Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-24
RETURN OF AERONAUTS
Capt. Mueller and Companions
Safe in Pasadena.
ESCAPE FROM BLIZZARD
Have Thrilling Battle With the
Snow for Hours.
COLD MAKES BALLOON DESCEND
In Air Less Than Two Hours.
Shelter Found in Fern Canyon,
West Of Mount Lowe.
COLD MAKES BALLOON DESCEND

PASADENA, Cal. March 24.-After
having been lost for seventy hours in
| the Sierra Madre mountains, while blind
| ing snowstorms and billiards ragged most
of the time. Capt. Mueller and the
five other missing balloonists of the rae
| ing balloon America, who assembled Sat
| urday, found their way through eight
| feet Of snow into Switzer's Camp about
| 8 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Every
member Of the party was safe and sound.
but tired and worn. They had been for
tuna,e enough from the beginning of
their thrilling trip to obtain shelter in
Fern canyon, west OF Mount Lowe. but
| in one Of the most inaccessible Businesses
| of the mountains.
Landed Saturday Afternoon.
Fifteen miles from here landing was
safely made about 4:3O o'clock Saturday
afternoon just as a heavy rainstorm
set in. During the night the wind blew
| a gale. which was followed by a terrific
| snowstorm. making travel impossible.
Beneath the empty balloon the aeronauts
were snowbound until Monday morning.
when the storm lost It's fury.
| Capt. Mueller. chief Of party, and
Photographer Harold A. Parker were
sufficiently familiar with the hills to de-
termine their position. and led the way
to Corby's ranch. which they reached
Monday noon. Here they secured warmth
and shelter, but were unable to get word
| to the outer world.
| The blizzard kept them In Co1by's
cabin until early yesterday morning.
| when they started for Switzer's camps.
While the trip was along trails made
| dOubly hazardous by reason of unusual
| depth of snow, the party battled brave
| ly through gale and danger and reached
Mount Wilson and almost within a
| stones throw Of the Carnegie solar OBJ
servatory. There telephone communica-
ton was established with Pasadena and
Immediately many friends hurried in
autos to the foot of the mountains.
| Government forest rangers in the hills
| were reached by telephone and sent in
the right direction to meet the wan
derers and escort them to their walt
ing friends.
Without Food Day.
With the exception of the intense
cold and deep snow and one days alb
| stinence from food. the six men sur
fered no serious privations, although
Sunday they felt some alarm as they
began to dread being lost in the noun
tains. The wives of Richard Halstead
and Ed. Dodschutz had both given up
hope of seeing their husbands alive
again. and so generally was this feeling
shared that the city council yesterday
morning ordered the employment of
fifty men to join the volunteer and gov
eminent searching party. and Masonic
lodges had formed relief corps OF
nurses and doctors with stretchers and
medical supplies, to be in readiness to
rush to the hills the moment word was
received OF the finding of the lost mon.
In Air Less Than Two Hours.
The balloon was in the air less than
two hours. It was carried by 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 There
ballast was thrown out and the balloon
scared away toward Strawberry peak
| in the third range. Crossing this at a
low altitude, the balloon encountered
a strong current OF cold air, which
brought It rapidly to earth.
The distance covered was less than
fifteen miles In a direct line.
With Capt Mueller In the America
! were L. b. Gillian. Richard Halstead.
Sydney Gray, Harold Parker and Ed
ward Dodschutz, all residents OF Pasa-
dena.