Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-01-20
LOST AV|ATORS To
REACH SAN DIEGO
THIS AFTERNOON
Lieutenant Robertson Sue
ceeds In Reaching Party
of Searchers
WALKS 80 MILES AFTER
COLONEL SUCCUMBS
Thought Mexican Lagllna Was
Salton Sea and In Landing
Broke a Wing

San Diego, Cal, Jan. 2O.-A story of
endurance and heroic endeavor against
death was written today into the annals
of the aviation corps of the United
States army when Lieutenant w. A.
Robertson, Jr., missing army airman,
came back from the dead. Out m the
desert south OF Yuma, Ariz., party of
men were bringing into Yuma Lieuten-
ant Colonel Harry q. Bishop, whom
Robertson was forced to leave exhaust
ed and all but unconscious in the Mex
lean wastes before he made his final,
desperate try for life and assistance.
Although weakened and worn, neither
man will suffer any i'll consequences OF
his experience after food, rest and warm
clothing have restored them both to NOS
NAL healah.
To newspapermen at Welton and
Yuma, Ariz., Robertson gave a graphic
description of his nine day battle with
the desert After he and Colonel Bishop
left San Deigo Wednesday, January IU,
to fly for Calexico, he said, their acre.
plane mounted high in order to cross
a mountain range This swung the MAJ
chine into q strong current Of wind
/ which swept it rapidly southwark.
Wind Drives Them South.
/ The airmen found it impossible to de-
/ tcct the wind, Aowever, and when they
| saw, at noon, large body of Water
they both thought it tho Saiton sea In-
stead it was lhguna far over the b0rd
er in Mexico, as they discovered when
they tried to make a landing because
their gasoline was low. In landing one
wing of the machine broke and made
the ear useless. Then it was that the
flyers found, instead OF being in their
own country, they we're $50 miles from
San Diego in Mexico
Abandoning the aeroplane, the two
men took all the food they had carried
with them and one gallon Of water and
started the long hike northward to
civilization and safety Robertson. in
his statement, touched only lightly the
hardships they had endured-the desc
late stretches of country through which
they passed, the almost oyerpowering
rains by day and icy cold by night.
| Defying physical exhaustion, the two
/ Officers kept their walking night and
| day. For four days they subsisted ON
| one gallon Of water, four oranges and
| four small sandwiches. Then their water
ran out. That was Sunday. The same
day Colonel Bishop began to break nn-
der the strain. Robertson, too, was
weak but stronger than his superior Of
/ ficer.
4 Robertson Proves Hero.
| That day the men faced squareiy the
problem of LIE or death. They seemed
| trapped in place where there was nc
way out. In Il last desperate endeavor
to get aid, Bishop proposed that he re-
main behind on the sands and that Rob
ertson struggle on alone and try to find
4 aid
This was done From that time for
ward neither man had drop to drink
( and practically nothing to eat
Robertson continued his noTthward
! Journey, He conserved his strength as
4 best he could and moved only slowly
l Wednesday morning he was imbued with
new vigor when he struck the trail OF
human beings.
Eagerly he followed it until he came
upon party from Welton, Ariz., that
1 was searching for him. They had an
automobile and Robertson was able to
lead them to the spot where Colonel
Bishop lay exhausted Word was then
sent to Yuma and the commanding Of
ficer of the United States troops there
sent a party into the desert and joined
with searehers from Welton and Ajo.
At last reports, received by Colonel
Glassford, aviation department COM
! mander here, Robertson expected 70 ar