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[[strikethrough]] -58- [[/strikethrough]] [[strikethrough]] 54 [[/strikethrough]]60 to design one the proper size and devise a means of erecting it. It must be as small as possible, easy to erect and to take down. After making many drawings I finally decided on a design and had it made by the Hettrick Bros. Co. of Toledo. Since the tent was torn to ribbons during a heavy storm, I constructed a second tent with certain modifications. On the first day it was in use, a wind and rain storm caused the stakes to pull out and let the tend down. After this exper-iment, we again made changes, and this third tent proved to be satisfactory. We then moved the airship parts into the hangar [?] and assembled it. On the day of the first or test flight, I became so harassed over numerous difficulties that I neglected some very important details which nearly cost me my life. After making a good start and reaching an elevation of about one thousand feet, I circled the grounds several times and decided to start down, I walked forward on the frame to depress the nose when suddenly the netting gave way in the rear end, and started to roll over the top of the balloon and would have made an opening large enough for the balloon to slip out and from under the netting, but fortunately, the rudder post fouled with the silk of the balloon which stopped further progress. After I made a landing I could see just where the fault lay and determine this would not happen again. When I got down safely Strobel came up, pulled me off the frame and hugged me. He was so happy there were tears in his eyes. He told me I would never regret this day as long as I lived. That was doubtful. I regretted it a number of times, but for the sake of peace in the family I told him to forget it. We had a great many callers to view the airship and give