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1907. May 31. Friday at Baodeck.         16
      Herald New York. 10 Mar 1907

How I Brought The Cup to AMERICA
   By Lieut. Fran

THE first annual contest for the aeronautic cup offered by Mr. James Gordon Bennett started from the Tuileries Garden, in Paris, on September 30, 1906.
     Sixteen balloons, representing seven different countries - the United States, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Spain-were entered, and in spite of the difficulties due to time, distance and expense, every one of the sixteen started on the thirtieth-truly a good record and one seldom equalled in other sports.
     Less than a year ago Mr. Gordon Bennett placed a cup in the hands of the Aero Club of France, which gladly assumed the responsibility for organizing the first of these contests. how well it acquitted itself of its task is attested by the success achieved at the Tuileries Garden on September 30. Sixteen balloons, requiring in all more than a million cubic feet of gas, were prepared, filled and started off in the presence of 200,000 spectators, without a pause, without a hitch, exactly according to the published programme.
     The first balloon started at four P. M. Long before that hour the Gardens and the Place de la Concorde adjoining were packed with a curious and interested crowd. Several bands were on hand to enliven the occasion. Countless numbers of toy balloons, of inflated figures of men and animals, made out of goldbeaters' skin, were released during the two hours preceding the start of the first balloon. Finally a flock of carrier pigeons was set free. All this, combined with the natural gayety of a French holiday gathering, made a fascinating and long to be remembered scene.
     Lots had been drawn for the order of starting, and Signor Vonwiller, of the Italian Club, had drawn first place. At exactly  four o'clock his beautiful silk balloon, the Elfe, rose slowly and gracefully from the starting point beside [[?]] little pond at the upper end of the Gardens. Passing over the Place de la Concorde, he started directly west. Then, in the designated order and at five minute intervals, followed the fifteen remaining balloons. None drew more applause than Santos-Dumont, who, true to his mechanical ingenuity, went up with a six horse power motor buzzing away, driving two horizontal propellers destined to give a vertical motion to his balloon, thus dispensing with his having to throw out ballast.
     My balloon, the United States, representing the Aero Club of America, was the twelfth to start. My companion was Major Henry B. Hersey, of the Rough Riders of 1898 and at present chief executive of the Wellman polar Expedition. We took our places in the car at ten minutes to five, were "lead" to the starting point by the squad of balloon troops for that day, and at five minutes to five we left the earth. Like all the preceding balloons, we went directly west, following the Seine for a distance, passing near the Eiffel Tower, across the Longchamp race track, where the crowd was just breaking up after the races; across the Seine again at St. Cloud and out into the country, keeping at an altitude of 600 to 1,200 feet. For the first two hours we had four other balloons quite near us. One, [[?]] its yellow color, we easily recognized is one of the three German balloons; another, from its elongated shape, we knew to be the English balloon Britannia, [[?]] by Mr. Rolls. As night came on they disappeared one by one, till, finally, at [[?]] P. M., all were lost to view.

Value of the Speaking Trumpet.

     As long as daylight lasted we had no trouble whatever in tracing our course on the maps we carried, but after dark this became more difficult, and we had to descend on the speaking trumpet. By calling down to the villagers we could make ourselves heard, and generally received a reply. Before eleven we passed over Lileux, the 300-foot guide rope just grazing the tops of the houses. By this time we had undergone a decided change in direction and were travelling northwest. It was evident before leaving Paris that we could strike the sea, so I had taken the precaution to carry along a dozen wooden loops, about a foot in diameter, [[?]] as I emptied the first ballast bags [[?]] their and I tied a hoop in the mouth of each one and then attached a cord to the hoop. This contrivance is caused a cone anchor, and is taken as a precaution if there is a chance of being carried out to sea. By trailing it in the water the progress of the balloon is retarded, thus giving a vessel an opportunity to overtake the balloon.
     At 11:17 P. M. we slipped quietly out over the English Channel, the end of the guide rope just off the water, and began the second and most interesting part of our trip. Our direction on reaching the Channel would have taken us out to the southwestern extremity of England, but again the wind veered and we were travelling west of north.
     To describe the beauty of the Channel crossing would require the pen of a master. With a full moon shining overhead, an almost cloudless sky, the balmy air and, except for the gentle breaking of the waves beneath us, not a sound to disturb the perfect calm nothing could be more charming, nothing more delightful. With occasional reference to the compass and north star, we knew our direction was good, so had no uneasiness on that score. Sitting in the bottom of the car on the ballast bags, occasionally looking over to see if the guide rope was clear of the water, if not, throwing out a scoopful of sand to send us up a few feet, we quietly ate our long postponed dinner of sandwiches, chicken, eggs, fruit, coffee and other good things which we had laid, in before starting. Once a little sailing vessel slipped under us and disappeared in the night. This was the only sign of life we saw in the Channel. The revolving light on the coast at Havre was on our right at the start, but we soon left it behind.

Crossing the Channel.
     At 2:30 A. M. a revolving light appeared ahead of us, and we knew we were approaching the English shore. On coming closer we were able to recognize that this light was on a lightship. An hour later we were over the terra firma of old England. Soon afterward the lights of a large city appeared on our left. We knew this must be Chi Chester, in the county of Sussex.
     Then the friendly moon deserted us, and heavy mists covered up the lowlands, so that we lost sight of the earth, catching only an occasional glimpse of the black tops of the trees under the end of the guide rope. The first color of dawn showed itself in the east before five o'clock, but, due to the mist and fog, it was past six before we were able to distinguish clearly the ground beneath us. We were forcibly impressed with the fact that the English farmer is not an early riser, for the loud and continued shouts of my companion did not bring forth a response till past seven. Then we learned that we had crossed the counties of Sussex and Hants in the fog, and were then over Berkshire.
     All morning we journeyed up over England, past Warwick Castle, past Stratford-on-Avon. Then the warm sun came out, heating and expanding the gas in the balloon and carrying us higher and higher in the air.
     At two o'clock in the afternoon we had reached an altitude of 10,000 feet. As we rose higher our direction changed to east of north. From the direction of clouds at a lower level than ourselves, and of the smoke at the ground, we knew that the lower currents of air would take us further to the west, so we started down in hopes of being able to change our direction sufficiently to take us into Scotland. A few minutes more brought us to the brown and barren moors, and then the coast of the North Sea loomed up straight ahead of us. It was necessary to hasten the descent, so I opened the valve and allowed a good supply of gas to escape. Down we came, till the guide rope was trailing on the moors. We knew it was just a question of minutes till we should be at the sea, but as the wind had changed slightly we hoped to continue long enough to reach a more settled district, and possibly a railroad station. A few minutes more and we had reached the edge of the moors; then a little railroad appeared to the right, running along the coast. Another minute and a small station was in sight. A farmhouse ahead looked inviting, so we decided to land. But I had overestimated the gripping power of my anchor, for on striking the ground it tore up a little sod, then let go, and the wind carried us on. A stone wall served only to twist the shank of the anchor.
     Finally, due to the loss of gas, the car struck the ground in a field a half mile past the house, jumped up just high enough to clear a stone wall, came down again, turned on its side, dragged a few yards after the tugging balloon, then stopped. On striking the second time. I pulled the "rip cord," which strip out of the top of the gas rushed out and our good had carried us so many strength and lay us stretched meadow, a flat and empty one.                                                         
     Before extricating myself and the ballast bags and other things. I looked at my watch-exactly minutes past three P.M. We have to air twenty-two hours and six minutes, and according to the measurements of the commitment since, we had covered over or about 410 miles, in a street in Paris. Necessarily the amount travelled was considerably this, as our course had not line at all.
     Our reception by the good Flying Dales (the name) was a most cordial one. The self chanced to be in and hastened up to inquire injured. As the squire sat quake could not have caused movement in the neighborhood landing of our balloon"
     With the cheerful assistance hands the "United States" packed on to a wagon, and for the railroad station, Flying Hall was the name fifteen miles north of Scarborough northern part of the country the immediate neighborhood in sight of our landing spot with familiar and interesting as the Convent of Whitby Hood's Bay. Gladly would wait a day or two in this quaint district, but we were drawn strongly toward London and other balloons. 
     As neither of us had had a the night before, we stopped night's rest. Next morning ened by vigorous pounding "Wake up and look at Major Hersey, and from cheery ring in his voice I news. The morning papers indeed report us as the winn they failed to account for Mr. English club. On our arriv that afternoon all doubts when we read the classing four balloons in the following "United States," first; Sign of the Italian club, second, landed[[?]] some forty-five miles behind third, and Count de la Vaulx club, fourth. Nine of the six had not attempted the Channel but landed on French soil.
     In marked contrast was the Channel that night Paris compared with the in the "United States" fore. A violent southwest little cross channel steamer as[[?]]only little steamers can, wish regretfully for our aerial.
     Our welcome in Paris was a one. First came the then our friends, the French club, then dozens of[[?]] cables and letters.  The follow the Aero Club gave a dinner by Prince Roland Bonaparte, the International Federation of[[?]] After dinner we were treated tion of moving pictures of the Tuileries, four days before.

Furnishings of a Balloon Carriage[[?]].
     To one who has never had of a trip in a balloon it may to know what we carried car. In the bottom was a lay to keep us warm. This proved[[?]] unnecessary. About a third was occupied at the start used for ballast. This was in sacks, weighing over forty pounds [[?]].  Our "navigating" instruments a registering barometer for height above sea level at statoscope, which records ascending or descending electric lamps for reading the and maps at night (matches of[[?]] any kind are absolutely balloon, due to the danger the gas); numerous maps of land, Germany and even of for a balloonist never knows the wind may take him; a couple of life preservers for we dropped into the sea.  guide rope and balloon cover[[?]] which I had obtain[[?]] the day before[[?]] use, and we had offer of the good Dales.  He loaned to take us to to change our
     by a representative places the for organizing already plans are
     a sport has has already the practical interesting to note that six of the sixteen balloons in this year's contest carried regular army officers, either as pilots or as assistants. The balloon holds an important place in warfare. Steps which are now being taken to develop ballooning in our own army show that we are taking the matter seriously and are beginning to appreciate that we are behind other nations along this line. Practically all European armies have their balloon corps. Troops are regularly incorporated for this service, and by constant practice and experimenting they have brought the military balloon to such a point of perfection that its usefulness cannot be doubted. History has already demonstrated its value in the past. Thirty-

Transcription Notes:
Later paragraphs partially blocked by picture, typed columns as were visible - page 43 has full view of columns [[image of Frank P. Lahm]] [[image of partial map of western portions of England and France with 16 competitor names: 1.Sig. Vonwiller 2.Captain VonAbercron 3.Comte de la Vaulx 4.Lieutenant Herrera 5.C.S. Rolls 6.M. Santos Dumont 7.Van den Driesche 8.Herr Scherle 9.Comte de St.Victor 10.Senor Salmanca 11.F.H. Butler 12.Lieutenant F.P. Lahm 13.Baron Von Hewald 14. M. Jacques Balsan 15.Captain Kidelan 16.Prof. Huntington