Show i STRATOSPHERE BALLOON RIPPED COMING DOWN i CREWS CREW'S LIVES ENDANGERED IN AERIAL MISHAP Fliers' Fliers Hopes for Altitude Record Rec ord Are Dashed by Accident CRAFT RISES FE FEET r 1 Aeronauts Cant Can't Understand Sluggish Perfo Performance ance WASHINGTON July 28 iT JP- JP Major l William E. E Kepner told old Brigadier General Oscar Westover Westover West West- over by radio from the strat balloon at t p. p m. m E. E S. S T T. that tbd there was a big hole in the bottom of or the balloon and that I 1 dont don't know how Ion long It will hold bold together CHICAGO July 28 The 28 The army Na Geographic society stratosphere balloon crippled and end endangered by rips in the under side of its gas bag struggled d slowly down toward earth lat late this afternoon after reaching an estimated height of ot feet Captain Albert Stevens reported at p. p m. m CST that that the big biff big balloon balloon bal bal- loon was approximately feet high He reported by radio his estimate that the b balloon had reached lee fee about p p. p m m. when the torn bag forced them to turn back back feet higher than Major William WilHam E. E Kepner Kepner- previously reported Information Information- from the gondola condola was extremely slim Stevens when asked if they were coming down safely said We dont don't know yet yel This was virtually the same answer answer answer an an- that was given a little while before belore be be- fore lore by Kepner The swift ascent of ot the huge bag to the foot elevation in the flight sponsored by the National Geographic Geo graphic society came after it had virtually stalled at feet fee after an auspicious ascent from Moonlight Bowl near Rapid City S. S D. D With Wilh Major William E. E Kep er cr pilot in charge were Capt Captain in Albert W W. Stevens and Captain Orvil A. A Anderson An An- derson Captain Stevens frequently took the radio rodio phone and informed listeners of the expeditions expedition's progress A radio message at 11 a. a m. m said they had closed the portholes the of ot their gondola at an altitude of feet leet near the South Nebraska Dakota border bor bore der The b balloonists reported an hour later they had jumped to feet Continued on Page Faze Two CREWS CREW'S II LIVES V E S ARE IN DANGER Hers Fliers Hopes for Altitude Rec Rec- ord rd Are Dashed by t A Accident t Continued Krenn Pace One i 4 where they had l leveled Zorob ob ot off tor lIun Craft Crait t. t Although Captain Steve Stevens Ing ng pro Progress ress at the report level declared he ho could not sky ky crafts craft's sluggishness understand In ruin th the he explained that the crew wu wa ing nc ballast for later U. U use e cot rv The two mobile units which Were expected to contact the balloon alter lb Its U descent were moved from Du Des DM Moines to Omaha and from m. m I. I lo to Jefferson City Mo Quincy voly lively This would indicate the bal baK expected expect d to drift much farther far far- ther her south than at first supposed Inside the gondola the three men were breathing atmo atmosphere phere by spilling liquid air and liquid oxygen from rom flasks flask An air Ion device removed exceSs excess m lit e while chemical bags absorbed th thil harmful armful carbon monoxide which they ther exhaled Seven miles above sea level Major Kepner in a iI conversation with h his r wIle wIfe at Rapid City said aid the sky was was' becoming black and that the tern tem I outside the gondola was va 33 3 degrees below zero Beaches Reaches Stratosphere II The first r report port that the balloon had ad entered into the stratosphere I came at 1204 p. p m. m when Kepner radioed they had reached an altitude e of f feet feel The stratosphere begins beins be- be gins ins at feet The balloon leveled le oft off at the f foot mark while radio com corn were exchanged with the he ground Then came Major Kepner's Kep Kep- ners ner's announcement that they would seek cek the foot level The worlds world's largest balloon with wilh the he three intrepid airman n In the huge metal gondola took of off at a. a m. m m. 1 MST today The craft moved straight upward clearing the walls of ot the bowl In in about one minute J The takeoff was entirely entirety successful success success- I ful and the moved out north north- e east tast 1St Major Kepner was on top of tt I the gondola as it moved out Later he Joined Captain Albert W. W Stevens ens and Captain Orvil A. A Anderson In ln 1 side the gondola Seek Altitude Record Sponsored by the National Geo graphic society and the U U. S. S army air cor corps the expedition aimed at a anew anew anew new altitude mark of 15 miles to 10 study conditions in that unmapped region above the clouds The massive craft weighing more than pounds resembled a gi gigantic gi gi- gantic exclamation point The 00 cubic feet of hydrogen gas with which the bag was inflated was concentrated con con- in the top and th the fabric dropped in folds nearly three hundred hundred hun hun- dred feet below Working under the thc glare ol power floodlights ful-floodlights a ground crew of men finished Inflation at a. a m rn m. m Two hours later the metal sphere holding a ton of precious instruments was rolled under the balloon and lashed 5 50 feet below it with heavy lines Jines Final checking followed and the the pilot made last tests of the air currents cur cur- cur v rents over the bowl by sending u up small balloons Notable Achievement The successful inflation was a a. a notable achievement Major Kepner r said just before the takeoff No balloon bal bat loon this large lare has ever been han han- handled dIed before and the men deserve full tull credit Crowds estimated at massed rowed on the natural grandstand above e the bowl waiting throughout the night to witness the ascent The crowd cheered when the tuft craft a cleared the wall There had been been- some ome apprehension hension that It might crash at the takeoff The last articles article placed d In the Rondola gondola gon Ron dola were lined fur suits for use in the bitter cold of the stratosphere The men took along alone a few cans caDS of of beans some oranges bullion and four gallons of drinking water Three airplanes followed the bai bal loon one of them carrying balloon balloon- riggers who will attempt to be o on hand when chen the balloon baBoon descendS descend probably late this afternoon |