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as we got fairly well started we ran into a cold wind blowing off the lake which ended the flight by forcing the ship down. I found that it was necessary to make the landing on the roof of a building.

The frame or car was damaged which made it impossible to continue the flight, [[strikethrough]] so [[//strikethrough]] we transferred the gas to a spherical balloon and I made a free balloon trip with my good friend L.M. Rakestraw as a passenger. This was entirely unnecessary to satisfy the public but as I was badly shaken by the experience, I made the second trip to steady or quiet my nerves.

We exhibited at many fairs without incident. We reached Columbus in time to be set up and ready for flight on Sunday, the day before the opening.

PICKENS, THE GREAT PROMOTER
During my travels I met some very interesting people. I [[strikethrough]] had [[//strikethrough]] met William H. Pickens on several occasions. He was not in Columbus promoting the "World's Greatest Balloon Race." I called on him at his hotel and found him busily engaged pounding his typewriter, writing advance news of the coming race, describing the possible dangers [[strikethrough]] of [[//strikethrough]] to the "intrepid aeronauts." While the weather was excellent for exhibition work it was not good for long distance balloon racing. When the race finally started the greatest distance flown by any of the contestant was less than ten miles. Bill considered it personally good policy to leave town before the crowd found him. He had guaranteed that the pilots would break the world's record for long distance ballooning. This, I believe, was the shortest on record.

Shortly after the balloons started we made a flight with our dirigible and circled on of the contestants. He evidentally