The Prescott daily news., 1910-10-27
UNCoNFIRMED DISPATCH TELLS OF BALLOON FOUND NEAR
 PORT ARTHUR.
MAY BE LOST IN WOODS
Hundreds Search Canadian Wilds for Trace of Missing Aeronauts- Post and HawIey Equipped
 for Roughing 1t.


 America II. was found a derelict near Port Arthur, Ont, Monday, according to an unconfirmed report from that place, received by President Albert Bond Lambert of the Aero Club of St. Louis, via Toronto. Following this message a dispatch was received from Lewis Spindler in which he says balloon was seen go- ing west from Lake Katrine, and Monday a yellow bag, believed to be the same, was sighted over Quimette, which is near Pearl Lake and east | of Port Arthur.
 Fear this is derelict and confirms my previous report" Spindler wired.
 Port Arthur is east of Fort William and on the northern shore of Lake Superior.
 Tries to Confirm Report.
 T. J. Barnes. St Louis passenger agent of the Canadian Pacific Rail- road company, has wired their agents at Port Arthur and Fort William in an effort to confirm the report that the America has been found a dere- lict.
 James Desmond of Thompsonville, Mich. was the last known person to have conversed with the missing aero nauts, according to a dispatch re- ceived by President Lambert from J. w. Hannon, a newspaper man of that place
 Hannon reports the balloon de seconded to within 150 feet of the earth and that one of the occupants leaned over the basket and shouted to Des- mond:
 Report America IT., october IS, 4:3O D. m. well; headed northeast. What is the next large town we pass?" Post shouted to Desmond. When Desmond answered Traverse City. Mich. the aeronauts dropped ballast and sailed away in that direc- tion.
 Clerk Reports Balloon. A mail clerk on the Canadian Pa cifc railroad and two other men re- ported Tuesday they sighted balloon bearing two lights and sailing due north at an altitude of about mile, while they were passing Quimette, about 45 miles east of Fort William, Ont. The clerk, A. c. Guerard, said the bag was in sight from 7;45 to S:30 p. m.
 Fort William Is on the Canadian Pa cifc railroad and on the north bank of Lake Superior. It is several hun dred miles from the Chapleau district, where the search was being cen tered Wednesday, following the re- ceipt of messages at Toronto from that section. which stated that vel low bag was seen passing over there last Thursday.
 Rewards aggregating $1,200 have been offered for information leading to the whereabouts of the aeronauts, and it is believed that these rewards will be increased to several thousands of dollars.
 Clifford R. Harmon, the wealthy aeronaut. who has sailed with Post on several ltlpS, OhSiS q iN"S'" finding of the balloon and its occu- pants. either dead or alive. A reward of s20O was offered by St. Louis fur company.
 May Be Lost in Forests.
 That Hawley and Post are stll alive, although lost in the wilderness somewhere in the Hudson bay region, is the confident belief of the govern ment officials who are aiding in the search for the lost balloon.
 It is pointed out that Hawley and Post announced they would stay in the air as long as the America re- tained her lifting power, and, if they carried out that intention, that they were blown into the wilderness many days travel from civilization.
 Since it has been learned they had guns and ammunition, fishing tackle and plenty of heavy clothing, it is considered they have a fighting chance of overcoming the hardships to which they must be exposed if alone in the uninhabited portions of the frozen north.
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