Grand Forks herald., 1922-06-01
Balllloon Which Travels The
!, = t.onsest Distance Will
kepresen; This Country
At The international Race
Next. August; One Entry
g Barely Avoids Lake Mich.
igan.
By The Associated Press :,

10 MliHaukee, Wis, May 51..-Twe,re
KlNntlc gas bags tonight were sail
anE5 through endless uncharted seas
OF upper air as participants in the
thirteenth national balloon raco wbich
started, here this afternoon and ends
Tor each navigator when it becomes
necessary to return to earth.
fhlrteen pilots took balloons into
tne Ar, put the sky pilgrimage for
one Roy Donaldson Of Springfield
Ill, ended almost as soon as It heean.
His balloon was unable to hold its
gas and when Donaldson saw himself
headed into Lake Michigan and ran;d.
ssly sinking at the same time he "a ma
TO Earth at Bayview. in the southeast
3secuon OF the city, after four mile
Journey. The landing was made
wynn a teW hundred feet OF the
OF the twelve participants SOARING
ttnrousn the air, only il are contes-
.tants. for one of the naval hal,oons
Aflledi with helium and carrying ro
4fntly Invented radio device heinz
tested secretly is flying as non-con-
tsstant.. The greater lifting power Of
tneS non -inf1ammabl helium made it
onfair Tor this bag to compete with
ftne 9fhers, so it is making the journey
purely for experimental purposes.
~ Stiff Wind.
The balloons were started on their
way by gllsty wind which carried
tnem rapidly south by southwest
Special weather reports showed how
ever. that as soon as an altitude OF
5000 to 5000 feet was reached the
big bags would be shifted into
lnortheasterly direction, by a steady
southwest wind. All Of the pilots
planned to take advantage Of this air
current. which would carry them into
northeastern United States or south
sastern Canada, provided they sue
Ssssfully negotiate the Great Lakes
looked on by the pilots as the great
psf peril of the hazardous flight
Virtually nothing was known here
Pf ffve OF the bags after they left. for
khey shot almost straight up into the
fiouds. which hung within 500 feet
3f the ground and disappeared. 1t
= Fas with feeling af awe that the
10000 persons who. barred from the
I lark from fear Of accidents, gathered
/, n house tops and streets outside saw
no bags suddenly become invisible,
lever to appear again to the specta-
tors These balloons were the army
bags. ptioted by Major Oscar Westover
u Washington.> Lieut. James T. Neeley
Nf Rossfeld. Calf. the helium filled
laval, balloon commanded by Lieut..
COMMANDER J. p. Norfieet of Lake
urst. M J., and the civilian entries
Ralph Upeon Of Detroit. Mich, and
$ernard Won H Hoffman OF st. Louis, Mo.
5y Others Visible.
Tho other fliers were visible for
eome time as they navigated their
puthWesterly course. most of them
Maintaining an altitude of about 1900
teet. Reports brought back to Mil
tnukee by airplanes which accom-.
panied them on the first stages of the
flight said that some Of these bags
@eeMed 70 be switching somewhat into
In almost due south path.
Squalls which blew up at the start
" the race. made the getaway ex-
femely difficult but promised to
trenk ub the low banks of clouds
which spread over this area. Indica-
ions were that most of the bags
Would be in clear territory before
horning.
Donaldson. particularly. had trouble
n getting away. His balloon, one of
The smallest, was swept back and
forth tacross the field and dozens OF