Henry B. HerseyBorn 28 Jul 1861; died 26 Sep 1948 at age 87.Major Henry Blanchard Hersey was an American meteorologist and balloonist who was co-pilot on the balloon United States when it won the first international balloon race (left Paris on 30 Sep 1906). His career began in the Signal Corps (29 Jun 1883) and received instruction in meteorology. After assignments in other states, he became an Inspector for the Weather Bureau and Official in Charge at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He volunteered to be the meteorological observer for the Wellman Chicago Record-Herald Polar Expedition of 1907 on their (unsuccessful) attempt to make an airship flight from Spitzbergen to the North Pole. When he returned, Lt Frank P Lahm, the pilot of the 1906 race, was in poor health, so Hersey acted as pilot in the 1907 international balloon race for the Gordon-Bennett Cup. It began in St. Louis, Missouri, on 21 Oct 1907, but losing gas, he placed only eighth.« |
