The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-23
PERISHED IN
MOUNTAINS OR
ON THE DESERT
Fate of the Six Men Who Went
Up in the Balloon "Amer-
lea" Is Unknown.
SEVERAL SEARCHING
PARTIES IN THE HILLS
START MADE FROM PASADENA
SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND
SHORT FLIGHT INTENDED.

than fifty hours now, friends of the six
men who ascended from Tournament
park in Pasadena at 3 o'clock Saturday
afternoon in the big Ferris balloon
America" have been without word Of
them or the slightest knowledge of the
tate that has overtaken the intrepid
aNiatoTs- As far as information here
goes, no human being has caught sight
of the huge gas bag since it arose
above the park enclosure. in sight of
1000 enthusiastic sightseers. with its
load of human freight and carried by a
stiff breeze sailed majestically into the
low-hanging clouds that lay far down
on the mountain sides, and disappeared
from view of the gathered throng.
Worst is Feared.
The belief that some tragic fate has
befallen the men who formed the party
has led to the formation of many relief
expeditions into various parts of the
Sierra Madre, directly over which the
strong current drew the balloon, where
II had reached an altitude of but a few
thousand feet. There are three dis
tinct mountain ranges, before the Mo-
1aVe desert is reached. fifty miles north
of Pasadena.
If the balloon was able to sail over this
fifty-mile stretch of Serried mountain
chain and come To earth on the Mo-
Jave desert, there is hope that the oc-
cupants of the basket, after tramping
many weary miles, may be able to
reach shelter, food and safety. If the
balloon was not able to cross the Sierras
and was brought down .among the
mountains nothing short of a miracle
can save the melt from death from ex-
posture and starvation
Searching Parties Out.
At 3 o'clock this afternoon, two par
tics made up of hardy men, used to the
mountains, and knowing all of the
trails, left Pasadena, and will search all
night for some trace of the missing
,Irhen
k1ne party Will go to Mount Lowe
and from there attempt to pass down
the snow-blocked trail leading north
and east, and finally into the west fork
of the San Gabriel river near its head,
This party is in charge of Phil Begue,
a Well-knoWn hunter and mountaineeT.
The other party of six. in charge Of
Kirk Reynolds, viii go direct to Swift
Zer's camp. on the side of Mount Viii
son, and from there win proceed at
once into the west fork, and follow IL,
if possible, to q meeting with the other
party EscAlttI l1NoH d pare III " ilttil
= as Roy KnabenshUe, the well~known
aviator, went to Alpine tavern, near
the summit of Mount Lowe. and search
is now being made from there into all
of the adjacent canyons. y report from
this party late this afternoon stated
that no trace of the missing balloon
had yet been found.
Through X. L. Carlton. chief of the
government forestry rangers on the San
Gabriel reserve. word has been sent to
all of the rangers to take the trails at
once and cover all Of the mountainous
district posts during the night. The
Elks' lodge of Pasadena, two members
of which are among the missing party,
viii send out an expedition tonight. .
A searching party is scheduled to
leave this city tonight in automobiles.
and proceed as far into the foothills as
may be found possible, following the
wagon trail to Barley flats.
Deep snow covers the trails In places,
and it is not thought probable that the
party can go far, but Will be able to
carry warm clothing and provisions,
which can be conveyed into the noun
tain Businesses by men on foot
Short Flight Intended.
It was the intention of Captain
Mueller when the ascent was begun. to
make but q short flight ana TO seek a
landing somewhere along the foothills
above Pasadena. He must have found
this impossible of accomplishment Ow-
ing TO the strong wind which spTanS up
soon after the ascent, and
in the predicament which he found
himself, he may have made the attempt
to rise above the storm and cross the
to the desert beyond. a
flight of nearly eighty miles. But with
TO more ballast TO sacrifice IN an ef-
fort to gain the desired altitude, the
chances are that he was blown by the
wind across the first range and, being
unable to rise again above the higher
peaks of the second range, was COM
peIled to make a landing during the
furious night somewhere in the noun
tains.
What the fate of the members of the
p4rtv viii be should this conjecture
6ove to be the correct one, may only
be Surn1ised. but it is not probable that
they can make their way to safety I'M
assisted.
Captain Mueller is the only expert
enced aeronaut in the party.