Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-17

Washington. Jan. I6.--Thnt bnlloon-
ing should be made a popular sport r
by the formation Of balloon clubs in 9
all parts OF the country, and that y
would be one Of the safest. healthlest
and most enjoyable Of all sports, is !
the opinion OF Ralph H. Epson, Of the
Aero club OF America. /,
Epson bas several times represented
the Aero Club in tho annual Gordon !,
Bennett Balloon Race. and he once
won that event, which made him the I.
champion balioonist Of the world. lie /,
| Is not only an expert balloonist. but
also designer Of balloons and ,
blmps II
Epson IL Aroneiy imbued with the !
Idea that balloonipg is the worlds
great neglected sport. that large part {
| OF mankind lis missing q great deal Of |
fun by not getting up in. the air with
n gas bag.
The general public has the idea
that the airplanc has forever displac-
cd the balloon. AS matter OF fact,
1T has left the balloon just where it
was before. as one Of the most ANUS
ling toys civilized man has invent
ed. Bailooning never has been much
hut sport. and most balloonisfs have
no desire to make It anything else. /
The balloon bears the same relation I
to the airplane that the sailing yacht /
does 10 the steamship and motor \
boat The power boats have prac- I
ucalIy displaced the sail boats In 1
commerce, but sail boats remain the /
chief recreation Of many thousands.
In fact. machinery and sport do
not, for the most part. go together.
THE commercial future undoubtedly
belongs TO the airplane, but II remains
and long will remain a decidedly ex-
lpensive and somewhat hazardous
business Even II power flying had
a wide appeal as sport. il would be
a long time before any but the wealthy
and daring few could follow it.
None of these drawbacks, according
, to Epson. applies to the balloon Re
, says that he can design a small balloon
which can be sold Tor no more than
the cost of good passenger auto
mobile and which can be flown with
the gas made in the city gas house
! Three or four clubbing together could
= then 20 in for ballooning more chear,y
4 than each separately could go in for
y motoring.
Z Fool-preof Flying.
!. Epson and other balloonists agree
J. that ballooning. properly carried on,
; is 50 safe that II may be called fool
e proof, and they also assert that II has
la fascination which must be ex-
! periencsd to be appreciated. Once a
!. man has known the strange delight
y Of raising into the rare and stinu-
u Iating atmosphere above the earth
and riding the air currents. they say.
: he is nevermore satisfied to stay on
:. earth.
As summer sport a means Of es-
!. Gaping the heat and dust that bedevil
:. the dweller on the face OF the earth,
!, it would certainly have advantages.
- II is probable too that roaming around
! among the clouds in balloon would
I, be much better for the nerves and
n thes disposition than burning the
70 bumps in a flivver. A nation of
balloonisis would probably be a ma
3 ton Of serene philosophers.
AZ But to return 10 the Immediate
II feasibility Of the thing. Epson says
V. that provided you do not try to smoke
and cook in your balloon. do not de-
lberately stay out in violent storms
and do not try 10 cross large bodies
of water. balloon is one of TIE safest
places 10 be. AS long as you carry
mo fire. there is nothing TO puncturs
your gas bag in the air. and as Ions
as your gas bag is intact you ar'
he safe. Lightning IS not danger. Yol
are not any more likely to be strucl
] l..~ Ery~t rftr In hof [19f
are walking along street. and not II
he as much danger as you would q
standing under a tree. You can al
he ways descend gently 10 the earth q
any time. if storm rises.
BaIlooning is primarily a study
Ias weather. The only control which
bauoonist has over his craft is gain
WI ed by choosing his air currents. Is
going up or down few thousand fee
ote he can usually find current whic
is going somewhere near the direC
for ton ne wants. TO travel.
The layman whose knowledge {
ballooninE is usually based on havin
the seen a so-called balloonist make a
ascension at a county fair. believe
, that balloonist merely blows alon
in almost any direction until he feel
ILL., that he is getting too far from nom
and then comes 10 earth.
mar Balloon Control.
As a matter OF fact. the CROWN
-. knowledge of the air currents, whic
me is being gathered by ballonists. siv'
them growing control over the
''i craft. and makes ballooning sport
high scientific skill. Indeed. its STUD
of the upper air zones is probably Il
most useful thing about 'balloonin
DC The Weather Bureau has been sen,
ing representatives, to the balloC
80 meets of the Aero Club, and Ups
II on his last flight carried an observl
from the Weather Bureau. The
inc scientists see in the balloon splend
!, means of studying the important S
ths crets of the atmosphere.
nan