The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-04
HAWLEy SENDS THE
 AERO CLUBS REPORT ON BALLOON RACE
Honeywell, a Gallant Loser, Secures Rare Cloud Photo graphs-W'ite Letters
 of Appreciation

Ralph Upson. pilot, and c. c. An drus, aide, flying the Birmingham Semi Centennial, have been official ly declared the winners of the national balloon race, which started from Bir- mingham May 21, in an announce ment made yesterday by the Aero Club of America, in letter to The Age Herald. Upson landed officially 10 miles west of Stuart, Va, 423 miles from Birmingham.
 The balloon representing the River view club of St. Lotus, piloted by Ser nard von Hoffmann, with Hugo Muel- Ter as aide. finished second, landing 15 miles north of Carthage, Tenn, POI miles from Birmingham.
 Wade T. Van Orman and w. P. Seib- erling in the City of Akron" were third. They landed four miles east oi Lebanon, Tenn, 1s7 miles from Bir- mingham.
 The letter from Alan R. Hawley the Aero club, who was in Birmingham as referee Tor the club at the s,art follows:
 Chnirman's Letter
 "The Birmingha ham Age-HeruId, Bir-
 mingham, Ala, eve desire to extend to you our most appreciative thanks for all
 you did for the Aero Club of
 America and the pilots of the na-
 1ional balloon race, recently held
 in Birmingham, and we are enclos-
 ing to you copy of the official record of the distances covered by
 each of the contestants with their respective positions at the finish. "Hopfng thnt we will have many more successful occasions of the kind md that we will bring back the International Gordon Bennett cup from Europe this year, I nm, very sincerely,
 "ALAN R. HAWLEY, Chairman, Balloon Committed 7 Frank E. Butler, president of the Birmingham Semi Centennial associa- I tion, received letter from H. E Honeywell, pilot of the "Chamber O, Commerce of St. Louis" which finished fourth. Portions of this letter are re. produced below:
 1 My deaer MT. Butler:
 "As per my promise. I wish to pres ent as souvenir to you personally fo, favors> rendered while in your pretty little city during the recent balloon l race, two photo prints which we made on the trip.
 i The Enemy Cloud One Is a beautiful cloud effect very rare and hard to get, due largel, to the intense high lights. MT. O'Reilly my aide, used filter over the lens mellowing the suns intense rays, ant | nrn fIa aPf z ,. tude.
 ''This same cloud, or clouds,
 finally envelOped us and forced us
 out of the race. The main race
 was. to see which of the two, the
 clouds or we, could climb the faster, for they continued to boil like mad sen, always mOunt-
 ing higher and higher, faster and
 faster, closer and closer, until they
 finally enveIopcd us. | Tt was beautiful and thrilling IT few moments the thrill turned to z chill. for. fine. awavy mist and ther sleet cut across the basket and ou, faces We put on all the warm clothe. we had, then started on mad rid, | for earth.
 Contracts Gas
 The cool temperature quickly con. tracted our gas and with a downward trend of air, which descended muct faster than we had ascended a few moments before.
 At 5000 feet we caught a frs, glimpse of the earth once more. | was raining. it took 15 bags of bal, last to check her 50 feet from tn. ground. with no wind. Having back tracked about 30 miles while in tn, upper air, we quit to save distance. Landed near the Hermitage Gen, eral Jackson's old home, on the hottes day since 1864, the paper said, and believe 1t.
 With best wishes to everybody ant the beautiful young lady sponsor, am, very truly yours.
 III. E. HONEYWELL"