Evening star., 1923-09-30
Balloonists Recall Thrilling Story
OF Attempt to Gross Chesapeake

extra weight, the balloon instantly
lurched upward and, unchecked by
the usual valving. was. soon high in
the air. What agonies the aban-
doned man in the slowly sinking bas-
ket went through we can only guess
for without doubt he believed himself
to be doomed In the Bslioon above
him the five men were in a hardly
less desperate situation. With no
ballast for slowing their descent when
once they reached land there seemed
to be nothing before them but the
prospect of being dashed to pieces
against the ground. However they
reclsone6 without knowledge of the
country which awaited them The
Maryland shore, once sighted. came
swiftly into view, as the bag drifted
with the speedier winds of higher al
titudes, and with 1T came a. view OF
heavily wooded ground at whichFthey
ali breathed a prayer of relief, for
they knew that the cushioning action
of breaking branches would lessen
the shock Of their fall
X x X i
As they ioated over the shore
Decker pulled down on the valve
cord. which he had tied securely
around his waist. In few seconds
the bag commenced its descent. while
five pairs of anxious eyes scanned the
trees which rose up to meet them
Closer and closer they came, until the
mile clip bare ten feet above the
highest leaves.
Then-swish, crack. A cry of ter
ror from Rowland and the balloon
bounded aloft once more, leaving the
unhappy student clinging frantically
to the frail top branches of the tree
which had jerked him from his pre-
carious perch on the bull ring"
And now the balloon seemed deter
mined to reach the most dizzy heights
Though Decker seized the valve cord
and held 1t down for a long pull. the
bag continued to rise 400 or 500 feet
while it passed rapidly over the
ground beneath. Then, under the in
fuence of the decreased gas, II
checked abruptly and started An al
most prectpitous drop to the earth.
This time the four remaining men
seemed doomed without doubt. With
shaking hands they climbed I'D into
In - All
as to be spared the first stunning
contact of the balloon with the
ground, when to their glad relief the
bag struck glancing blow against
a tall tree and brought up. spinning.
but without any terrible damage, in
the branches of another one nearby.
Quickly the students wound their
arms about the swaying limbs and
held the bag from rising, while
Decker hauled in on the "rip" cord,
tearing huge panel from one side
Of the balloon. at which the pent-up
gas rushed forth, kissing. into the
open air.
Within a few seconds the heavy
rubber fabric settled into the tree
top and the f1ight~was over. One by
one the battered airmen climbed to
the ground. an indescribabiy gro-
Itesque outfit in tattered underwear.
scratched and bleeding from their
rough trip through the several trees
and almost exhausted from their l1ar-
rowing experiences.
Once on the ground they wasted
no time thinking of themselves, how
ever.
I'VE must get a, boat out to Reidr'
cried Decker. There's a village off
to the west about half a mile. If we
hurry We'll be in time yet"
x < X X
DEFORE they had more than start
ID ed their search for the village
they were met by several wondering
countrymen, who had probably never
seen such sight in their lives, nor
will again soom Decker quickly ex-
planned their predicament, and in a
few minutes every boat which could
be begged, borrowed or stolen had
put out from shore in search for the
missing airman. AS the minutes
passed fear mounted in the hearts of
the others that they had been too
late. but their fear turned to joy
when a shout from one OF the boats
announced the discovery of the water
logged and almost sunken basket
with it's lone passenger In a few
moments Reid was hauled aboard the
nearest craft and half an hour later
they had reached the little fishing
village, where the very first person
they met was Rowland, clad in over
alls and boots three sizes too large
for him.
After their Joyous greeting he ex-
planned his escape from the tree top.
"Slid down the tree all right" he
said, grinning." but gathered some
splinters on the way. was busy
picking them out when an old farmer
hove in sight and held me up with a
shotgun. Took me for an escaped
nut" and was bound he was going
to take me back and collect there
ward. I finally convinced him I was
sane, though, and he loaned me these
duds, so here am