Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-13
BABY FORD IS
SAFE AT LAST
PLUCKY LITTLE CAR AND HER
GAME CREW ARE IN
Without Food or Water for Thirty
Hours Lost on Desert, Finally
Found Bravely Going
to Finish

PHOENIX, Ariz., Nov. 12.-One OF
the most thrilling experiences of the
Los Angeles-Phoenix race terminated
today when the baby Ford came limp
ing into Phoenix in apparently renewed
and fresh condition.
The story of the baby car of the feet
OF cars that left Los Angeles amidst
such cheers as were then heard sounds
more like a romantic tale of the frontier
than the actual truth.
The long delay and continued absence
of the little car had begun to cause
many forebodings of disaster, and a
searching party was organized to go on
q hunting expedition for the car and It's
gallant crew, that had refused to turn
its back to Phoenix but pluckily pro-
ceeded on Its way to the finish, regard
less of record or time. Accordingly
Roger Stearns, the Los Angeles agent
for the Ford cars, who had come into
this city for new steering knuckle,
accompanied by two friends, secured
Pope Hartford and set out In search of
the lost car yesterday at noon.
The search car found the lost baby
Ford on the desert between Salome and
Buckeye. about ninety miles from Phoe-
nix. she was travelling on the right
road to Phoenix, after two days OF
wandering over desert roads.
Charles Harris, one of the drivers of
the baby Ford in the Los Angeles
Phoenix race, lost on thedesert with
William T, Pratt, the other driver,
reached here this evening on the stage
from Buckeye, in very bad condition,
but will pull through all right in day
or so. There was no injury except ex-
haustion.
pratt came in early this morning with
Roger Stearns in the lost Ford car.
Creech, who drove the Pope Hartford
for Stearns on the relief expedition, is
not back yet.
Harris and Pratt sent word Monday
that they had brokeH a knuckle joint of
the car near Quartzite. Stearns, who
was in Pheenix, wired them and sent
repaired joint to Vicksburg, but they
never got either message or joint,
In the meantime they made tempo
rary repairs at q prospector's camp,
passed Vicksburg and Salome and
started toward Winters Wells, between
Salome and Buckeye, across the longest
desert and worst road east of the Col
orado.
Thursday morning Stearns felt sure
they had met trouble, getting no an
swer from his wires, and ample time
having elapsed for repairs and finishing
the trip. Taking Creech Thursday
morning he went after them, and found
them in the desert twenty-eight miles
from Salome, eleven miles from Win
ters Wells and forty-five miles from
their car
They had been wandering around for
twenty-four hours, entirely lost and off
the road. suffering for food and water.
Harris with one shoe practically gone,
both in bad shape, but Pratt the strong
er and better.
Stearns and Pratt with the new joint
repaired the machine and brought her
in, arriving this morning. Harris was
too i'll to travel further than Buckeye
last night and finished the trip by
stage today. Harris and Pratt, espe-
cially the former, were rapidly losing
their minds from exhaustion when
found about noon Thursday
They spent two hungry nights with
coyotes and rattlers, Harris stepping on
snake, but fortunately avoiding a
bite.