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1907 June 13 Thursday at Baddeck 87 Chronicle Chicago Ill. 14 Apr - 1907 WOMEN IN AERIAL VOYAGE -- Fair Sex Has Great Enthusiasm for Ballooning Sport. -- Feminine Adoption of the Fad Most Marked in Europe. -- Wife of Noted Aeronaut Describes the Pleasure of Her Ascent. -- Women are taking to ballooning as a pastime with even greater enthusiasm than has been evinced by men. In England and France the adoption of the fad by femininity has been most marked, but America has not been wanting, the wife and even the young child of Dr Julian Thomas having ascended with him several times. Ancient fears and illusions regarding ballooning and its dangers are evaporating. Foreign enthusiasts predict that it will soon become one of the premier pleasures of civilization. The first balloon to leave earth in England carried a woman passenger in the person of a Mrs. Sage, in the year 1784, only a few months after Montgolfier had astounded the world of science with his discovery. Next to Mrs. Sage among famous feminine air sailors is Mme. Blanchard, whose sangfroid and bravery, almost recklessness, have never been surpassed by either male or female aeronaut since. Napoleon appointed Mme. Blanchard "directress of ballooning" when, in a fit of rage, he dismissed his famous expert, Garnerin. So well did she perform her duties that the courtly Garnerin himself, although he had not deserved his fate, bowed and said that his chagrin had been compensated for in the pleasure of watching her work. Mme. Blanchard lived at a time when ballooning was in its infancy and her discoveries and calculations have proved of so much value that all aeronauts feel indebted to her. The ascent of Mme. Durouf in 1874 is noted as one conspicuous for daring and adventure. She went up from Calais with the intention of sailing inland, but an adverse current carried her out to sea. She released gas and her car, descending, floated on the surface of the North sea. She had given up hope of rescue and was calmly awaiting the ned when a Grimsby fisherman hove into view and saved her. Women in Notable Ascents. Another woman, named Bacon, played a prominent role in feminine aeronautics. Her attention was given to the scientific side of the ascent and her observations at varying altitudes compare favourably in value with those of Glaisher, Tissandier and Flammarion. Mrs. Griffith Brewer, an English woman, made a name for herself as a balloonist. She was the first woman to make an aerial voyage across the English channel. Piloted by Percival Spencer she ascended from Wandsworth Feb. 20, 1906, and after a four-hour sail descended in Boulogne. Among other women who have made notable ascents are Mrs. John Capper, Mrs. Howard Gould, Mrs. Assheton Harboard, Mrs. Miles, Mrs. Manville, Miss Gladwynne Earle, Miss Krabbe, Miss Granville and the Princess Record Philadelphia 14 Apr - 1907 New Records Set By Lady Aeronaut -- English Society Woman Crosses Channel in 55 Minutes — Tells in Interview How It Feels to Be Up in the Air. -- Special Correspondence of "The Record." London, April 6. TWICE across the English Channel by balloon in the same week is the recent achievement of an English woman and she is not a professional. parachuting. "female aeronaut." but one of the ladies of the English Court — the Honorable Mrs. Assheton Harbord. She is Lord Suffield's daughter-in-law. moves in the Queen Alexandra's "set" and is only an amateur, the only lady in the world who owns and personally navigates her own balloon. Though she has been ballooning only for one year, she has already smashed a number of records. She crossed the channel on a dark night in 55 minutes from coast to coast. Two records were broken in this journey. First, she was the only woman who ever made a night trip across the channel in a balloon: secondly, never before had the passage been done at any such speed. The Hon. Mrs Harbord has her London home at 36 Beaufort Gardens, Hyde Park. While submitting with great kindness to an interview she was very reticent about herself until it was explained that readers of American newspapers would be interested in knowing how an English society woman could undertake such daring adventures First Sensations. "I have only been ballooning about one year," she said. "All my life I have been fond of outdoor sport and a little over a year ago some of my friends invited me to witness a balloon ascent. As one of the party did not arrive someone suggested that I should go along instead, and I did. "I cannot say I experienced any of the qualms said to confront most people on such occasions. As soon as the balloon left the earth, I was only interested in the delightful sensation of soaring into the air and leaving the world far below me. "After this first trip I lost no occasion for seeking other opportunities for ballooning. I went up a number of times with various professional aeronauts and others. Then, in order to indulge my aerial propensities to the fullest, I at length decided to get a balloon of my own. To my surprise, I found that a very fine balloon could be bought for half the price of a good motor car. "To me ballooning is one of the most delightful of amusements, one of the most instructive, and, well—er—not meaning to pun, I might say, elevating. To soar up into the clouds, far above the earth, to look down on a panorama whose splendor and magnificence cannot be described in words, is surely inspiring. It seems, as it were, to give an unimaginable scope to the spirit. "As little has been said concerning the fact that two crossings were made in the same week, I might give some details of those trips. On the first trip we left between 10 and 11, going up at night in order to reach the Continent in time to see the beautiful landscape of France un garden in Stavelot, a little place about 15 miles from Aix-la-Chapelle. "We experienced no difficulty in having our balloon conveyed to the nearest railway station, and we were soon on our way back to England, passing through Brussels. "I arrived nome the following day—Saturday—and as weather conditions seemed ideal, I decided to take another trip almost immediately. I left again on Sunday, going up about 1 o'clock in the afternoon. We again cross the channel landing about four hours after reaching other side. We crossed the channel altitude of about 4000 feet. The was most interesting. We could every town and village for miles in directions, the atmosphere being clear for observation. "In some respects these two were my most interesting, but by the most dangerous. Our descent the least. On another occasion which [[?]] recall with particular vividess we reach our destination in rather a hurry, a somewhat inverted, it might said. 'basket turned over, and I think we might safely claim to be the first women to land [[?]] in Belgium on our heads. "This was on the occasion of my first trip from Paris last October. Accompanied by Princess di Teano and Lord Foyston [[?]] and navigated by the famous aeronaut Monsieur Jacques Faure, we went up from the Parc d'Aerostation at Suresnes. Our start was made at a few minutes after 8 in the evening. The wind at the time was very strong and it was at first suggested that the attempted should be abandoned. We though, however, by rising rapidly above the clouds we might get into good conditions and escape a drenching. LANDED WRONG SIDE UP. "After going up 4000 feet we still found ourselves in the storm belt, and were blown in a northeasterly direction at the rate of 60 miles an hour. Before very long we came down to 2000 feet and began looking for a safe place to land. The night was horribly dark, but we could see the lights of a big city and concluded that it was Antwerp from the broad expanse of the Scheidt. "We realized that if we continue much longer we would soon sailing ove the North Sea; and it was necess t come down at any price. Before lo dim coastline of the threatening sea on our sight. A few more minut we would have been directly over l "It was now impossible for us and choose a spot for landing, so w riedly pulled both valve and rippin and the great balloon came own rush. As I have said. the basket completely over, and the Princess a self had a 'spill.' However, no bone broken, though we were al shaken It was just about 10 o'clock, and we in a field quite away from the s any human habitation. "We trudged wearily for two through the drenching rain and fin reached a small town and eventually an Inn. We ascertained that we ha ed close to Willenstad, a Dutch nav in the Hollandsch Diep. We pac our balloon and went back to Pa same evening. We made on that o 240 miles in four hours, an average of between 60 and 70 miles per h might mention that this was one of periences which brought home to advantages of a daylight descent. "On the whole I do not regard bal as a dangerous pastime, even for In these days balloons are built of n that enables them to resist a [[Image]] "The Nebua" [[Image]] The Hon Mrs. Assheton Harbord. [[Image]] Hon. Mrs Harbord party ready to s on recent
