The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-01-16
Balloonmg For All
BY FREDERICK J. HASkIN

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 16. -
That ballooning should be made a
popular sport by the formation of
balloon clubs in all parts of the coun-
try, and that it would be one of the
safest, healthiest and most enjoyable
of all sports, is the opinion of Ralph
II. Epson, of the Aero Club of Amer
lea. Epson has several times repre-
scented the Aero Club in the annual
Gordon Bennett Balloon race, and he
once won that event, which made him
the champion balloonist of the world.
He is not only an expert balloonist,
but also a designer of balloons and
blimps.
Epson is strongly imbued with the
idea that ballOoning is the world S
greatest neglected sport, that a large
part of mankind is missing a great
deal of fun by not getting up in the
air with gas bag.
The general public has the idea that
the anrplane has forever displaced the
balloon. AS a matter of fact, it has
left the balloon just where it was be
fore, as one of the most amusing toys
civilized man has invented. Balloon
ing never has been much but a sport
and most balloonists have no. desire
to make it anything else. The bal
loon bears the same relation to the air
plane that the sailing yacht does tC
the steamship and motor boat. The
power boats have practically displaced
, the sail boats in commerce, but sal
! boats remain the chief recreation Of
many thousands.
In fact. machinery and sport Dc
| not, for the most part, go together
! The commercial future undoubtedly
| belongs to the airplane, but it remains
| and long will remain a decidedly eX
! pensive and somewhat hazardous bus
mess. Even if power flying had NJ
wide appeal as sport, it would be ;
! long time before any but the wealth,
and daring few could follow it.
None of these drawbacks, aCcordin;
| to Epson, applies to the balloon. H
| says that he can design a small bal
loon which can be sold for no NOR
than the cost of good passenger au
tomobile, and which can be flown witt
the gas made in the city gas house
Three or four clubbing together coul,
then go in for ballooning more cheap
! for motoring.
Fool-Proof Flying
Epson and other balloonists agre
that ballooning, properly carried or
is so safe that it may be called foo
proof, and they also assert that it ha
a fascination which must be eXper
enced to be appreciated. Once a ma
has known the strange delight of ri!
ing into the rare and stimulating a
mosphere above the earth and ridin
the air currents, they say, he is ne
ermore satisfied to stay on earth.
AS a summer sport, a means OF e.
Gaping the heat and dust that bedev
the dweller on the face of the eartl
it would certainly have advantage
1t is probable too that roaming aroun
among the clouds in a balloon woul
he much better for the nerves and tn
, disposition than burning the bumy
in a f1ivver. A nation of ballOonist
would probably be a nation of serer
philosophers.
But to return to the immediate fea
Utility of the thing. Epson says tn;
/ provided you do not try to smoke ar
cook in your balloon, do not delibe
: ately stay out in violent storms, an
" do not try to cross large bodies I
: water, balloon is one of the safe
: places to be. AS long as you carry r
Y fire, there is nothing to puncture yol
+ gas bag in the air, and as long as yol
o gas bag is intact you are safe. Ligh
ming Is not danger. You are not al
e more likely to be struck by lightniI
in balloon than you are walking aloI