Related Links:
Pre-Indy 500 Races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
From left to right are: Frank Samuel Lahm, Major James C. McCoy who was the first
person to obtain a balloon license, Colonel A. L. Fulton, Major Harry R. Vaughn,
Colonel James Prentice, Major R. Lazaire, Colonel Henry B. Hersey.
National Championship Entrants:

H.E. Honeywell - St Louis Missouri - Centennial
Wooster Lambert, aid

William T. Assmann - St Louis Missouri - Miss Sophia
Paul J. McCullough, aid

S. Louis von Phul - St Louis Missouri - Million Population club
Joseph O'Reilly, aid

J.J. Wade, Jr. - Cleveland Ohio - Buckeye
A.H. Morgan, aid

Clifford B. Harman - New York - New York
T.S. Balwin, aid

Alan R. Hawley - New York - American II
August Post, aid

Arthur T. Atherholt - Philadelphia PA - Pennsylvania
Conyers B. Graham, aid

Charles Walsh - Kingston, NY - Hoosier
Colonel Samuel Beber, aid

Carl G. Fisher - Indianapolis - Indiana II
George L. Bumbaugh, aid


FREE FOR ALL RACE Entrants:

Captain John Berry - St Louis Missouri - University City
H.W. Jacobs - Topeka Kansas - Topeka
Albert Holz - Cincinnati Ohio - Drifter
Dr. L.E. Custer - Dayton Ohio - Luzerne
More balloons started in the two big events at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway than had ever been assembled at any other
meet in the U.S.  

Nine balloons were entered to start the National Championship
race.  There were 4 balloons entered in the free-for-all race.

The work filling the giant gas bags began on Friday, the day
before the race.

The balloons in the race last year were inflated in front of the
bleachers on the south side of the speedway.  To give the
public better accommodations the management of the
speedway had the gas mains extended and a new filling
station was established in front of the grand stands about
opposite the finish line on the brick track.

As the balloons are made ready to sail, each one was carried
forward to a point between the two grand tsands and released
from the top of a little knoll near the edge of the track.  This
enabled the people in both stands to see the balloons at close
range.

The start of the National Championship race began at
3 o'clock, as a balloon is released one at a time, in short
intervals.  The ballons are perfectly ballasted before being
carried forward to the starting point, so that all that is
necessary for the pilot to do is to throw out a handful of and
and drift away.
The pilots hoped for a strong northeast wind that would carry
them across into Canada and toward Nova Scotia.

The long distance record in this country is 852 miles, made by
Oscar Erlsbock who sailed from St. Louis to the New Jersey
coast.

The pilots all hoped to beat that record, but were at the whims
of the wind.  It was possible for them to take advantage of
adverse upper air currents in case they started away in a wind
not to their liking.
The pilots had an instrument to record their altitude and a battery
powered flashlight to see it at night.  They estimated their speed
and tried to guess their location.  Their most important item that
they carried with them was their ballast because without it, they
were at the mercy of depressing air currents.

The pilots, trying to save weight, carefully chose the things they
took with them.  They would take blankets and rain coats for the
weather.  They carried a rifle and ammo in case they landed in
the wilderness.  A life preserver was taken in case they landed in
water.
Thet took medicines and stimulants, small cans of soup, coffee
and edibles and plenty of water.
The government wished to be represented in the race and
sent Lieutenant T.B. Estey of Omaha of the 14th regiment of
cavalry to Indianapolis to try and be taken up as an aid.  C.G.
Fisher made an effort to get him placed with one of the racers.
John Berry was one of the most experienced aeronauts in
the country.  Everyone was surprised that he did not enter
the Championship Race.  He said he did not want to race
his old balloon, the University City, and that his new balloon
would not be completed in time.

He won the championship last year with that balloon, flying
383 miles from the speedway - down to Ft. Payne Alabama.

Instead he would race the University City in the free-for-all
race.  He was going to take a newspaper woman from St
Louis with him, but at the last moment, her employers
refused to allow her to enter.  Berry invited any Indianapolis
newspaper woman to take her place, saying he could
suspend a curtain to divide the basket into two
compartments.  Otherwise, he would just fly by himself.

Berry flew the balloon 25 times in 1909 and took a woman
with him 5 of those times.  He flew it 4 times so far in 1910.  
He said "The old University City still takes me into the clouds
notwithstanding it leaks like a sieve."
The top three pilots from the National race were to be qualified to
race in St Louis for the International Championship in October.  

However, in July the ACA ruled that E.W. Mix of Columbus Ohio
would be one of the three American starters for the International
championship, whether he competed in Indianapolis or not.  So
only two pilots from the Indy race would move on to the
International Championship.

This was because Mix had won the International Championship in
1909, which was held in Switzerland.  His victory was now why
America was hosting the event in 1910.

Mix had sailed from Zurich to north of Warsaw Poland, a distance
of 648-698 miles to win the Gordon Bennett cup.

In addition to this aeronautical event, America was also hosting
the Aviation Cup by reason of the victory of Glenn H. Curtis at
Rheims.
Pre-Indy 500 Races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
June 12 the Wright exhibition company launched its six-day
campaign at Indianapolis with Brookins, Johnstone, Welch,
Hoxsey, Coffyn, LaChapelle and Orville Wright.
c1910 postcard view of automobile and pedestrian bridges over
the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis,
Indiana. This was the second turn and the bridges crossed the
track at the entrance to the second turn. The view was looking
northwest toward the starting line and Judges’ Stand on the far
side of the track. The sign above the nearest ramp announced
ENTRANCE ONLY. The sign above the other ramp announced
EXIT ONLY. A photo showing a similar view was published in the
Indianapolis Star Newspaper in June of 1910.

The lettering on the building in the background was
AERODROME and NO ADMITTANCE. Balloon and aeroplane
races were held at the speedway beginning in 1909. The first
official event was a balloon race in 1909. In 1914, a news blurb in
a trade publication¹ announced that fire had destroyed the
Aerodrome. That report said this aerodrome was one of the
largest in the world at 280 feet long, 60 feet wide and 50 feet
high with a capacity of 20 aeroplanes and a dirigible. Several
balloons and a dirigible were lost in the fire.

From a private collection.

1. Horseless Age: The Automobile Trade Magazine, Volume
34, Number 9 (New York, NY: Horseless Age Company, 1914),
page 310.
1910 NATIONAL BALLOON RACE
September 17, 1910
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The Aerodrome (1912)
Construction of the Aerodrome began in 1909 and completed in 1910.  
It was designed specifically to house aircraft - including balloons and dirigibles.
It was 300' long, 60' wide and 100' high.  
Huge doors on both ends opened to allow dirigibles to fly in.
The Aerodrom had space for 10 airplanes and 2 full-inflated dirigible balloons.
The photo above shows the gas pipe the speedway used to fill the balloons.

The photo below shows a cloth tube was used to go from the end of the pipe to the balloon.
The Evening Star Newspaper (Washington D.C.)
on Sept 18, 1910

MANY BALLOONS UP
_________

Thirteen Start in Two Events From Indianapolis.

SIX OF THEM SEEN SINCE
_________

Championship Race to Select International Competitor.

FREE-FOR-ALL CONTEST ALSO

Nine Compete for Honor of Representing America - Four Seek
Long-Distance Honors.
_________

MUNCIE, Ind., September 17. - Slx of the balloons that started
In the races from the Indianapolis speedway today had been
reported at 9:30 o'clock tonight as having passed over towns
near this city.

They had covered about sixty miles and were slowly drifting
northeast. None could be identified.

Three balloons, the America II, the Indiana II and the Buckeye
sailed over the city at 10 o'clock. They were identified by
cards dropped by the aeronauts.

The America II passed over the business section of the city
at a low altitude.  She was going rapidly, and soon
disappeared in the northeast, followed by the Indiana II and
the Buckeye.

The three balloons were separated by only a few miles.

Thirteen Balloons Up in Air.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., September 17 - Drifting northeast from this
city are thirteen balloons, the largest number that ever started in
a race meet in the history of ballooning.

Nine of them are sailing to win a chance to represent America
in the International balloon race at St. Louis October 17.  Four
are entered In the free-for-all event for a diamond-studded cup.

A light breeze was blowing to the north east as the first
balloon, the Drifter, left the Indianapolis motor speedway at
3:58 o'clock this afternoon. It was carried rapidly away.

The breeze died down. The last balloon to leave the course,
the New York, which rose at 5:55 o'clock, was slow In traveling
after Its companions.

Only the long delay in sending up the first balloon, due to
failure to have the big gas bags properly- "inflated and the
baskets provisioned on time, marred the start of the great
contest.

The air crafts, loosened from their moorings, floated upward.
Only in one or two cases was it necessary for the pilots to
drop ballast to attain a proper height to get away on their
journey.

Drifting Toward Northeast.

All balloons traveled to the northeast, with the exception of
America II, whlch took a more easterly course.

The American championship race, for endurance and
distance, is to select representatives for America in the
international event, which will start from St. Louis a month
from today.  Distance is the goal of the four balloons entered
in the free-for-all contest, and a diamond-studded cup the
reward.

Seventy-two hours Is the record for endurance, made in an
international race, which started from Berlin. The distance
record is 852 miles, male by
Oscar Erbsloh, who sailed from
St. Louis to the New Jersey coast.

Drifter First to Ascend

Albert Holz, with George R. Howard, aid, in the Drifter from
Cincinnati, was the first sent off in the free-for-all contest,
leaving the ground at 3:58 o'clock. The Drifter took a north
east course.
Owing to difficulties in inflating the thirteen gas bags, the
order of racing was changed. Many of the pilots did not
have their baskets equipped at 4 o'clock, and three
balloons were still limp from lack of gas.

America II, the starter in the American championship race,
was turned loose at 4:53 o'clock, with
Alan R. Hawley, pilot,
and
August Post, aid, both of New York. The balloon rose
slowly and floated almost directly east.

Floating to the northeast, the direction taken by the Drifter,
Miss Sophia, with
William T. Assmann, pilot, and Paul
McCullough
, aid, rose at 5:01 o'clock, the second balloon
to start in the championship race.

Miss Sophia skimmed the ground. The crew was kept busy
throwing out ballast until the Speedway fence was reached.

Indiana II Drifts Eastward.

Closely following Miss Sophia, Indiana II, also in the
championship race, was set adrift at 5:05 o'clock with
Carl
G. Fisher
, pilot, and George L. Bumbaugh, aid. The new
balloon arose straight into the air, starting eastward.

Dr. L. E. Custer, in the Luzerne of Dayton, entered in the
free-for-all, started alone at 5:10 o'clock, and, making a
greater height than any of his predecessors, started to the
northeast.

The Million Population Club balloon was cheered loudly by
the St. Louis delegation as it was sent upward at 5:19 o'clock,
piloted by
Louis von Paul and assisted by Joseph O'Reilly.

The balloon, after ascending, began to come down. The crew,
dumping ballast, soon started it up again. It followed the
others, going a little to the north.

The Old University City, piloted by
Capt. John Berry of St.
Louis, left the grounds at 5:29 o'clock, and floated to the
northeast.

On account of the leaky condition of the balloon. Berry
entered the free-for-all event, instead of the championship
race.  Capt. Berry won the last American championship in
the University City.

Pennsylvania Takes Trail.

At 5:38 o'clock the Pennsylvania, in the championship event,
piloted by Arthur T. Atherholt, assisted by Conyers B. Graham,
both of Philadelphia, sailed off in the direction taken by most
of the other balloons.

The Centennial, formerly the St. Louis, closely followed the
Pennsylvania, starting at 5;40 o’clock.  
H. E. Honeywell and
Wooster Lambert were in the basket as the Centennial
drifted Into the northeast.

The little Topeka in the free-for-all, carrying
K. S. Cole, pilot,
and
F. M. Jacobs, aid, rose slowly at 5:46 and floated to the
northeast. The slight breeze had died down.

The last four balloons started were still in sight traveling slowly.
The Topeka was the last free-for-all entry to start.

Government Balloon Starts.

The Hoosler. carrying Charles Walsh, Kingston, N. Y., and
Col. Samuel Reber, United States Signal Corps, who is
here to represent the government, drifted off at 5:50 o'clock
in pursuit of the other ten balloons, six of which have been
lost to sight.

Two minutes after the Hoosler had left the ground, the
Buckeye, piloted by
J.H. Wade of Cleveland and assisted
by
A.H. Morgan, started on its race in the championship
event, taking the same directlon as the others.

The last balloon to start in this the greatest balloon meet in
history was the New York, which left its moorings at 5:56 and
drifted after the other twelve gas bags.
Clifford B. Harmon,
former  head of the Aero Club of America, was the pilot and
T. S. Baldwin aid on the New York.
The Evening Star (Washington D.C.)
September 20, 1910

ALL BALLOONS SAFE

Miss Sophia, Last to Report, Landed in West Virginia.

PERILS OF THE UPPER AIR

Flight From Indianapolis an Unusually Eventful One.

BULLETS AN ADDED MENACE

Aeronauts Want Government to Prevent Farmers
From Shooting at Them.

NEW YORK, September 29 - All but one of the contestants
in the balloon race that started from Indianapolis Saturday
night have been accounted for in messages to the Aero Club
of America here. The club was notified today that the balloon
New York landed at Portsmouth, Ohio, at 5 p.m. on Sunday,
and that the Buckeye landed at Showalter, VA., at 7:30 a.m.
No word was received from the balloon Miss Sophia.

Capt. Thomas S. Baldwin of the ba!loon New York returned
here, today. Capt. Baldwin was astonished when he learned
that the landing of the New York had not been promptly
reported.

Allan P. Hawley and Augustus Post of the America II,
which landed at Warrenton, Va., yesterday afternoon, also
had strange experiences, which Mr. Hawley related.

"I have never made a voyage in which so many adverse
conditions were encountered.'" said Capt. Baldwin.

Hot and Cold by Turns.

"We encountered hot sun, cold winds, thunder, lightning and
rain in rapid succession. It kept us guessing to manage the
ballast under these conditions, and when we dropped
Sunday evening at 5 o'clock near Portsmouth, Ohio, we
had used it all up but a few pounds.

"Saturday night we were enveloped by violent rains and
were generally wet and uncomfortable. Sunday morning,
however, the sun shone out. our gas expanded and we rose
to a height of 200 feet, and kept rapidly rising till we were
at an altitude of 6.000 feet or more.
"About noon Sunday we encountered one of the worst
thunderstorms I have ever met with in the upper air. Only
by soaring above It at a height of three and a half miles did
we avert the danger of being struck by lightning. It was a
magnificant spectacle as we were carried along above it.



Kept in Upper Currents.

"All the afternoon we soared alone, keeping to the upper air
currents and constantly throwing out ballast. At 4 o'clock
Sunday afternoon we found ourselves with hardly a pound of
ballast left, and we began to look about for a good place to
drop. We found such a spot on a hillside near Portsmouth,
Ohio.”

Mr. Hawley had quite as eventful a trip in the forty-four and
one-half hours he and his companions spent in the air. They
also passed through storms and heavy rains which
condensed their gas.

"The government should take steps at once to protect,
balloonists who are likely to he killed at any time by ignorant or
vicious countrymen who persist in firing at them as they fly above
farms." said Mr. Hawley. "While we were passing above Noble
county, Ohio, on Sunday evening. I distinctly heard two bullets
whistle past my ears and there were several reports, it was so
serious that we actually decided
that In the event of one of us being struck by a bullet the other
should instantly descend.

"When we landed at Warrenton we could have kept in the air
some hours longer, and only came to earth for fear of being
blown into Chesapeake bay."

Miss Sophia Is Reported.

ST. LOUIS, September 20 - The balloon Miss Sophia, an entrant
in the balloon race, landed in Calhoun county. W. Va., Sunday
evening at 6:10 o'clock. W. F. Assmann of St. Louis, the pilot,
reported from Clarksburg, W. Va., that he landed many miles
from a railroad with less than two sacks of ballast.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES COVERING THE RACE
The NY Tribune Sep 19, 1910

BALLOONS RACE THROUGH STORMS

Two, Which Started from Indianapolis.
Land in Pennsylvania Rainsoaked.

THREE FLY IN A BUNCH

So Close Together as They Passed Over Pittsburgh
That Spectators Feared a Collision.

Pittsburg. Sept. I8. - Two of the thirteen balloons which
ascended from Indianapolis yesterday afternoon landed today.

The Topeka came down at 3:30 o'clock this afternoon in the
yard of John Reyburn's farm, seven miles south of
Washington, PA.,  on account of a shower.  

Pilot
R. S. Cole and his aid. F. M. Jacobs, of Topeka, KS,
reported that most of the night they had travelled so closely to
the others of the big aeronautical party that they could talk
from basket to basket. The Topeka was entered in the
free-for-all event.

The Drifter, with
Albert Holz. pilot, and George R. Howard,
passenger, landed at Uniontown, PA. The aeronauts stated
that they encountered three storms while flying at an altitude
of about twenty-three hundred feet and crossed the Ohio
River three times. Their big gas bag was literally soaked and
made so heavy by the rain that they were forced to descend.

The Buckeye passed over Charleston, WV at 7 o'clock this
evening.

Four other balloons crossed the Ohio River near Wheeling.
WV.

Hundreds Watch Balloons.

Eastern Ohio, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania were
all balloon hunting today. All afternoon local newspaper
offices were advised from outlying districts that four balloons,
sailing high and separated by about ten-minute intervals, had
been sighted.

The first report came here from Washington. PA.  The
balloons had been sighted there at 1 o'clock, and the third had
passed at 1:50 p. m. They were all over 1,000 feet high, but
Sheriff John Murphy, who reported their passage, said that he
distinguished the forms of two men in two of the baskets and
three men in the car of the third balloon.

At Cannonsburg. just northeast of Washington, the balloons
were sighted by hundreds of persons, and one man got so
excited he turned in a fire alarm!

Over the junction of the Monogahela and Youghiogheny rivers
the aeronauts evidently encountered trouble with the lower air
currents and avoided them by mounting to the height of
nearly a mile.  At this altitude they sailed up th« Monongahela
valley, over the fire and smoke of numerous steel mills.
Sailing Close Together.

The balloons were sighted between 2 and 3 o'clock from the
southern suburbs of Pittsburg. at McKeesport. Elizabeth,
Carrick and Mount Oliver.  At that time one of the balloons
had a twenty minutes' lead on the three others, and the latter
were so close together that it seemed as if they would bump.

At the extreme height it was impossible to identify the balloons,
and as dusk closed in they were reported as barely visible as
they proceeded northeasterly along the course of the
Allegheny River.

During the afternoon showers threatened several times, and
at 8 o'clock some rain fell here, but at that hour no report had
been received of any of these four balloons landing. The wind
held steady at about twelve miles an hour, as it had all day.
The local Weather Bureau reported that during last night the
aeronauts could not have had a wind much better than four
miles an hour, but at daybreak it became brisker.

During the evening a note dropped from the Million Population
Club balloon, of St. Louis, was brought into a local newspaper
office. It read:

 We are now at the 2,500-foot level, travelling northeast,
with fourteen sand bangs left. 1:30 p. m. Don't think we will
be able to stay up all night.
 LOUIS YON PHUL. Pilot.
JOSEPH O'REILLY. Aid.

The Million Population Club balloon went up at 5:19 p. m.
from Indianapolis yesterday, and was entered in the
American championship event.

Nothing further has been heard from the balloons up to
midnight tonight.

         _________________________________


Columbus. Ohio. Sept. I8. — Two balloons, participants in the
Indianapolis contest, passed over this city this morning. Their
names were not ascertained. A report from Athens, Ohio.
says three passed over that city.

One of them— the Miss Sophia, piloted by
William Annan,
of St. Louis, with
J.G. McCullough as aid— dropped a
message at 6:42 o'clock this morning near Carpenter, OH,
stating that the crew had twenty-four bags of ballast left and
that it had rained all night. The. balloon was then travelling
southeast. The Miss Sophia passed over Pomerov. Ohio, at
8:45 o'clock, and another balloon was seen there at 12:30
this afternoon, golng eastward, but its name was not learned.
Out of Ballast

“All the afternoon we sailed in the upper air currents constantly
throwIng out ballast.  By 4 o’clock we were about out of ballast
and had to begin looking for a place to to alight.  We found a
good spot on a
hillside near Portsmouth.”

The Aero Club of America which will officially announce the
winner of the American championship balloon race which
started from Indlanapolis on Sunday announced at noon today
that it had heard officially from five of the balloons The winner
will not be announced until the others are heard from.
Unofficially the club has been notified that all of the balloons
have landed.

Officials Disappointed

Officials of the Aero Club are keenly disappointed at the
almost farcical ending of the race as neither the records for
endurance or distance were approached.  It was the hope of
the officials that three balloons could be found which might
prove serious contenders in the international race but the
records of Saturday’s starters are not such as to give much
hope for success in this event.

It is admitted, however, that the balloons encountered
unusually rough weather and when final reports are
received from all the pilots it may turn out that the
performance was far more creditable than the time aloft
indicates.

      _____________________________________

BALLOONIST TELLS TELLS OF
STORM IN AIR

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 20 – Conyers Graham and Arthur T.
Atherholt
, the Philadelphia aeronauts who manned the
Pennsylvania II in the balloon race from Indianapolis returned
here today battered and bruised as a result of the the
wrecking of their aircraft In a terrific storm at Dexter Ohio
Sunday.

Both narrowly escaped with their lives, being caught  24,000
feet in the air with only three bags of ballast.  They descended
with such terrific force that that their balloon rebounded a
hundred feet from the ground carrying with it the occupants
entangled In the ropework of the basket.

Blinded By Storm

“Rain poured in torrents,” said Graham today.  “We were
blinded by it and the intense darkness and absolutely lost our
way.  We floundered all night, the winds blowing fiercely.
Early Sunday morning we were driven to an altitude of
13,000 feet.  In descending it cost us seven bags of ballast.  
We had three left when we were suddenly lifted to an
amazing height.

“It must have been some atmospheric freak that caused it.
The barometer showed 24,000 feet. It was a trying moment.  

“Tossing out our ballast we descended like a shot. When we
hit it was with terrific force.  We were both caught under the
basket but clung to the ropes as the balloon rebounded
about a hundred feet.  We were both stunned and
considerably bruised.”

           ____________________________________

Harmon Sends Message

NEW YORK, Sept 20. - Mrs Clifford B Harmon received a
telegram from her husband at Dayton Ohio today in which he
declared he is safe and suffered no hardship from his twenty-
three hours in the air.
The Washington Times – Sept 20, 1910

THREE BALLOONS ARE REPORTED
SAFE TO NEW YORK CLUB

“New York,” Miss Sophia,” and “The Buckeye” Are
Accounted For.

AIDE BALDWIN TELLS TELLS OF OF STORMY
VOYAGE

Great Bag Has Wild Ride During During Night During
Night With Two Occupants in Car

NEW YORK, Sept 21. -  Reports which reached the offices of
the Aero Club of America about a 12:30 today have cleared
up the mystery which until that time surrounded the
disappearance of the three balloons, New York, Miss Sophia,
and the Buckeye.  All three have been heard from.

Since the time the thirteen balloons left Indianapolis Saturday
these three had not been heard from.  No anxiety was felt for
the safety of their captains and aides until this morning when
continued absence of any reports gave officials here and at
Indianapolis grave worry.

It looked to officials here today as if the honors rested
between the Buckeye, which landed at Showalter, and Miss
Sophia, which descended near Midvale, WV, both having
undoubtedly broken the American endurance record of 45
hours and 26 minutes.

Shortly after 11 o’clock this morning officials of the Aero Club
of America received a telegram from Pilot
J.H. Wade, of the
balloon Buckeye.  The telegram read:

Telegram Explains

“Balloon Buckeye landed in the mountains at 7:30 Monday
morning, one mile southeast of Sbowalter, Floyd county, VA.  
Impossible to wire earlier.”

The telegram was sent from Chrlstiansbarg, Va.

About fifteen minutes after the receipt of the report from the
men in charge of the Buckeye a second telegram dated from
Clarksburg WV informed Aero Club officials that the Miss
Sophia had landed in an out of the way spot in West Virginia
about about 6 o’clock Sunday evening.  So far away away
from any sort of communication was the landing place that it
was impossible for those in charge of the Miss Sophia to let
their friends know of the safety until this morning.

The report made by
Capt. Thomas Baldwin, aide of Pilot
Clifford B. Harmon in the balloon New York, was the most
spectacular one of the three.

Baldwin Reports

Apparently unmindful of the fact that the entire country was
alarmed for the safety of his balloon, the New York, which had
not been reported since it started In the championship race
at Indianapolis Saturday, Capt. Thomas Baldwin, the aide
of Pilot
Clifford B. Harmon appeared at the Aero Club of
America rooms today and reported that the New York landed
near Portsmouth Ohio at 5 o’clock Sunday evening.

“I supposed, of course, that everyone knew about our having
landed,” Baldwin said, in explaining his silence. “Although we
were not In the air very long, we had a hard time of it and for
fourteen hours we had the hardest fight with adverse winds
that I ever experienced.

“We ran into hot sunshine, cold winds, thunder lightning and
rain in rapid succession,” Captain Baldwin said. “It kept us
guessing to manage the ballast under these conditions and
when we landed we had only a few pounds of of ballast left.  
Our gas was also badly depleted from the constant changes
in temperature.

“Saturday night we were soaked by a cold rain.  Sunday
morning the sun shone brightly, our gas expanded and we
rose rapidly to a height of 6,000 feet or more.  At noon
Sunday we struck the worst thunderstorm I have ever
encountered in the upper air, and to avert danger we soared
to a height of three and a half miles It was a magnificent
spectacle to ride above the storm at such great height, but
we were in no mood to enjoy the sensation.
National Championship Gas Balloon Race Results
From Indianapolis Sep 17, 1910
Time

44.5 hours





23 hours
Distance
Balloon

America II
Centennial
Buckeye
Miss Sophia
Pennsylvania II
Indiana II
New York
Million Population Club
Hoosier
Landing Time

2:30 pm Monday
5:30 pm Sunday
7:30 am Monday
6:10 pm Sunday
5:10 pm Sunday

5 pm Sunday
Landed At

3 miles SW of Warrington VA
66 miles NE of Pittsburgh, PA
Showalter, WV
Calhoun county, WV
1 mile N of Dexter OH
10 miles W of Pittsburgh, PA
near Portsmouth OH
Place

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Results for Balloons Vying to Enter International Championship
to be held in St. Louis Oct 17, 1910
Time
Balloon

University City
Topeka
Drifter
Landing Time

3:30 am Monday
3:30 pm Sunday
3:00 pm Sunday
Landed At

5 miles from McKeeesport, PA
7 miles south of Washington PA
Uniontown, PA
Place

1
2
3
Free-For-All Race Results
Balloon                        Aid                        Pilot                        From        

Centennial                Wooster Lambert        H.E. Honeywell                St Louis, MO
Miss Sophia                William T. Assmann        St Louis, MO                Paul J. McCullough
Million Population club        Louis von Phul                St Louis, MO                Joseph O'Reilly
Buckeye                J.H. Wade, Jr.                Cleveland, OH                A.H. Morgan
New York                Clifford B. Harman        NYC, NY                Capt Thomas S. Baldwin
American II                Alan R. Hawley                NYC, NY                August Post
Pennsylvania II                Arthur T. Atherholt        Philadelphia, PA        Conyers B. Graham
Hoosier                        Charles Walsh                Kingston, NY                Colonel Samuel Beber
Indiana II                Carl G. Fisher                Indianapolis, IN                George L. Bumbaugh

University City                Capt John Berry                St. Louis, MO                
Topeka                        E.S. or J.R. Cole                Topeka KS                H.W.  or F.M. Jacobs
Drifter                        Albert Holz                Cincinnati OH                George R. Howard
Lezerne                        Dr. L.E. Custer                Dayton OH