The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-11-03
MISSING AvIATORS
START TRIP HOME
FROM WILDERNESS
Their Friends and Aerial De.
voices Of New York Plan
Rousing Welcome Upon
Arrival.


Hawley and Augustus Post. the new
holders of the worlds championship,
showed little i'll effect today from the
thrilling experiences which have been
theirs since they left st. Louis nine
days ago in the America II. They were
fatigued. but the trip had been thor
oughly worth while. they said.
Tell our friends that we are well
and very, very happy" was the mes
sage which they sent from their rooms
in the small, but up to date hotel which
is the boast of the 5000 inhabitants or
Chicoutimi.
Tne two aeronauts reached here at
IL o'clock last night and retired short
ly before midnight, as soon after their
arrival as they could get away from
the opportunities OF crowd or well
coming and congratulating citizens.
They had driven 40 miles over rough
country from st. AMBROSE since the
early afternoon and were tired to the
bone" as one OF them expressed 1t. A
flood of telegraphic messages from the
United States which awaited them on
their arrival went unanswered and for
the most part unread until morning.
Depart for New York.
Their nights rest was bound to be
brief at the best, for their train over
the Quebec & Lake st. John left at z: 80
o'clock in the morning and II they
missed this they must wait until eve
ming.
Both airmen agreed that the most
welcome sight In all Chicoutimi on their
arrival was the bath tub in their rooms
at the hotel. This was luxury which
they had been denied for nine days.
And every one of the nine days had
been spent arduously. Four of the nights
had been passed out of doors. with the
hard ground for bed and their army
blankets for q cover.
Their balloon, the America H., Is
still at Lake Du Blanc De. Sable. this
they landed. 1t Is believed that Joseph
Pednaud and Joseph Simard. the two
trappers who brought the balloonists
in a bark canoe to st. Ambrose will go
back and see what can be done to get
the big bag from its cache on the side
of the mountain to the railroad here.
This will not be an easy task.
Messrs. Hawley and Post landed
about as hours after their departure
from st. Louis. The balloon basket
touched earth at 1886 o'clock on the
afternoon of the 18th. They probably
few in all about 1000 miles, although
the direct distance between the two
is decided is only 1855 miles. This
would make their average rate of prog
ress about 80 miles an hour.
Leaving here this morning Messrs.
Hawley and Post will reach Quebec
shortly before o'clock this evening.
Posts Story Of Trip.
Mr.. Post, acting as spokesman, told
the story of the trip last night.
I'VE had a beautiful trip" said Mr..
Post. 1--WE crossed Lake Michigan
and Lake Huron and followed what l
should Judge to be the route of the
proposed Georgian bay canal, and IL
you ask me, there is water enough in
that section of the country not only
to suit the canal, but to float all the
ships Of the world.
"Then we crossed the Ottawa and
floated over to the forests of northern
Quebec. passing over innumerable
lakes and rivers The country below
us was densely wooded. Finally, on
Wednesday morning. we found that we
were north of Lake ST. John and going
well and we had hopes that we would
| be able to continue the trip until we
struck the Labrador coast.
Storm Forces Landing.
Unfortunately about 3 o'clock on
Wednesday afternoon. the 10th, a storm
came up and it became necessary to
make landing. We picked out a
mountain and came down upon it and
made an easy landing on the noun
tain side at an elevation OF about
1900 feet.
"This was at 3:45 p. m. 1t was near
nightfall and we knew that we were q
considerable distance from any settle
ment, so we decided to pass the night
in the basket Of the balloon.
THE next morning we started for
civilization, heading south. We had
three days of strenuous exercise with
no more to eat than was absolutely
necessary, as we had to carry all our
food as well as the blankets to cover
us at night. And we needed those BLAIR
kets badly, for we had two snowstorms
on the way.
Cared for by Trapper.
ION the fourth day we found the
camp of Jack Matthias, a trapper. I'm
fortunately he was away from home.
We, however. stayed there and enjoyed
the hospitality of his hut for a day of
much needed rest. Then four French
Canadian trappers turned up, and, like
good fellows, brought US out by canoe
to st. AMBROSE, where we arrived this
afternoon.
"As near as we can figure, our land
ing place was about So miles north of
Chicoutimi. There is rather large lake
near where we landed, Lake Piscocama,
and we landed between five and eight
miles north. Two smaller lakes were
also passed by us as we made our way
through the woods. The country there
is very rough, and our travel was nee
essarily slow and arduous in the ex-
IRENE, as there were no trails we could
follow.
",rhe bush was very dense, and we
had q hard time fighting our way
through, but did not suffer any very
severe hardships"