El Dorado Daily News

FIVE BALLOONS OFF IN GAS CONTEST

Travel Southeastward With Fair Weather Predictions

ST. JOSEPH, Mo., May 1.--(By the Associated Press.)--Five balloonists crossed the United States in the national elimination balloon race. Four of them were contesting for the honor of representing the United States in the international races. The fifth was a pilot balloon.

One Eliminated.

The sixth pilot, Captain Raymond E. Feill, saw his hopes of representing his country in the international blasted early in the afternoon when the net about his balloon, the army, was torn. He was the first of the contesting balloons out. Lieutenant William J. Flood took the army balloon S-14, piloted by Lieutenant Haynie McCorick, at 5:59 p. m. and sailed away to the southeast before a stiff breeze. Lieutenant Flood's aide was Lieutenant McCorick.

The Goodyear III, flown by W. T. Orman with C. K. Wollam as aide, got away ten minutes later. Orman won last year's race.

Captain H. S. Honeywell, veteran aeronaut, soared away in the St. Joseph at 6:46 p. m. His aide was Roy Preston.

Tribute was paid by officials of the race to the nerve of W. C. Naylor, aide to Herbert V. Thaden, who overcome by gas shortly before the balloon, the Detroit, was to take off. Naylor was revived by pulmotor and insisted on accompanying Thaden against the advice of physicians.

Wind Delays Start.

The start of the race was delayed by a strong wind from the north that hampered inflation. It was not until 5:47 p. m. that the pilot balloon in charge of Major Marie Smith of Kansas City took to lead the way for the contest. He had been scheduled to depart at 5:10 p. m.

Major Smith was refused permission to compete in the race with the balloons by Major A. B. Lambert of St. Louis, the referee.

The pilot balloon is less than half as large as the other balloons and filled entirely with hydrogen. The contention was that it would not be fair competition since the larger balloons were filled with 70 per cent of water gas which does not have the lifting power of hydrogen.

The contest committee of the National Aeronautic association yesterday granted Major Smith permission to compete in the race.

Go Toward Memphis.

The balloons, according to the local weather bureau, will be carried to the southeast as far as Memphis. From there eastward toward the Atlantic coast. A northeast wind of about 12 miles an hour was blowing when the balloons took off.

Generally fair weather was predicted for the balloonists along the route they will travel with no danger of storms.

A wind from the south or southeast had been predicted for the race. For a while early this morning there was a fair southwest wind. It shifted later to northwest. A south or southeast wind would have been more desirable, the pilots said.

Carry Radio Sets.

Three of the big balloons, the Goodyear III, Detroit, and the Army are carrying radio receiving sets and will be kept informed of weather conditions by a chain of 32 radio stations over the country tonight and tomorrow.

Captain Honeywell is the only contestant pilot who does not have a radio set. The veteran aeronaut said radio does not help and that it is just another complication.

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Has Iron Nerve

W. C. Naylor, who was overcome for a time by gas, but left against advice of physicians. He is aide to Herbert V. Thaden.

First One Off

Lt. Flood in charge of the army balloon S-14 was the first to sail away from St. Joseph.
Five Balloons Hop Off
In U. S. Contest
(Continued from Page 1)

a hazard.

To the contrary, Van Irhman said radio aided him materially in winning the race from San Antonio last year and that he believed it would help him in the race started today.

The radio stations will broadcast weather reports at intervals of about every fifteen minutes, it was said, and in addition will give programs for the aeronauts during their long jaunt with the winds.

To Drop Messages.

All of the pilots will drop messages along the way which finders are requested to dispatch to their destination. Some of the messages will be addressed to the headquarters of the national aeronautic association here and others to the Associated Press. The messages will tell the location of the balloons, their speed and any interesting happenings during the flight.