Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-18
WILD FORCED TO
COME TO EARTH
WEATHER CONDITIONS PROVE
INSURMOUNTABLE
Unusually Dense Air Cushion Proves
impossible to Pierce, and Attempt
is Abandoned After Desper-
ate Effort

After vainly trying to break through
an immense air cushion which barred
his progress to the east, Captain Wild
was forced to bring the balloon United
States to the ground five miles north
east of Corona at 1:i2 o'clock yester-
day afternoon. He had one sack of
sand left, and had succeeded in going
beyond Old Baldy, but the reports that
the United States had passed the desert
part of California were incorrect.
Both aeronauts are greatly disap-
pointed, but are eager to try 1t again,
being confident that Los Angeles ul-
timately will be a famous starting
point for long balloon voyages. Cap
| tain Mueller, who is particularly dis
appointed because of the adverse con-
ditions under which he started, may
find it possible to make another at
| tempt. He received a number of as
surances of financial support yesterday
from business men, who would like to
see him make trial under more favor
able auspices.
Il am not at all discouraged, said
Captain Mueller last night, ''and be-
! lieve more than ever that long trip
eastward is possible starting from Los
Angeles. and that the first aeronaut
who succeeds will be followed by many
others. If I had only had an anchor
rope on my trip the balloon would
have held on the eucalyptus trees un-
til morning, when just the current |
desired came up. l feel sure 1t would
have swept us toward the Gulf of Mex
leo. But the American had no anchor,
so we could not take the last chance.
81 am in hopes l can try again, but
it is costly, you know Perhaps to-
morrow 1 can tell you definitely wheth-
er I shall do anything more"
Dick Ferris said last night that he
had been told by business men that
they would contribute to fund to
finance another attempt by Captain
Mueller.
Will Seek to Advertise City
"If it is done" said Ferris. sit will
be in line with my original plan to
make the affair a great public oeca-
sion, without an admission fee, and an
advertising feat for the city of Los
Angeles. / believe it will ultimately
be proved that Los Angeles is an ideal
starting point for balloon racing, but
we must experiment, of course. think
we have found out a great deal about
the air currents.
1.-THE total reserved seat proceeds,
not counting the amount collected in
side which was unauthorized and OF
which l could not obtain cent, were
S175 AS it would cost merely to send
up the American, with the balloon on
the ground and the gas tanks all made,
about $500, you can see where l came
out"
w. ID. Fuller. the observer in charge
Monday at the local office of the
weather bureau, predicted when the
balloons went up that they would not
get far east. "The map shows condi-
tions to be more unfavorable than they
have been for weeks past" he said
while watching the United States Mon
day afternoon, "and the immense high
pressure area forms a condition like
a great air cushion to the east. The
balloon may get up over the mountains
and strike that, but there is every
chance that it will rebound toward
Los Angeles"
The United States took that course.
Wild and Leroyxez went so high over
Old Badly that the water in their
cans froze during the night. They
reached 10000 feet, but could not break
through the air cushion and circled
around near San Bernardino all night.
AS daylight broke they found they
had gone around circle twelve miles
in diameter four times in the night,
and after breakfast they kept low,
hoping for an easterly drift. At that
time they had nine sacks of sand left
of the thirty-five on the basket at the
start.
The eastern current Captain Wild
hoped for did not materialize, and in
vain he sacrificed ballast to get the
wind he wanted. At o'clock the
United States was at Bloomington. ten
miles west OF Riverside in an airline,
Finally, as noon approached, Wild saw
that he could do nothing further.
After the landing was made word
was sent to Los Angeles and an auto
mobile went out for the aeronauts and
al
men and balloon in by 8 o'clock