Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1914-06-17
SEARCHING PARTIES FAIL
uNAlDED, BRUISED AND sTARv-
ING AERoNAUTs WALK fs
MILES TO sUccoR Hs.
SUFFER UNTOLD HARDsHIPS
FALL EXHAUSTED ON FLOOR OF
GUARDS CABIN, HARDLY
ABLE TO SPEAK

Portland, Ore, June 17-Roy Don
aldson and Wilbur Henderson, pilot
and aide of the balloon Springfield
are safe. The men, for whom rangers
and searching parties have been
combing the woods for days, stagger
ed into the forest rangers camp al
Walkers Prairie today.
Homer Williams and A. Mitchell
the forest guards stationed at Walk
er's Prairie, were astonrshed when
the two lost aeronauts stumbled into
their camp, their clothing hanging in
shreds. The men staggered up one
of the paths leading from a nearby
creek and fell exhausted at the cabin
door,
who in thunder are you?" asked
Mitchell, springing to his feet.
Donaldson and Henderson told him
The rangers had been instructed by
c. L. Henson, chief ranger of the Bull
Run district, to look for the balloon
lists. They Immediately set out a
meal and made the aeronauts com
Portable in every way possible.
The Springfield settled. down with
the grace and ease of a bird on the
side of a steep hill near Blue Lake
This is about 4S miles northeast OF
Portland Unlike the three Other
crews in the race, which was started
| from Portland last Thursday, Donald
son and Henderson did not have tc
dodge the spikes of pine trees in com
ing down. But they had their heaped
up share of hardships when they
started to come ian. One of the mos
discouraging discoveries came wher
they searched through their kits ant
found no matches. They struck out a.
once for the nearest stream and start
ed following it westward At nigh
| the cool mountain air cut them to the
marrow of their bones. They coult
not build fire and had to eat wha
canned food they had raw.
The eighteen mile walk to Walker
Prairie was one of extreme hardship
A network of thick underbrlsh ant
fallen trees disputed every foot of thf
way.
The Springfield was forced to des
cend at s o'clock last Friday morning
on a rocky slope of Table Mountain
about IS miles on a direct line from
Walkers Prairie ranger station. Tn
aeronauts had wandered until thi
morning, living on half rations of ur
cooked food. Donaldson said the bal
loon was wrecked.
After the balloonists landed Frida
they started to find their way to
settlement. All day Friday, Saturda,
Sunday and Monday they wandere
through the trackless forest. Yestel
day morning they struck a cree
/ which they decided to follow, and.i
the evening they crossed path col
structed by United States forest RAM
ers.. They camped on the trail an
early today arrived at the ranger ST
ton. Neither is in serious condition
They were forced to land on tf
slope of Table mountain ON accouI
of being unable to pass over it's peal
They hit a clearing, but the balloc
dragged along the jagged rocks al
was badly torn.
| Members of the Portland rose fe
tival areo committee, which condut
ed the race under the auspices of Il
|, Aero Club of America, were elats
. over the escape from death of Do
: aldson and Henderson.
; Every one of the four balloons
5 the race-Uncle Sam, Million Pop
; lation club. Kansas City H. al
e Springfield met with disaster a
; their pilots and aides narrowly
capped with their lives.