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Then came a blinding flash and a crash of thunder like the crack of doom! I was thrown sidewise and nearly fell out of the basket. Suddenly the cordage slackened and I noticed that the balloon was falling. Looking up, I saw that the balloon had burst! But again the cordage began to tighten as the balloon spread out in the netting like a parachute. Oscillating, we heaved toward the ground. All remaining ballast was thrown overboard to slacken the speed of descent. For a time, I believed I might make a good landing. But a sudden puff of wind caused the balloon to straddle the tops of two tall trees leaving the basket hanging some fifteen feet above the ground between them. I slid down the drag rope; the earth seemed very precious to me! When the storm was over I recovered the equipment from the trees. The experiment was ended.

This experiment clearly proved to me that hydrogen gas was not dangerous to use in a severe thunderstorm even though the balloon and all its parts are charged with static electricity.

Hydrogen will not burn unless it is united with oxygen in the proper proportions. Therefore, if a balloon or other enclosed space is filled with pure hydrogen and oxygen is kept out of it, there can be no danger either from fire or explosion.

As I gained experience, these facts became more apparent and I no longer feared storms. But the necessity for better protection for the equipment became urgent. I lost several balloons due to wind pressure forcing the bag out from under the netting. Away it would go, bounding high up into the air where it would burst into a thousand pieces. Since each balloon cost me from $300.00 to $350.00, this was not very profitable. I learned that by lacing a skirt around the equator of the balloon and staking it out in such a manner that it was impossible for the wind to pass under it that this difficulty would be solved. I found the wind would ride