Up, Up And Away

Steve Fossett and Kevin Uliassi took off Thursday from the Midwest for their around-the-world balloon competition, a race that for Uliassi soon ended but for Fossett is soaring. A burst helium container forced Uliassi to abort and land, unhurt, while Fossett at last reports was traveling at about 80 mph, 22,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean, more than 500 miles southeast of Savannah, Ga., on his record-setting quest. He was expected to reach Europe by Saturday.