Arizona republican., 1909-03-24
SAVED BY A SINGLE MATCH
1t Was All That Kept Them
From Freezing to Death
After Wandering For
Hours Lost In Mountain
Snowdrifts.

Los Angeles, March 23.-LOst to the
world for seventy-two hours; first
carried by fierce winds to a fearful
height above the Sierra Madre peaks
in monster balloon, then brought
to earth in the mountain Businesses
and lost for days among the high
Sierras, in the midst of a binding
blizzard, and at last making their
way out to home and friends unas-
sisted, was the experience Of the six
men who ascended in the big racing
balloon America" from tournament
park, Pasadena, on Saturday after
noon at $3.50. and who arrived at the
foot of the mountain trail where
friends awaited them at $50 tonight
Little the worse for their harrow
ing experience, the men stopped at
the end Of the long trail just long
enough to be greeted by those who
had conducted the long search for
them, and then hurried on to Pasa-
dena. At no time were the lost aero
nauts in imminent danger OF losing
their lives. but during all the time
the ultimate danger of never being
able to find their way out of the
mountains before death overlook
freezing, was before them That
they were able to find their way out
at last was due more to luck than
to anything else. When the "Ameri-
ca" went up from Tournament park
II was under the charge of Capt.
Agusto E. Mueller, an experienced
aeronaut, and had as passengers the
following persons: l.. b. Gillian, a
Walla Walla, Wash, now a guest at
the Hotel Maryland, Pasadena; Rich !
ard Halstead, president of the r C. |
Halsted company, fish and poultry |
market, Pasadena; Sydney Gray, pi- |
geon fancier of Pasadena; Harold |
Parker, photographer, of Pasadena; |
Edward c. DodschultZ, a chauffeur, /
of Pasadena.
II was to have been a pleasure trip /
and the passengers went lightly clad /
and few provisions were taken. They /
had only sixteen sacks of sand bal /
last and when they passed out of .
sight OF the thrOng, gathered at /
park several sacks of /
sand were sacrificed and the big bag
was seen to rise straight up over the .
foothills and disappear in to the .
clouds. The balloon was in the air I
only one hour and forty minutes. 4
During this time it scared to an alti- 4
tude of 10000 feet at one time. be-
ing 10000 feet directly above Mt. /
Lowe. Capt. Mueller never lost his /
bearings, and was able to poise his |
gas bag at this great height, and di-
rect its course to a destination he
sought, designated on maps, with
which he was provided. He missed
his reckoning by a few miles and
landed in safety, but at a point on
the north slope of Strawberry hill,
two miles or more from the point
aimed at
The balloon passed over Mr.. Lowe,
6, 900 feet, which is in the first range,
crossed the flats to the northward,
crossed San Gabriel peak, and land
ed on the north slope of the second
range, under the towering dome of
peak. There was a ranch,
Colby's place, near, but the aeronaut,
after leaving the balloon, took the
wrong direction to reach this, and
until long after nightfall,
when they gave up the vain search
and made camp for the night, the
Dne match found in the pocket of one
Df them serving to light a huge bon
fire.
At daylight they started out again.
A blizzard had begun in the early
hours of the morning, and now was
raging furiously. In the face of this
hey struggled through the deep snow,
over rough mountains and through
ieep canyons, until at last they came
upon CoIby's place. This was at 3
o'clock Sunday. Here they stayed,
sheltered and fed until daylight Tues
lay. when they struck out again, and
1t IL o'clock arrived at Switzer's
camp, where telephone communica-
ton with Pasadena could be had.
From here they sent out the first
message telling of their safety, to
friends. Leaving SwitZer's at noon
hey made their way, partly on mule
back and partly on foot to the mouth
IF the canyon.