Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-23
S BALLOONISTS
FACE DEATH IN
ICY MOUNTAINS
HOPES OF RESCUE GROW DIM
AS DAYS GO BY
PARTY MAY BE BURIED IN
DEPTHS OF SNOW
Many Theories Advanced as to Fate
of Daring Aeronauts, Who
May Have Been In
Canyons

out to ascertain the first trace OF the
missing men. Dick Ferris spent
great part of yesterday searching
Tor telegraphic information. He waited
until late last night with high-poW-
cred automobile loaded for the emer-
gency, prepared to make all Speed IN
company with physician ana a crack
craftsman, to bring back the Amerl-
cans party.
The men who accompanied Capt.
Mueller in the American were warmly
clad and took their overcoats. Ihey
had food enough to last two or three
days on a pinch, but had only very
small store of matches. Land Gillian
and Capt. Mueller have both had eX-
perience in mountain tramping and
know how to make their way along
the trails.
Capt Mueller secured recently from
the aeronautic reporter of The Herald
a set of maps showing the mountain
attitudes, trails and all the cabins ana
buildings except those of very recent
date. He was urged not to make any
ascensions without taking this set OF
maps, and II he carried them with him
Saturday they will materially aid the
party in case they land some distance
from any habitation. Rangers and
miners cabins are scattered all through
the territory which may include the
balloons landing place. If the balloon
passed beyond Tujunga creek but failed
to reach the Southern Pacific they are
likely to be in bad straits, for in that
stretch of country. save for the Monte
Cristo and a few other mines there are
hardly any buildings. The chapparal
makes the country extremely difficult
to get out of.
Reports yesterday told of extremely
inc no
snow slides have been unusual" said
one man interrogated by telephone,
land we have heard them away off. If
the men got into a canyon to wait for
the storm to clear up and a slide struck
them they may be buried under twenty
feet of snow"
This situation is regarded as ex-
tremely unlikely, however, as is a land
ing in some inaccessible spot. That the
balloon did not descend anywhere near
the railroad or in the settled portion
of the Antelope valley, although it
might have gone that far, was proved
by reports yesterday and LIST night
from men who obtained information
from every available source. Last
night the consensus seemed to be to-
ward a landing this side of the range.
AS the blizzard left the snow five feet
deep on the level in many parts of the
mountain ranges the men could hardly
have made their way to a communica-
BILE point, for the storm continued
fiercely for more than fifty hours.
With today's clearing weather and
the searching parties we'll under way
it will be possible to make some head
way toward discovery. In the hope of
hearing of some cdew Pasadenans sat
up last night until daylight today and
a number of Los Angeles men waited
in readiness to render any possible as
sistance. The Elks' lodge was kept
open by members who waited for bull
letins from their searching parties. If
no definite word comes this morning
the inner ranges will be penetrated
and the search kept up until the fate
of the party is learned. The heavy
snow has obliterated many trails and
at many points makes travel absolute
ly dangerous, which will deter the
progress of the Searchers and make the
balloonists less likely to venture out
if they have a good shelter.
AS a last resort in case no trace is
found after a thorough search on foot,
balloon will be pressed in service
and taken up Mount Lowe as cap
tive. If sent 1000 feet above the noun
tain powerful binoculars will have
wide range, and with clear weather it
is possible that some evidence of the
mems whereabouts may be obtained.
The searchers are hoping that they will
meet the balloonistS some time today,
and they will make every effort to To-
cate them near the point where the
balloon was seen descending into Mil
lard canyon.
The party taking the trip in the
American with so thrilling a termina-
ton is made up of Pasadenans, except
Captain Mueller and Lane Gillian. The
personnel is as follows:
Augusta e. Mueller of Buenos Ayres
a professional aeronaut, who came to
Los Angeles in October to pilot one of
Dick Ferris balloons in the attempted
race across the country.
Lane G. Gillian. mining man, Hotel
Maryland, Pasadena, formerly of
Walla WaIa, Wash. Mr. Gillian has
large mining interests in Mexico and
spends considerable time in that coun-
try.
Richard C. Halstead, a prominent
business man of Pasadena, is president
and manager of the r. G. Halstead
company, retail market, Pasadena. Mr..
Halstead took the balloon trip in the
American with Captain Mueller, e. R.
Server and others Tuesday of last
week.
Harold Parker a. well known photog-
rapher of Pasadena, 572 East Colorado
street.
Sidney Gray, Piedmont drive and
North Fair Oaks avenue, Pasadena.
F. c Dodschutz of the Braley garage,
Pasadena.
Capt. Mueller came to the United
States from South America a few years
ago on a government mission. He be-
came interested in aeronautics and has
made numerous aScensiOns in different
sections of the country. Some of his
experiences have been unusually thrill
ing, and the present trip is not the
only one on which he has faced danger.
Mueller Has Experience
A new balloon was assigned to Muel-
Ter in the race out of Chicago last
Fourth of July. He got off poorly bal
lasted in a high wind which carried all
the. balloons eastward over Lake Mich
igah. Muellers balloon leaked rapidly,
and as he reached the center of Lake
Michigan it dopped to the water and
the aeronaut and his comrade found
themselves waist deep in the water be-
fore they could check the aerostat. The
man with Mueller was a young chauf-
feur, nervy enough, but totally mex
perienced in regard to ballooning. He
wanted to take off his coat and swim
the intervening miles back to Chicago
and Mueller was given the double task
of keeping his passenger in hand and
getting the unruly balloon out of the
water. All the time a high wind was
whipping the balloon about and making
its control the more difficult
The only other contestants in the
race who passed near Mueller were
Captain Shirley and Horace B. Wild
In the United States, but they were
poweriess to render assistance, al
though certain that Mueller and his
companion would be drowned. The
aeronaut struggling in the water was