Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-17
BALLOON SCARS
TOWARDS EAST.
AERONAUT PASSES MOUNTAIN
RANGES SUCCESSFULLY
MUELLER QUITS ONLY AFTER
DESPERATE STRUGGLE
Last Report States "United States"
at Elevation of Nine Thousand
Feet, Is Headed Toward
Nevada
CONTINUED from Page One,

of 10000 feet. but wind carried us back
toward ocean; travelling east, AIS
O'clock. WILD"
From San Dimas, via A W. Keat
ing: Balloon going east, 1000 feet over
San Dimas at 1850 o'clock.
From San Bernardino by The Her
AIDS correspondent: Mr.. and Mrs. H.
T. Bell, who came from Los Angeles
by automobile this evening sighted
the balloon over ontario. They fol-
lowed it for an hour as 1t seemed to
rise and drift to the northeast and
disappear over the mountain range
The balloon United States" from
latest reports was headed across the
desert northwest from Barstow and
travelling at a good rate, after leaving
Los Angeles county about 6 o'clock
following the ascension at Chutes park
at 12:42 o'clock Yesterday afternoon.
Capt Mueller was forced to bring
the american" down near Hermosa
Beach at 800 o'clock Monday morning,
after a desperate but unsuccessful bat
tie to get away from the ocean.
The UNITED States" went up almost
on the time scheduled and was cheered
on by thousands of persons in Los
Angeles and at other places where it
could be seen as Capt. Horace B. Wild
and his assistant. Frank Leroyxez,
worked their way toward the mountain
range.
Flags Attached to Basket
The balloon was ready to start and
all necessary photographs. had been
taken by 1890 o'clock, the time sched-
uled for departure, when Dick Ferris
discovered that no national flag was at
tached The departure was delayed
until flags were tied to the netting, and
in the meantime the crowd shook hands
.t-i4G ho 1xrishpd
good luck.
At 1912 Wild called to cast off, and
the balloon swung slowly upward with
the men shouting goodbyes and the
spectators cheering. 1t went up 600
feet and three blocks southwark when
Leroyxez threw out sand. For a few
minutes the big balloon hung over
Grand avenue and went slowly up.
More sand was thrown out, and forty
minutes after leaving the park Wild
lowered the trail rope. 1t hung with
large loop at the bottom, which the
spectators mistook for the anchor.
By this time persons in all parts Of
the city were out on the corners and
on buildings gazing at the balloon. The
roofs of the higher office buildings were
dotted with watchers who remained
until the balloon finally drifted out of
sight to the west. The street cars fire.
quently stopped at favorable points to
allow passengers to determine the
course of the aeronauts.
After the trail rope had been dropped
the balloon sank to 500 feet. The aero
nauts first tried to rise higher. but
found the higher currents taking them
toward the ocean.
Come down lower" yelled Ferris
from the Chutes.
Lower it is; that's best responded
Captain Wild.
In, ha
an easterly course and crossed Main
street at the southeast corner of
Chutes park. When it reached San
Pedro street the course Veered more
northerly. AT Sixth the aeronauts
found themselves a second time in
stagnant air. having found the first stop
over Twenty fifth street near Grand
avenue where the first bulletin had
been dropped to The Herald.
AT Ninth and San Pedro streets,
Wild recognized a reporter for The
Herald and called out, Come on up,
the weathers fine!"
Pas the Arcade and La Grande rail-
road stations the balloon slowly worked
its way to Boyle Heights, the aeronauts
seeking a desirable current On Boyle
avenue the balloon was so low that the
loop in the trail rope caught on an arm
of a telephone pole, but was loosened
and did not hold. The aeronauts found
themselves sinking lower until twenty
feet of the trail rope was on the
ground. A Jealous boy seized it, bring
ing down upon himself shouts of LET it
alone!" from the crowd which was fol-
lowing the UNITED States with auto
mobiles, motorcycles, in street cars and
on foot.
Sacrifices Sand
BY sacrificing sand Wild brought the
balloon up until it went westward the
crowd following. but diminishing as 1t
reached more open country. From
time to time the aeronauts shouted
through the megaphone and dropped
messages.
A low course was maintained past
FL Monte, which was reached at 3
o'clock, but between that point and
Covina Wild made an effort to reach
a height of 10000 feet. He quickly
found that he was being carried toward
the ocean and dropped down again.
passing Covina shortly after o'clock
Crowds with field glasses and without
were watching at Whittier, Ell Monte.
Monrovia, Azusa, Glendora, Covina,
Pomona and other nearby places. the
students of Claremont college lined UP
and gave the college yell, but the
aeronauts were too far to the north to
hear.
AS the Omitted States" passed over
the high tension wires of the Pacific
Light and Power company the trail
rope brought them together with n
binding flash. but no injury resulted
From Covina the course was upward
and a height of 1000 feet was main
tanned after the attempt to find a
higher current. San Dimas was passed
just before 5 o'clock and the United
States faded rapidly into the gather
ing dusk as the last watchers who had
followed from Los Angeles returned to
the city.
Then reports began coming by teIe-
phone and telegraph. Claremont and
Uplands sent in messages in quick sue
cession. San Bernardino soon reported
that the United States was veering
toward the Cajon pass.
'"The United States was sighted at
the top of the San Bernardino range at
7:45 O'clock" came a message from
squirrel inn. at crossed the ridge at a
point 5000 feet above the sea level, and
is making good time in a northwesterly
direction.
At that time all the surrounding
towns began seeing balloons. Expe-
rienced aeronauts say this is an UNI
failing accompaniment of a balloon
flight and that totally innocent stars
are dragged into the telegraph re-
ports. Within ten minutes from re-
ceipt of the message from Squirrel Inn
a report came from Marvel, 1886 miles
from Los Angeles, that the balloon had
passed over, going at a wonderful
speed. Later Mojave sent in word
that Capt. Wild had gone over, trav-
cling northward. Bakersfield, too, saw
the balloon.