Lady in an Airship.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 232, 5 October 1904, Page 4

Lady in an Airship.

0 MISS BACON DESCRIBES HER VOYAGE. The voyage of the Spencer airship from Shrewsbury cm a recent evening was, in spite of the unfavourable weather conditions, the most successful airship flight yet mmde in England, and goes far to prove that England possesses a dirigible, aircraft second to none in efficiency and reliability.

Mr Stanley Spencer was a proud man at Ihc end of his adventures, and I was n proud woman, for it had fallen to my lot to be the first lady in lCnglnnd to make an airship voyage.

High winds prevailed over the country on Thursday, and prudence dictated the abandonment of the voyage ; but 70,000 people are n o t lightly to bo disappointed. The first moment the breeze Blackened the airship was mode ready. At 7.80 we took our places in the basket, the motor was started, and the order igiven to cast loose. As luck would have it, however, a sudden gust swooped down upon us and boro us straight for a large tent beside the starting ground.

A shout of horror rose from the multitude, for disaster seemed inevitable, since beyond the tent was a row of lofty elms, in which it scorned certain we must he caught. It was only the quickness 1 and presence of mind of Mr Spencer which averted catastrophe. —Accident Averted.—

In one moment he lia'd dropiwd an entire bag of ballast on to a vacant ppot Wow. Ho had disconnected the tractor and stopped the whirring blades. Otherwise they would have ripped up the tent, and would have brought the rudder sail right round to the wind. Crash we.nt one of the flag-sticks en top of the tent, and a big spray of elm was borne away on the rudder, but we were clear, and in a moment the. town of Shrewsbury and the encircling Severn- opened out beneath.

The tractor was immediately put in action, and the craft instantly came under complete control. The Steering of the vessel is accomplished w,ith a small wooden wheel controlling the rudder. It works easily, and several times I was allowed to pull it round and twist the great craft about in tho air.

The vessel was then directed right against the wind. The sensation was at once exhilarating and delightful, more so than in the case, of un ordinary balloon- There was absolutely no pitching- or tossing, only the throttling of the eHugine,. which, by the way, is under m o st perfect and ingenious control from itho car. The rapidly increasing darkness at length put an end to a voyage as delightful as it was unique, and a most successful landing was made in a field two miles! beyond Wellington, which town wo reached about midnight.—Daily Mail.