A pair of helium balloons which were released by the Chestnut Grove Nursery School in Phoenix, Md., landed at the Friendly's on West Housatonic Street 4½ hours later yesterday.
It must have been sweet air the whole way.
They were spotted by Jay F. Rawson, 14, of Yokun Road, Richmond, coming in from the southwest over the trees on Barker Road just south of the ice cream parlor's parking lot.
Rawson's companion, Peter R. Walchenbach, 14, of 57 LeRoi Drive, grabbed the two balloons, but one of them got away. The boys tore three tags from the balloons, each bearing a handwritten message requesting that the nursery school be notified.
The balloons averaged about 50 miles an hour in making the trip, which is about 260 miles as the crow flies. Phoenix is about 20 miles north of Baltimore.
Edward Johnson, meteorologist for the U.S. Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., said last night that yesterday was "one of the stronger wind days we've had in the last few months." He said he couldn't speculate as to the altitude at which the balloons traveled because of variables, which included the weight of tags and string, the amount of helium used and the exact size of the balloons.
Reached by phone in Maryland, Wren B. Moessbauer, director of the nursery school, said, "I can hardly believe they got that far so fast."
She said 120 balloons had been released by the 4-year-olds at her school's noon dismissal hour.
No others had been reported last night, she said.
The balloons had been sold to the children's parents at 35 cents each to raise funds for new playground equipment, she said.