Evening Star Newspaper, September 30, 1923, Page 73

i Balloonists Recall Thrilling Story BY DONALD EDWARD KEYHOE. | EVERAL years ago, while I was undergoing balloon training with other junior officers at Pensacola, 1 fromed the habit of keeping notes on the vari- ©ous tules of aerial adventures which were passed on to us by the older pllots. On looking over some of these notes 1 find a number of stories which still seem to me of more than ordinary interest, as much to the average reader as to the professional -aviator. e Perhaps the most anusual of these tales is that of a pilot and five stu- dent aviators who attempted to cross Chesapeake bay in the course of a “free” balloon flight and who went through all kinds of hair-raising ex- periences as a result of their daring. For the benefit of those who are not familiar with balloon jargon, I shall explain that a “free” balloon is the spherical-bag type very simi- lar to the ones used in old-fashioned ascensions at falrs and circuses, ex- cept that those in the air service are somewhat larger. These bal- loons are set loose to drift with the wind, the only control which the pilot nas being in a vertical direction by he use of valve or ballast. For fun §7nd sport there is nothing which will equal “free” ballooning, provided it is kept within proper bounds and not; allowed to run on the lines of the iollowing story. In the flight described I have sub- stituted several names for obvious reasons, but aside from this trifiing change the details are set down ex- wctly as they came to me from one of the most famous balloon pilots in the service. The flight in question was begun at Hampton Roads, Va., the geo- graphical location of which ‘is such that balloon “hops” may be made very infrequently, on account of the danger of being blown out over the Atlantic ocesn or Chesapeake bay. On this particular day, however, the wind was blowing st directly northwest and preparations were hurried so that the big balloon might take the air for as long a voyvage as possible. The pilot, whom I shall call ‘Decker, gatheréd’ five students about him as soon as the bag was inflated, loaded' In as much ballast &8 he could carry, “weighed off” for correct balance and then gave the order to “let go.” Five mirfutes later the huge hydrogen-filled bag appear- ed to the watchers on the ground but a small round ball steadily re- ceding toward the northwest * % N the balloon itself all was merry. With a good wind, clear weather, and a congenial crew, the “hop” bade fair to be a complete success. Ar- nold, one of the students, expressed the hope that they would drift north along the Virginia shore .of the bay iand then strike a westerly wind which | would carry them over Washington, which city happened to be his home. “I've always had a desire,” he satd ito Decker, “to land home town, but I don’t suppose we'll have any such luck.” . The pilot glanced at the compas: “Well, if we do go over the cap- ftal,” he replied, “we'll try to bring her down right in the middle of Penn- sylvanla avenue and give you all the publicity you want, but in the mean- | time let's go down and look the na- tives over.” As he finished he grasped the valve cord and gave it a long pull, releasing @ small Quantity of gas, which caused the balloon to descend slowly, until it reached an altitude of two hundred %eet, where half a bag of sand emptied over the side served to check further descent. ; The purpose of this maneuver was to “drag” over the country beneath, which procedure consisted in dropping a two-hundred-and-fifty-foot coil of heavy rope until it dangled from tk basket with the last few yards on t ground, this “drag-rope” acting as equalizing ballast in keeping the bal- loon at a constant altitude. The “dragging” itself was far more interesting, however, than it may eound at first. Imagine for an instant the progress of a ‘“free” balloon through a small plllage. The “drag- TOD! like an exceedingly long “feeler” from some welrd insect flying overhead, whips around obstacles, \hrough telephone wires, up shingled roofs and hrough clothes lines with great impartiality, leaving a trail of | petty destruction and scores of com- fcally angry villagers, who run out to shake their fists impotently at their unwelcome visitors above. Occasion- ally some over-ambitious rustie, with more zeal than common sense, at- tempts to seize the “drag-rope” and bring the balloon to a sudden stop by winding the rope around the nearest pole or tree. If he is fojtunate he ‘scapes with minor bruises after des- cribing a parabola and two or three other geometrical figures in the air. If he is less lucky (or if he falls to perceive a stream of sand slyly being poured from the basket above) he may be due for a most unexpected lift in life. However, no real harm is ever done in this way, and none occurred in the flight we are following. * %k Xk ok VER an hour was spent in. this manner, when Decker suddenly noticed that the surface wind had changed and that the balloon was now heading back toward Chesapeake bay. Even as he discussed their probable position with his students a silvery gleam off to the east announced the proximity . of the water. From his map the pilot decided the balloon to be opposite the narrowest part of the Chesapeake, where crossing at thejr maintained speed would be a matter of about an hour. There was, of course, the alternative of landing, but the rather desolate appearance of the ground below held little attraction for the flyers, nor was there any railroad in sight for shipping the balloon back .to the station after its deflation om \ianding. Besides, there was the lyre of crossing the bay to the unexplored part of the Maryland shore. After a hasty consultation they declded to go on. Ten minutes later it was too ‘late to change thei# minds. The broad | { surface of the bay stretched away to all sides and the Virginia shore was receding slowly to the west. In/a few minutes the cool air over theftdater had its effect and the bal- 1of Yfegan to descend. To counteract glihey emptied one of the thirty- Y88 bags of sand over the side. ufficed for a time and then the again seen to be dropping One 'of the ‘more experienced ‘| extra weight, Pilot and Five Student Aviators Shared in Adventures Which Followed Their Departure in Breeze From the Southeast After Visit to Hampton Roads—]nteresting Features of the Landing and Meeting With People of Country District—Some Comedy Mingled With Pain. ONE OF THE NAVY'S BALLOON students spoke the thought which was in all their minds. “We're going to if we don't make be short on ballast the other shore in less than half an hour, and it seems to me the wind is dying down. Decker anxiously consulted the alti- meter. “We've got a thousand feet,” he sald, looking back to see whether the @ balloon In MY { \irginia nills were still in sight, “and | we're over half-way now. Unless the wind dies clear out, we'll make it But even as he spoke there came a peculiar throbbing in hi: kpew the balloon was dropping rapidly. He dared not sacrifice two remaining bags of ballast for they were needed to effect a safe landing it reached the Maryland side. “We'll have to let our clothes go,” he decided in desparation. “Strip down to your underclothes, every one, of you.” 3 -In another moment shoes and put- tees went flying over the side in a | steady stream. By this time the bal- loon was but a hundred feet from the surface and they codld plainly hear the restless water as the swells | broke into glistening whitecaps, which grew ominously closer with every passing second. “Over one bag and the rest of your clothes!” shouted Decker as the bal- loon showed no signs of checking its alarming descent. Plop! The canvas bag struck the water with a distinctly unpleasant sound, the more 5o to the ears of the balloonists because of an unhappy parallel they were all drawing with the disappearance of the bag below the surface. * ¥ ¥ X KIOUSLY they all bubble indicator which showed the rise or fall of the craft. Then Rowland, one of the oldest students, groaned in despair. The balloon was still sinking! “Drop the last bag!” cried the pllot, now quite as alarmed as any of his students. For a few moments it ceemed as though this decrease in weight would save them from a fall into the bay, over which they had so carelessly ventured. The' huge bag hesitated, lifted slowly and seemed about to commence a eteady rise when it watched the PREPARING TO START IN ONE OF THE BIG-BALLOON RACES. THE SAILORS ARE HOLDING ears and he | S READY FOR THE “TAKE-OFF. struck a downward air current and settled once more toward the surface, which appeared to leap up at them | with startling swiftness! | “Hold tight and bend your knees! the cry. “We're going to hit The next | fnstant with a mighty thud and a drenching splash the sturdy wicker basket dropped into the apeake, while with fear born: of | their helplessness the &ix airmen waited for the sinking of their frail , which would leave th at the mercy of the waves. But the basket did not sink buffeted rougi by the swells, it nevertheless rematned afloat, apparently kept from down- { ward movement by the now lightened | balloon, which strained and swayed above them. At this, Decker quickly | suggested a way out of their plight. | “Jump up into the bull ring,” he or- | dered the rest the basket and maybe we'll make it after all.” The others followed him post-haste onto the circular suspension bar and began releasing the toggles which held the bag to the basket. Suddenly Decker paused and at the look on his face the others stopped also. ‘Men,” he said, slowly and unwill- Ingly,” one of us will have to stay here in the basket and take a chance of being rescued after the rest get ashore, or else we'll all go down. The bag will never get all six of us to land, but I think it will carry five. I'll be the one to stay if any one of you feels he can get the bag down {in this shape without breaking every lone's neci A terrible silence followed his words. They all-knew that Decker could not be left in the basket, for only expert hahdling of the crippled balloon would save the lives of those who remained in the rigging. Fi- nally Reid, the heaviest man in the crew, spoke up quietly, with the bravery of a man who knew he was taking the long.chance to save the rest. *“I'll stay,” he said, ahead—and good-bye!” There was little time for anything else. Silently he released the last toggle and jumped from the “bull ring” into the basket. Freed.of its ~ al tossing simply. “Go NAYY'S ENTRY, JN THE EVENT~ Though | “We'll cut loose from | lurched upward and, unchecked by the usual valving, was soon high in the air. What agonies the aban- doned man in the slowly sinking bas. ket went through we can only guess, | for without doubt he believed himself to be goomed. In the B%lloon aboye him the five men were in & hardly less desperate situation. With ne o, ballast for slowing their descent when | once they reached land, there seemed to be mothing before them but the {prospect of Reing -dashed to pleces against the ground. However they reclionéd without knowledge of the country which awaited them. The Maryland shore, once sighted, came swiftly into view, as the bag drifted with the speedier winds of higher al- titudes, and with it came a” view. of heavily wéoded ground at which:they all breathed a prayer of rellef, for they knew that the cushloning action of breaking branches would lessen. the shock of thelr fall. * ok ok % floated over the shore Decker pulled down on the valve rd, around his waist [ AS they © which he had securely In a few seconds the bag commenced ifs descent, while five pairs of anxious eves scanned the trees which rose up to meet them. Closer and closer they came, until the |bag was sailing along at a twenty- imile clip a bare ten feet above the | highest leaves. Then—swish! crack! :rur from Rowland and tied A cry of ter- the balloon |bounded aloft once more, leaving the i unhappy student clinging frantically lto the frail top branches o the.tree !which had jerked him from bis pre- | carfous perch on the “bull ring!” And now the balloon seemed deter- mined to reach the most dizzy heights. | Though Decker seized the valve cord {and held it down for a long pull, the | bag continued to rise 400 or 500 feet while it passed rapidly oyer the ground beneath. Then, under the in- fluence of the decreased gas, it | checked abruptly and started an al- most precipitous drop to the earth. This time the four remaining men seemed doomed without doubt. With shaking hands they climbed up into the network of suspension cords so las to be spared the first stunning {contact of the balloon with the ground, when to their glad relief the bag struck a glancing blow agalnst a tall tree and brought up, spinning, but without any terrible damage, in the branches of another one nearby. Quickly the students wound their arms about the swaying limbs and held the bag from rising, while Decker hauled in on’ the *“rip” cord, tearing a huge panel from one side | of the balloon, at which the pent-up |zas rushed forth, hissing. into the {open air. Within a few seconds the heavy rubber fabric settled into the tree top and the flight was over. One by one the battersd airmen climbed to |the ground. an indescribably gro. ftesque outfit In tattered underwear, scratched and bleeding from their rough trip through the several trees and almost exhausted from their har- rowing experiences, Once on the ground,” they ' ivasted ino time thinking of themselves, how- | ever. | “We must get a boat out to Reid?” | erled Decker. “There's a village oft | to the west about half a mile. If we {hurry we'll be in time yet.” * ¥k ¥ ¥ EFORE they had more than start- ed their search for the village they were met by several wondering countrymen, who had probably never seen such a sight in their lives, nor will again sooms Decker quitkly ex- plained their predicament, and in a few minutes every boat which could be begged, borrowed or stelen had put out from shore in search for the missing airman. As the minutes passed fear mounted in the hearts of the others that they had been too {1ate, but their fear turpea to joy when a shout from one of the boats announced the discovery of the water- logged and almost sunken -basket with its lone passenger. In a few moments Reid was hauled aboard.the nearest craft and half an hour later they had reached the little fishing village, where the very first person they met was Rowland, clad In over- alls and boots three sizes too large for him. After their joyous greeting he ex- plained his escape from the tree top. “Slid down the tree all right” he sald, grinning.” but gathered some lsullmeru on the way. I was busy | picking them out when an old farmer {hove in sight and held me up with a shotgun. Took me for an escaped “nut” and was bound he was going to take me back and collect the/ ward. I finally convinced him I was sane, though, and he loaned me these duds, so here I am.” % i the balloon instantly THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D.° €, SEPTEMBER 30,192 France am] Eng’and. | BY STERLING HEILIG. I ORLEANS, France, September 20. | N endless army Of ‘repentant | British tourists visited Orleans this summer; far more numer- ous than the original besieging forces of their ancestors—whom Joan of Arc, the Mald of Orleans, drove off fro the attack 6f the eity In the year 1429. Equally numerous American tour- ists joined With them In seelng every spot of the 0ld slege. i In all, 150,000 British and American tourlsts left cards on the maid, in her historic house at Orleans, which is kept {today exactly as she lived in it when the grateful city loaned it to her, all prepared for residence, after her tri- 1mnphxl entry which relieved the people of the English danger in those old times. By the repentant manner of the tourists, you wou'd not dream that an | English davger coud exist in France \today ! ! There is a regular sightseeing round | of the old storr. On the evening of May 7, 1429, the maid, having finally carried the Tourelles fort by assault, entered Orleans with her lily banner and French men-at-arms. The St Croix basilica, to which the spontaneous procession then moved, is mnow the cathedral. ‘The Tourelles fort no longer exists; but they recently uncovered its foundation in shoveling a trolley line.’ A little behind them, surrounded by low houses, a cross marks the center of |the old English redoubt. The cellars of theee houses are noth- Ing but the ariclent English casements. The proprietor of one leads tourist par- ties, at ten francs per head, a surprising aistance underground, fn heavy arched {masonry, all private property for cen- turles. For twenty francs apiece he selliig stone cannon balls from the old English magazine, identicg, truly, {in size, workmanship, material, weight andvenerable appearance, with the au- | thentic stone balls of the siege pre-| served in the Joan Museum. It seems that he actually came on a pile of | them in the corner of a bricked-up arch- | |way. Now that he knows their value | | as romantic paperweigits, he holds them | at 200 shillings aplec | * % ¥ % | HE Joan Museum preserves miassive ; wooden piles of the bridge on which | the mald advanced alone to the last stand of the English, bldding them sur- render. Returning from the czp(ural of the fort, they burned the bridge; and ; here are the charred ends of the piles. | i i i | for the house of Joan of Are, both being situated on the ancient Rue Talmellerie, today the Rue Tabout. This house in which Joan lived at Orleans is rezlly and truly intact. It is a three-story gable town house Jot brick, filled into intercrossing joists. | ) 3—PART 5. ° “THE WARFARE OF THE MAI TOWER, THE POSSES 150,000 Americans and Britons Visit of Attempt to Cross Chesapeake - Joan of Arc House i | colors. JOAN TAKES THE TOURELL SION OF WHICH WAS THE DECISIVE STEP IN HER VICTORY AT ORLEANS. tourists, now well ‘posted in the his- | toric spots connected with the maid. | Once “classed”, the owners lose, to a | certain extent, their private-property | rights in the prem! they may not | a degrading’ use gether refuse en and may not alto- ice to the public, | | though the hours and manner of vis- | crowds, 1t is its may be limited. a kind of “eminent - domain.” Such are the houses still occupied by -dimgal . descendants of " Jehan | ( the making-up in Lhuillier's. One buff and blue and dark brown and one white and silver! It one brown s said that Joan mnever wore this The museum is sometimes mistaken | tear down or modify, may not put to last mentioned * Both modern Bouregois and Lhail- liers understand the value of tourist avid to visit the ancient showrooms and workrooms, which have scarcely changed since the year 1429! Both familics have collected their garrets, in 08ld clothes- “THE TRIBULATION OF THE MAID.”- -JOAN CAPTURED BY THE ENGLISH ARCHER AT COM- The mald knew it as the Orleans resi- dence of Jacques Boucher, treasurer of the duke. Today its ground floor is occupled by an unfashionable but exceedingly popular and prosperousmil- lner,/ = Patriotic provincial French ladies for one hundred miles around would not have their new hats from any other concérn—to say nothing of the romantic tourist trade. . I saw a married pair from Tooting (suburb of London) take away four big bandboxes, ‘which the husband . might have ‘to hold on his knees . to Paris, the trains being crowded ! Buy a hat (it is the best way), and they show you (not as a sightseer, but as a guest!) the bedroom of the maid. It is- a" eecond-story front, with mas- sive pillars of time-stained oak eup- porting its celling, in the center. The walls are paneled in Gothic carved wood. Her ‘hed occupies a recess, which is pointed out. There are two windows. It was from thel right-hand one that Joan's page threw down her lily ban- ner to her as she ran to rally the troops at the St. Loup bastion. She never went into a fght without it. Now, this house being private prop- erty, the milliner is boss of it. By pure neglect, the Beaux-Arts, in Paris, has never “classed” it historic monument,’ step which is now on the point of being taken. For, this sum- mer, such continuous tourist crowds came, asking entrance with such con- fidence, that the millinery business threatened to be overwhelmed; and guides were installed to show the vis- itors through—who did mot want to y a hat.” The hours were short—from 11 a.m. till noon, and from 2:30 p.m. till 5 p.m. —por partles of not less than twenty persons. But those who desired to buy a hat remained the honored guests. ~ All left thelr cards on a great .pewter platter. So to speak, they left cards on the Maid of Orlean: THER private properties are likely to be “classed” by next summer— such “is~ the " overwhelming- rush “of |, PIEGNE. A PANTHEON FRESCO. Bourgeois and Jehan Lhuillier, the draper and’tailor who' supplied the maid with gowns fit for the high society in which she moved at Orleans. Joan wore armor on campaign; but In cities she. dressed like a lady. The Lhuillers . have an ancient accéunt book which reports a robe of crimson stuff trimmed with’ white satin, a gift from:theiDuke of Orleans. There are three other gowns, of “stuff” and' satin,, whose materfal and trimmings are in _Jehan. Bourgeois' book, and oA presses and perhaps elsewhere) an- tique remnants and snippings of stufts, satins, trimmings, “frogs,” buttons etc. etc, all truly dating from the epoch of the maid. They might be remnants and snip- pings from those four historic robes and gowns. And tourists want to see and touch them! As to Joan's armor, the “Inventory of the Chateau of Amboise” of 1499, among “ancient armors of defunct kings,” mentions “the harness of the maid with armpieces, mittens, head- DIAOIION fee b L o 35 n Single Season _ Atstention to Place Paid by Tourists Causes Officials of Beaux Arts in Paris to Make Prepara- won for Declaring It a, “Historic Monument"—English Repent That Their Ancestors Burned the Maid Alive—Ancient Incident of Invasion Has Served to Create Common Int-rest on Part of piece with {and lined satin.” It is not certain, however, that s ever wore this particular armor. w she went to the dauphin Chinon castle she was a slip of £irl, under nineteen years of age | Even if she could have borne a sult of plate armor with its articulated |arm, thigh and leg plates, it would | have n a year to prepare one for {her. Yet she was at Chinon only be- |tween March 8 and April 20. It is probable that to protect her trunk |from arrows they gave her certain major pieces belonging to some young prince. The 100 livres-tour paid to a master armorer by captain hinon castle would d only to pay for tment her figure of Jargeau she iron headpiece agai the ion orget, the oughout gilded th with crimson en at nois the ve of sty At tainly wore stone bullet was wou an broki ain leg pieces on that occ That the English archer who took her prison er at Compiegne pulled her from her {horfe “by her long habit” proves inothing. As a leader, she would have worn over her armor, on horseback uch a flowing tunic of distinctive But zh before nave a | 1 ! which it any she de the s of plate ited at Denis- an entire white harness that T won before Paris"—helonged originally nglish nobleman. For 200 vears was kept in the Bastille. being possibly the harness of the Amboise catalog. Jt still exists, and figures ¢ in the I Museum of Artil under the ber 178.” The Philippe called aid,” although enough to show for a lady: st. to | it “The a sing j that it Armor of the nee never is m ODREN come know with great racy the extraordinar: military ex ploit of this inspired girl—who | complished what experienced captains deemed impossible! | The English [ leans three t to L the spoi E on were attacking Or ides, had already | taken the important outer works, and | cons 1 themselves ready to finish the job and enter into possession of the Tich city | Starting from ¢ 0n on April 20, Joan had org uzed, ostensibly, a vie- }tlx train for the relief of Orleans— iher troops. preceded by a group of |elergy with banners, singing hymns On the evening of April 25 it entered Orle unmolested, by way of the unbesieged: Burgundy gate, amid the ovations of the inhabitants. At once. |she was taken this house of Jacques Boucher Only then began the sallies from the inside. Until that {moment the English had been the beslegers. Now in the bastions they had captured they became the be- sieged. One by one, the bastions were taken by Joan's troops. Only the Tourelles fort held out. To a war council, held in the second story front of the present-day milliner's Joan arrived late from church—in time to contradict the great captains advice and the war council's decision “We attack from the other side of {the river,” she said, and no captain dreamed of answering the wonderful voung girl when she was in their presence, face to face. | So they crossed by a vridge of | boats, attacked, fought all day, lost 708 men, and returned hy the hurn- ing bridge on which Joan had first summoned the English to surrender. From this point her return to the Te Deum in the basilica and the tri- umphal procession which gathered to escort her “home” to where the mil- liner sells hats today is known and followed by every tourist Every English tourist, I should say, feels absolutely called upon to tell some French person—whom or where or under what circumstances it mat- ters little—how sincerely he or she regrots that, later on, at Rheims, they burned the mald alive. It is a queer thing. Amid all present ill-feelings over reparations, this old incident of the invading English seems to bring French and English closer together lthan all remembrance of their four years' fighting, side by side, against the Germanie invader. His Handicap. From the London Humorist. “Spare a quarter eripple? “What erippled.” “Yus, guv'nor—finansherly!” to fighting—by for a poor d'you mean? You're mot OF THE MAID.” ‘HER ENTRY INTO RHEIMS FOR THE CORONATION OF CHARLES VIL SHE HAD PLACED HIM UPON THE THRONE AND GIVEN HIM HIS KINGDOM.