Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-17
THRILL FOR j. S. Filler
IN RUNAWAY BALLOON
Shot Up 10000 Feet in Sixty-Mile
Gale; Fell 1000 Feet in
Two Minutes.

How il feels To be in a runaway OBJ
eervation balloon chasing over the Cas-
cade Mountains toward the Pacific ocean
in a 6O-mile gale and rainstorm at a
height of about 10000 feet, is described
bv Lieutenant H. G.. Hahlbeck, of the
Army Balloon School at Arcadia, Cal, in
weekly bulletin of the Division of Mill
tarv Aeronautics. While he was riding at
about $500 feet, he noticed a storm COM
ing out of the canyons of the Cascades,
but he did not telephone TO his ground
crew until the wind was blowing at about
40 miles an hour. What happened TO
him then is described by officers of the
division as one of the most dangerous adj
ventures experienced by any American
balloonist In the period of training for
army observation work.
Il tclephoncd down, describing the
wind force" he wrote, "and directed that
the balloon be hauled down | also asked
that as many men as could be found be
assembled, as figured that there would be
trouble IN handling the balloon on the
ground The wind became rapidly worse
on my descent At 500 feet, the balloon
was in the teeth of the gale. | saw by the
pitching and rolling that | was IN trouble
and started to adjust my parachute har-
ness immediately. but il was slow work on
account of the behavior of the basket.
when | was about 100 feet from the
ground. severe gust of wind hit the nose
Of the balloon, causing it to pitch heavily.
II Strengthened up suddenly and snapped
thc cable, just above the sheave wheel.
The balloon assembled rapidly to about
1000 to 10000 feet, according TO my
estimate of the height above the mount
AIMS north OF the camp. The monometer
tube bubbled over. | bad grabbed the
valve cord as soon as the cable broke,
and | kept it open almost continuously
on the ascent because the balloon became
tight IS a drum. and feared it would
burst
Il held the valve cord with both hands
and finally fastened ii To one of the basket
toggles while | hunted for the altomcter
I found it on the floor Of the basket be-
tween the sandbags, where it had fallen
from the hook when the cable jerked II
wa then registering about Z 200 feet and
coming down rapidly ! could see far
over the tops Of the mountains north Of
the camp. and got my position as above
San Gabriel and rapidly going southwest
toward the ocean.
Meantime | had closed the valve. as
| noticed the fms and tail were hanging
loosely at the rear of the basket. and, see
me the balloon almost two-thirds empty
Irealized had Waived it too much Ii was
then coming down too fast for safety. dc
scending 4,01) feet in about two minutes,
and decided 10 Jump. leaving the sand
bags in the basket. as | thought possibly
the balloon might be carried over TO the
ocean To make sure of landing in
held which | was approaching, | decided
to mp the balloon open, leaving the sand
ha q IN as ballast.
II knew it would be foo hardy to stay
in The basket and throw the sand bars ont
because OF the small amour of gas In the
balloon. ! ripped the balloon open and
vaulted over the side of the basket with
the parachute, landing safely in tomato
patch | turned complete somersault
when | struck the ground and seized the
parachute before the wind could open il
up and drag me over the ground | un-
fastened the hooks on the harness and
rolled up the parachute IN time to give it