The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-27
BELGIAN AERONAUTS LAUGH AND CRY AT NEWS 0F VICTORY
Elated at Achievement, They Do Not Forget to Send Thanks to People and Newspapers
 of Birmingham


 cial) 1.-The balloon 'Belgica," repre-
 senting Belgium, which left Birming-
 ham Saturday afternoon. landed in the
 northern end of Lake Champlain, near
 the Ethan Allen summer camp for boys,
 at this place Monday morning about l S;30 o'clock
 Both Lieutenant Demuyter and Lieu i tenant Labrousse were safe and well and are the guests Of Bishop B. F.. Frederick, director of the Ethan AL len boys camp.
 The bishop communicated with
 the Associated Press correspondent
 at Burlington, Vt, and received
 telephone message at o'clock
 Tuesday morning that the Belgium
 team was victorious. Awakening
 Lieutenant Demuyter at o'clock
 this morning to inform him of his
 victory. the lieutenant cried:
 "Long live BelEium! Long live
 the United States!'
 He then called his aide and both
 laughed and cried like children.
 The balloon is undamaged and is being shipped by express to New York City this evening. Lieutenants De- muyter and Labrossue leave for New York Wednesday morning and hope to sail for Belgium by the Red Star steamer Iceland on November 13 They asked the correspondent to send their thanks to The Age-Herald and Bir- bingham News, to the Chamber of Commerce and citizens of Birmingham and to the people of the United States for the many kindnesses and courtesieS received
 The balloonists crossed the great lakes about midnight Sunday and en- countered rain and snow early Mon day morning. The maximum altitude attained was about 10000 feet The pilot kept going, however, until his be Hast gave out. >
 The Belgian team passed over Flor eIce, Tenn. over the western part or Kentucky; went sixty-five miles north. west of Indianapolis. forty miles west of Lake Michigan, south of Lake Hu- ron, and the full length of Lake On- tario from west to east
 Passing few miles south of To- rcnton between midnight Sunday and 4 o'clock Monday morning they tra- versed the northern part of New York state and reached Lake Champlatn about 9:30 Monday morning They were in snowstorm Sunday night until Lake Ontario was reached, and rain thereafter until landing When they came out of the dlouds and saw Lake Champlain under them they were out of ballast and could not rise. The basket first touched tke surface of the lake about one and q half miles west of North Hero, Vt, ra ilroad station and south of the tscuthern extremity of Isle of Lamotte and little west of Point oroch. The basket. after skipping a while or the surface of the lake. gradually submerged The pilot and his aide remained in the basket until a strong northwest wind drove the balloon as hore on North Hero Island, about half mile south of North Hero rail- road station on the Rutland railroad. The team made landing and deflated tte balloon without assistance. Neighbors not being able to under stand the Belgium officers. teIephoned Bishop B. F. Frederick, director of Ethan Allen summer camp for boys. knowing that he speaks several lan- suages The bishop came at once and took charge of the situation, sending tke officers wrapped in blankets to be cared for at the camp while he directed the bringing of the balloon to the railroad station.
 Lieutenants Demuyter and Lebrous- SC were much exhausted and much chilled by the plunge in the very cold waters of the lake. They recovered rapidly under the care of Bishop Broderick and had good nights sleep. Monday night.
 BELGIAN VICTORY CONCEDED New York, October 26-Officials of the Aero Club of America today conceded the Gordon Bennett international trophy for free balloons had been won by the Belgian entry. "Belgica,'' piloted by two Belgian army officers, Lieutenant De- Muyter and Labrousse.
 Formal announcement of the winner ot the international race, which starte ] from Birmingham last Saturday, prob ably will not be made for several days, because of the necessity of collecting aeronautical data in connection with the contest . All seven balloons which started have landed, according to reports which reached the club this morning, except United States army balloon No. 1, pl- loted by Lieut. R. E. Thompson. Press dispatches from Chicago, however, stated that Thompson. with Capt Harold Weeks. had landed late Sunday night near Charlotte, Mich, more than zoo miles from Birmingham
 With this unofficial report from Lieu tenant Thompson. Aero Club officials ad- mitted that the Belgians had won. hav- ing covered about HOO miles between Birmingham and Lake Champlain, where they landed yesterday at North Hero Island!
 Allan R. Hawley. president of the club, returned today from Birmingham, where he witnessed the start Hes de- clared it was the mos, successful race ever held and resulted in engendering of better feeling between American and for- eign balloonists.
 Plans are under way for banquet to be held in this city in honor of the Belgian winners. At the dinner the Ben nett trophy will be presented. LEAVE FOR AKRON Windsor Ontario. October 26.-Refreshed by their first sleep in three days. Ralph Upon and W. Van Orman, who landed their balloon, Goodyear H.. near Amhertsburg yesterday, ending a tr,p from Birmingham in the Gordon Ben nett race, started back to Akron, Ohio. today. Their balloon is being packed and will follow them by freight 1 Both halloonists were completely ex- ihausted when a blinding snowstorm forcad them down to earth yesterday