Hide Article Text (OCR)
High Altitude Test Balloon Descends AtSaratoga After Failing to Drop DummyThe test balloon released at Sam Jordan, the gondola becameNew Brighton, Minn, near St, Paul, Sunday which was to have parachuted out a dummy man from an altitude of around 00,000 feet lt;17 miles), came down just south of Saratoga, Iowa, til miles southwest of Lime Springs about 3 o'clock Monday morning.Excitement reigned at Saratoga as the word spread, and many people of the vicinity hurried to the scene to see the dummy parachutist known as Sad Sam, and to help themselves to the yards and yards cl the plastic balloon material, which they pulled down from the trees In which It had lodged.The very lifelike dummy, after having been dragged on the ground for quite a distance, finally was stopped when It became caught on a fence. About a quarter of a mile to the northeast, onthe Nellie Miles farm, rented bycaught in the crotch of a treeand the balloon proper landed in | the grove of trees. In the bright i sunlight, the balloon was a shim* imerlng sight. According to the 'daily papers, it measured 275 feet long.Two men from Minneapolis had followed the path of the bolloon during Its flight, but lost it about 10 o’clock Sunday night lt;n the vicinity of Wabasha. Minn. They stayed overnight In Rochester, Minn., and flew on to Saratoga Monday morning when it was reported to have landed there.Grown-ups, men and women, and school children as well, all helped themselves to the plastic. Some obtained large pieces, while others had to content themselves with shieds.The men In the plane went to work to pack up the dummy andtechnical control equipment. Theyasked that pictures not be taken' of the equipment. They were also] to cut down the gondola which contained other intricate Instru-. men is, A truck was on Its way to, take It back to General Mills, I Inc.. by whom the tests arc being made for the Air Force. tFour hours after take-off. tech-1 niclans tiled to release dummy parachutist by remote control,' but the equipment failed. An, automobile timecloek device in ( the gondola also failed. IThe gondola and its equipment are valued at $90,000.1 he test was considered a pre-1 view of tills summer’s manned I air force high dive bailout pro- ; iect over New Mexico, when it; was expected to have a human do the parachuting.Air force personnel arrived by heliocopter about 11 o’clock a. m 1 to examine the gondola’s equipment.The Howard County highway's dragline was sent to Saratoga to lift the gondola while It was being removed from the crotch of the tiec In which It landed.Capt. Henry P. Nielsen, of theScene south of Ha rat of a where General Mills test balloon descended trees Monday morning, Gondola (left) cauiht In irte.A close-up of the gondola which contained valuable Instruments.
Newspaper Details
Lime Springs Herald
Lime Springs, Iowa, US
Thu, May 09, 1957
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Luis P.
AR 27 Nov 2021
Other Publications Near Lime Springs, Iowa
Lime Springs Sun Herald
Lime Springs Record
Lime Springs Sun
Lime Springs Herald
