Viewing page 62 of 404

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

[[note 1]] Saturday at Baddeck
Post Dispatch St. Louis Mis.
14 Mar 1907. [[/note 1]]

BALLOON CONTEST ENTRIES CLOSED

St. Louis, New York and Philadelphia to Represent the United States

THREE PILOTS SELECTED

Allan R. Hawley of This City, Lieut. Frank Lahm and J. C. McCoy.

St. Louis, New York and Philadelphia will be the official representatives of the United States in the international balloon race which is to be held in this city in October.

Each competing country is entitled to three entries.  Secretary Kearney of the St. Louis Aero Club received word form Philadelphia Wednesday that it would be on hand with a big balloon and a number of aerial enthusiasts.  This announcement insures a full representation for this country and indicates the widespread interest that is being taken in the sport.

Officially the entries are now closed, but it is expected that other clubs will come with their air apparatus and act as "chaperones."  That is balloons not entered in the race will be sent up as followers after the real contestants are well under way and it will no longer be possible for them to interfere with the racers.  

Pilots Are Selected.

The names of the three men who will act as pilots were made known Wednesday for the first time.  It has been decided that Allan R. Hawley will have charge of the St. Louis balloon.  His competitors will be Lieut. Frank Lahm, of the United States Army, and J. C. McCoy of New York.  All three will be commissioned by the Aero Club of America.  McCoy and Lahm will be decide between themselves which balloon each will pilot.

Before the contest the names of the pilots form all the countries that participate will be passed upon by the general committee having charge of arrangements.  It is expected the list will include the names of the leading aeronauts of France, Germany, England, Russia, and other countries that have taken an interest in ballooning. 

The St. Louis club has had made an aeronautic map of the city, 2000 copies of which have been printed and are being sent by Secretary Kearney to all parts of the globe.  On its margin is a record of balloon flights which have been made from this and other cities in this country which includes the longest that is a matter of record up to 1900.

This was the flight of John Wise from this city in 1859, and which ended in Henderson, N.Y., the distance covered being 1150 miles.  In its flight the balloon passed over Pana, Ill.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Fremont, Sandusky and Fairport, O., Dunnville, Ont., and Niagara Falls.

On the map is given the name of the aeronaut, the date he made the ascension from St. Louis, the direction in which he traveled and the distance covered.  In no instance did a balloon travel to the westward.  

The following information is given to aeronauts by the St, Louis club:

"In St. Louis, In October, in which month the balloon races will be held, the prevailing winds are from the south and southwest, and have an average velocity of 10 1-10 miles an hour.  Observations of the cloud movements by Edward H. Bowie of the United States Weather Bureau, who is also a charter member of the Aero Club of St. Louis, show a prevailing movement of the upper air currents from the southwest and west, and at a much higher velocity that the surface currents.  It would be impossible for a balloon to go west from St. Louis any considerable distance unless it be a dirigible balloon, for as soon as it rises to a height of a mile or so above the earth it will be carried in an easterly direction."

MAP SHOWING DIRECTION OF BALLOON FLIGHTS MADE FROM ST. LOUIS; PHILADELPHIA PILOT [[image 1]]
J.C. McCoy [[image 2]]