of the auto truck
turned on his engines and endeayored
to bring the craft back to earth, and
had it down to within thirty feet Of
the ground, when the guy ropes
snapped, breaking the bride and
dropping the cable to the ground.
Away scared the balloon, rising
steadily and driven by a thirty mile
gale, went at a fast clip in a south
easterly direction. As It passed over
the navy yard wall, the six tails
struck the brick wall, five Of them
being torn away. The one remain
ing tail was not sufficient to maintain
the craft in an upright position and
it turned over.
Men at the aero stationed followed
the balloon through glasses, but it
was lost to sight within thirty min
utes and was then proceeding in tbs
direction Of Milton.
/ Had the tails remained intact, ex-
perts say the balloon would have re-
manned in the air for an indefinite
time, probably months, but this fact
and also that it was not fully inflated,
caused it to strike the top of a tail
pine tree about three miles out from
Argyle, where i lodged.
| WONDER OF WONDERS.
Reports reaching the city late IN
the afternoon said that the wild fight
Of the balloon caused intense interest
and some excitement II some sections
oyer which it passed. Some even be-
heved the country had been invaded
by Germany and the balloon was none
other than Zeppelin on a raid. The
fact that such a balloon was at the
navy yard was not generally known
and when the eighty-foot monster
was seen flying by it caused some ap-
prehension and great amount Of
curiosity.