Page 73 - Demo

It was Carl Fisher who, in 1909, built the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and its first race was held on June 5. But it was not an automobile race, and the soon-to-be-famous 2%u00bd-mile brick oval wasn%u2019t even completed yet. Instead, it was the first U.S. National Balloon Race sponsored by the Aero Club of America. The idea for an airplane race had originated with Fisher and G.L. Bumbaugh%u2014the man who had taught Fisher to pilot a balloon, then sold him one.On the big day, the gates opened at 12:30 p.m., and the Big Four Railroad brought spectators to the event every 20 minutes. There were nine balloons entered, each filled with flammable natural gas, and they were scheduled to launch in the late afternoon. Their 4-foot-square baskets were equipped with blankets, rain coats, medicines, soup, coffee, edibles, and plenty of water. Each two-man crew also took along a rifle in case of a wilderness landing, plus a life preserver if they descended into water. In addition, they carried an altimeter, a compass, and a battery-powered flashlight. These were essential because the pilots had to keep a record of their speed and direction to determine their location.A. Holland Forbes was believed to be the favorite. The current president of the Aero Club of American, he was perhaps the world%u2019s best known aeronaut. His balloon, the New York, was crafted of a special material thought to give him an advantage. C.A. Coey brought a giant balloon, the Chicago. However, he could only compete in a handicap race since his balloon was ruled too large for international racing. With a capacity of 110,000 cubic feet, it stood as tall as an 8-story building. Charles J. Glidden came from Boston to represent the Aero Club of New England, and to act as the official timekeeper. He was an international pilot with 28 ascensions to his credit. Under his direction, the balloons began taking off about 4 o%u2019clock. They were released at 5-minute intervals to prevent mid-air collisions. The winner would be the one who landed the furthest from the starting point, with a special award going to the balloon that stayed aloft the longest. Major H.B. Hersey, a U.S. weather expert from Washington, DC and a local official, W.T. Blythe, predicted winds which would take the balloons east. As it turned out, the wind blew them south.The winning entry was The Universal City, piloted by John Berry and Paul McCullough. The two traveled to a point just south of Ft. Payne, Alabama, traversing 382 miles in 26 hours and 35 minutes. After landing, Berry said they could have flown 50 miles further had they not picked up a wind which started blowing them back north. When it didn%u2019t reverse itself, he decided to land before they were blown any further in the wrong direction.In their New York, Forbes and Clifford Harmon came in second with a distance of 355%u00bd miles, landing near Corinth, Mississippi. Their 35 hours and 10 minutes in the air garnered the award for longest time aloft.The Fisher/Bumbaugh team, in the Indiana, had a good showing by coming in fifth, after traversing 230 miles in 18 hours and 30 minutes. But, it was not a problem-free fight. According to Fisher, men on the ground, %u201cbegan firing on us when we were in Brown County, Indiana, and kept up their target practice%u201a right up to 6 o%u2019clock Monday evening, when we stepped out of the basket.%u201d Fortunately, their marksmanship was poor.There was a bit of controversy, when John Berry said the Indiana should have been disqualified. Fisher acknowledged that they%u2019d come down twice. He said locals on the ground held their ropes and got them water%u2014but also claimed the basket never touched terra firma, which meant they were merely stops%u2014not actual landings. Well, maybe...