Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-07-15
Three Forced Down on Iowa
Soil by Thunder Storms
While Fourth Gets to Within
100 Miles of Milwaukee.
CAPTAIN M'KINLEY HAS
MOST EXCITING FLIGHT
Colonel WueSt and Instructor
Stevens First Ones Down;
Others Reach Ground at
About the Same Hour.

All four of the balloons which
left Fort Omaha Sunday night,
three of them in an attempt to es-
tabliSh new long distance record
have landed, according to dispatches
received by The Bee last night.
Balloon No. /, the United States" :"
carrying Capt. Ashley E. Mckinley
and Lieut.. James T. Neeley, landed
near Rowley, Ia, yesterday after
noon, the time of the flight being
IS hours and the distance covered,
i'll a straight line from Omaha, 223
miles In a telegram signed by
Captain Mckinley received last
night, he tells of encountering five
storms while on the trip. three dur
ing the night and two yesterday
morning. While over Minnesota
lakes, the balloon ran into a thunder
storm and high wind, which carried
it south Captain Mckinley said
they managed to reach high alti-
tude, above the storm, and were
carried we'll over into Iowa before
thel. ballast gave OUT.
Rowley is in the southern part of
Buchanan county, about IS miles
southwest of Cedar Rapids and
about 80 miles almost straight west
of Dubuque. Captain Mckinley de-
scribes the trip as the most inter
esting and exciting flight he has
ever made.
Land in Wisconsin.
Balloon No. 2, "All America"
containing Lieut.. Richard E. Thomp-
son and Lieut. James B. Jordan,
landed about las yesterday after
noon on the farm of Obey Siegur-
son, nine miles southeast of Portage,
Wis, according to a telegram from
Lieutenant Thompson, received last
night. The telegram was sent from
Wyocena, Wis. Portage is in Col
umbia county, somewhat south of
the central part of the state, about
100 miles northwest of Milwaukee
and about the same distance from
the Illinois line. The maximum al
titude gained by this balloon was
1880 feet.
Balloon No. 3, Victory" carrying
Lieut.. William E. Huffman and
Lieut.. William E. Connolly, landed
about five miles southwest of
Green, Ia, at 1:20 yesterday after
noon, after being in the air 16
hours and 20 minutes. The balloon
rode out three electric storms dur
ing the night, and was driven south
from Minnesota by a 65-mile gale
Monday morning. Green is in the
north central part of Butler county,
approximately 40 miles from the
Minnesota line and about l2O miles
northeast of Des Moines.
Encounter Storm.
Fort Omaha balloon No. a, the
Cannon Ball." occupied by 1t. Col.
Jacob w. S. Wuest, Major J.
O'Brien and Instructor A. Leo
Stevens, effected forced landing
at Ringstead, Ia, at :4S a. m. Mon
day, after encountering a terrific
thunder storm, just six hours and
As minutes after it left its moorlngs
at Fort Omaha.
The distance of the flight is ap-
proximately 100 miles.
A graphic tale of two-hour
fight for life in the midst of ter
rible thunder storm was sent The
Bee shortly after safe landing
was made by Instructor Stevens.
The storm was encountered at one
o'clock Monday morning. After be-
ing tossed about in vicious air cur
rents for two hours, the Cannon
Ball was brought to earth, but not
gently. During the battle with the
elements practically all the balloon
instruments ceased to work, and all
ballast was expended to prevent the
balloon from plunging to earth from
a high altitude.
In his message Mr.. Stevens ex-
pressed the hope that the other bal
looms had not encountered the
storm and were safe.
The Bee bomb" dropping sys-
tenn worked faultlcssly and the near
location of all four balloons were
known at all times.