The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-09-24
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BALL 0N
RACERS
KILLED
Lieuts. oImstead and Shop
taw, Of y. s, Among Five
Victims III Storm.
BY FREDERIC X. ABBOTT,
International News service.

~
BRUSSELS. Sept. "a. The
United States army balloon SO
which started in the international
race for the James Gordon BEN
nett cup was struck by lightning
near Nistslrod Holland, killing
the pilot. Lieut.. Robert OIm
and his assistant, Lieut.. John w.
Shoptaw, said ! dispatch received
at race headquarters today. The
balloon fell In flames at five
minutes after s Sunday night.
Lieutenant Bailey has gone to
get the bodies.
Five Now Reported Dead.
The balloons ran into q violent
thunder and lightning storm which
played havoc with them.
Up to noon word had been received
of the death Of five men and che Sc
rious injuring of another.
Lieut.. Robert Olmstead lived in
Boston and he was regarded as
the Hope OF the American Army
in the contest.
The French balloon, Fernando,
piloted by Lieut. Blancet, was
forced by the storm to land at
Antwerp.
All Of the Americans are out of
the race. The United States navy
balloon A-6699, piloted by Lieutenant
Lawrence, landed safely near Cut
ten, Holland, while the third Ane-i.
can entry, piloted by Ralph Honey
We'll, failed to start.
The first intimation the Belgian
Aero Club had of the American
tragedy was receipt Of telegram at
9:45 o'clock signed by a Dutch doc
tor. He said that the charred wreck
age of balloon had fallen near Mis-.
telrode and that the occupants, both
dead, had been identified as lieu
tenants Olmstead and Shoptaw.
This was only one of series of
messages telling of disaster and
death.
Swiss and Spanish Victims.
Two Swiss lieutenants had been
killed when the Swiss balloon
Geneva was struck by lightning
near Beverlee and fell like a
comet, with a tail OF flames and
smoke trailing out behind. The
victims were lieutenants Won
Gruningen and Wherein, OF the
Swiss army.
One of the three Spanish bal.
looms crashed near Heyst-Cieer,
killing the assistant pilot, Lieuten.
ant Gomez and breaking the ..rm
of Lieutenant Penaranda, the pilot.
Seventeen balloons, including
two Americans, got away at the
start. Before the getaway Lieu,
tenant Olmstead told international
News Service in an interview he
was positive the cup would be
won by United States
The Belgian Aero Club advised
the American embassy of the
deaths of Lieutenants Olmstead
and ShOptaw and requested that
the embassy arrange to claim the
bodies for shipment home.
ThrOngs See Tragedy.
Destruction of the Spanish balloon
Polar took place amidst dramatic
circumstances. The balloon was
flying at an altitude of 1900
meters when spectators below saw
flash of lightning. 1t was followed
by a loud crash like thunder. The
balloon began to fall, but the pilot
threw out the sand ballast and it
remounted, Then it burst into
flames.
The Polar crashed to earth a
twisted burning mass. Witnesses
rushed to the scene and overturned
the charred basket. Gomez's boGy
was found underneath. He had
been killed instantly by lightning.
His watch had stopped at $50
O'Clock. Penaranda was found lying
flfteen feet from the basket with
a broken leg. Gomez's body was
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