The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-03-24
MEMBERS OF PARTY THAT AS
cENDED IN "AMERicA" APPEAR
AT MOUNTAIN CAMP.
TIRED, SORE AND HUNGRY
Men Who Were CAUGHT bv Wind in
Big Gas Bag and Carried Over Ton
OF Mountain Mile High and Finally
Dropped in Midst Of Snow c apped
Peaks Are Safe and Sound.

Los Angeles, March 23.-Lost to the
world for 70 hours, first carried bv
fierce winds to a great height above
the Sierra Madre peaks in a monster
balloon, then brought to earth in the
mountain Businesses of the high Sierras
IN binding blizzard. and at last
making their way out to home and
friends unassisted. was the experience
OF the six men who ascended in the
big balloon America" from Tourna-
ineht park in Pasadena last Saturday
afternoon. They arrived at the foot
OF a mountain trail, where friends
awaited them, at $50 O'Clock tbia
evening
Little the worse for this narrowing
experience, the men stopped at the
ehd OF the long trail just long enough
TO be greeted by those who had con-
Quoted the long search for them and
then hurried on to Pasadena.
when the America" went I'D from
the park it was in charge of Captain
Augusta f. Mueller. an experienced
aeronaut, and had as passengers the
folloWing persons: L. c. Gillian a
prominent mining man, formerly of
Walla Walla, now a guest at the Ho-
tel Maryland, Pasadena; Richard Hal
stead, president of the r. C. Hal
stead company fish and poultry mar
ket, Pasadena; Sidney Gray, pigeon
tancier Pasadena; Harold Parker.
photographer, Pasadena; Edward E.
Dodschultz, chauffeur. Pasadena.
Scars High.
1t was to have been pleasure trim.
and the passengers went lightly clad
and few provisions were taken. The
balloon was in the air only hour and
40 minutes. During this time 1t scared
to an altitude of 1900 feet. CAPTAIN
Mueller never lost his bearings. and
was able to direct his course to a des-
tinatlon he had selected He missed
ms reckoning by few miles. but
LANDED in safety on the north slope of
strawberry hill.
Over Mount Lowe.
The balloon was carried bv the
strong north wind over the mile-high
summit of Mount Lowe, and swept
on across the Intervening peaks and
canyons to the lofty summit of Mount
Gabriel. where by the reckless cast
ing away of ballast, the balloon
cleared and scared away toward
Strawberry peak, on the third range.
Crossing this at low altitude the
bag encountered a strong current of
cold air. which brought it rapidly to
earth. A successful landing was ef-
bod
berry peak in what is known as Lit
Tie IeJunga canyon at about o'clock
saturday afternoon, less than two
hours after their ascension at Pasa-
dena. The distance covered was less
than 10 miles in a direct line, but by
any possible foot route many times
that distance
The VoyaSers. uncertain of their
bearings and with darkness rapidly
approaching, wandered aimlessly
about the mountains until 1:30 the fol-
lowing afternoon Sunday, when they
unexpectedly came to Colby's ranch,
an Isolated habitation, far from any
road and without communication with
the outside world In the meantime
a terrific wind and snowstorm had
broken over the mountains. which for
many hours ragged a veritable blizzard
During this time the men suffered
from the cold but the meager sup
ply of provisions which they carried
with them was sufficient to guarantee
against hunger until their arrival at
the ranch.
Start Homeward.
At Colbys the party remained un-
til the middle of Monday afternoon,
when the storm ceased. They imme-
diately took up the snow -choked
trails across the mountains toward
Pasadena. All OF the remainder of
the time the party Travelled as best it
could until today, when it suddenly
came upon Switzer's camp, nesting in
the side of the mountain, still nearly
10 miles from Pasadena by direct
route, A party of rescuers on horse
back was at Switzer's. having just re-
turned after 20 hours of search for the
missing men. For few minutes there
was a happy reunion of friends, and
then the news was flashed to Pasa-
dena.
Not in years has an event created
such a stir here as this thrilling cpl
sode of the balloonists. For three
days searching parties have secured
the country in all directions, while
relatives and friends waited almost
without hope for the news of a