BALLOON CHASE

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13674, 17 August 1908, Page 3

BALLOON CHASE

AERIAL HARE AND' HOUNDS. An aeronaulic event of special interest took place at Hurlingham on June 24th. The contest, under the auspices of the Aero Club, took the form of a hare and hounds race with balloons. This was the first race of the kind held in this country. The "hare was the Imp, a balloon owned by the Hon. C. S. Rolls, who was the donor of the trophy—a silver model of his balloon—which was the reward of the successful competitor. The " hare" was chased by twelve Walloons, • piloted and occupied by some of the niosty prominent aeronauts in England. Tlie idea, of the race was that the Hon. C. S. Rolls, whose balloon . was tlie smallest, of those on the ground, should go away and make a descent at whatever spot seemed to the solitary occupant advisable. The honour of the race was then to ,go to tne competitor who succeeded in grounding his balloon nearest to the Imp. The weather conditions were almost ideal for. the trip.' An-hour before the cars were set free the wind was reported to have a velocity of about twenty miles, and was coming almost directly from the north. Tliere was, however, only a ground wind, and its velocity had decreased to nine.miles when, with a cheer from the large- and "fasionable crowd on the ground, ihe Imp sailed! easily away over the river, approximately in the direction of Hasletnere. There was no delay in setting off the pursuing balloons, whose flight was followed by the eyes of a very considerable crowd outside the entrance to the grounds and on Putney Bridge. It was supposed at the start that Mr Rolls would descend aits Dorking, but his balloon proved to be a very elusive Imp, and led the hounds a merry chase all over the countryside. At Leatherhead he came to ground, and was completely losU to the view of . several newspaper men- and others who were following in. motor-cars ' and ■taxicabs. It was .supposed that he had aligh'ed for- good,' and Captain Bugot Chester and Mr Dunville, who were following close on the Imp, also touched earth. Mr Rolls, however, speedily arose again, and . proceeded in a southwesterly direction towards Dorking. It was no easy task to follow his course -in a vehicle which had to keep to the main roads, and the Imp was quickly lost to v v iew, making apparently straight for Portsmouth, which it was quite within his programme to make .his objective. ■'.-■..-' Tlie only balloon that kept the " hare" in sight was "La Mascotte," with Captain Bagot Chester and Mr John .Dunville on board. "La Mascotte" descended at the village of Fittleworth, eight miles froni Arundel. At that time the | "bare" (Imp) was -then passing over the .liills towards Arundel. Along all the country roads the villagers were watching closely the movements of the two balloons, and' when La Mascotte came down in a field outside'.FiMleworth, the villagers had the greatest) evening's excitement they -had probably ever known in their lives. Captain Bagot Chester said laughingly to a " Daily Chronicle" representative, who had motored down from Hurlingham, and arrived on the scene shortly afterwards, "It was jolly good sport." Captain Chester was unable .'.ftp give precise details as to the strength or velocity of .the wind ; but- he stated l that be and Mr Dunville, who was acting as pilot, had had a very pleasant trip. Mr Rollsj telegraphing at 9.15 from Billinghurst, sa.ys: "Landed near Amberley, Duke of.'Norfolk's property, seven miles from sea. Had one descent halfwav. train rope being caught in telegraph wire, and I had to cut rope. _ Kept very low all the time, there being no' clouds to hide. in. Thus evided all balloons bub one, and lost him eventually. None in sight at finish." All the honours of this interesting event lie with Mr Rolls, who successfully eluded 1 his pursuers, but Captain Chester and Mr Dunville made a good second, arid they only descended at Fittleworth because they gathered from, the movements of the Imp that that tricky little balloon was also coming to earth.