New-York tribune., 1920-12-17
Wireless Messages Sent
Broadcast From Station
at Rockaway for Men
Who Sailed on Monday
Canadian Wilds
May Shroud Fate
Crew Carried Little Food.
but in Other Respects
Was Prepared for Trip

somewhere in northern Quebec the
wilderness may shroud the fate Of the
three naval officers who set out from
the Rockaway naval air station Monday
IN the lap of a tempestuOus gale to
establish a new endurance record. Off
gals at the station believe the men
must be far north in Canada unless the
balloon has crashed in the mountains OF
northern New York and the men have
been unable to communicate with them
From the moment the free balloon
rose up into the northwesterly gale at
Rockaway but one reliable report has
been received concerning it. This was
from the forest ranger, who repor rted
1T passing over the village of Wells
N. Y, 240 miles away, seven hours
after its start This showed the balloon
had been careening along in the very
center of irty-fivc-mile- an-hour
gale.
Hope Still Held Out
BY careful computation based upon
the mete orological reports, together
with the distance and direction COW
cred in the first seven hours, naval
officers at Rockaway have been able to
plot out the probable course of the
missing balloon. now more than eighty
hours overdue. This theoretical course
shows the balloon must have passed
over the international border and have
proceeded in general northwesterly
direction. somewhere between the Cana
dian cities of Ottawa and Montreal
unless it has met with disaster some
where in the wilds Of the Adrondacks.
Despite the uncertainty Of the ball
looms fate, the officers at Rockawav
are not yet alarmed. They point out
that the three officers Lieutenants
Walter Hinton, of NC-4 fame; A. t.
kioor and Stephen A. Farrell-are the
most experienced balloonist and nayi-
gators in the naval service; men full
of resource and proved courage. who
set out with the intention of going
the limit in distance and endurance
with full knowledge Of The conditions
that confronted them.
When they arose into the air a |
o'clock Monday afternoon they car
that hung below the inflated sphere
the following "provisions": Two ther-
alos Bottles containing hot coffee, three
small packages Of sweet crackers, six
bars of sweet chocolate and twelve
sandwiches.
They carried no firearms to aid then,
in obtaining food in the event thew
landed in the Wilderness Every avail
able pound of lifting capacity possessed
by the balloon was devoted to ballast
to aid in controlling the balloon.
Radio Search Begun
Although the officials at Rockaway
still continued to assert last night that
they were not alarmed, they clearly
indicated how concerned they were. In
the first place, the radio station began
to send out broadcast general mes
sage requesting any information con-
corning the missing balloon, and, SEE
ondly, the naval recruiting officers at
Albany and Rochester were instructed.
by telegraph to. make investigation
within their respective districts TO
ascertain whether the balloon had been
sighted.
In one thing only are the three Off
GERS we'll equipped to meet the condi-
tons of forced landing in the wilder
ness, and that is in the matter of cloth
ing. They wore feece-lined under
clothes beneath their regulation uni
forms, and over those heavy fur-lined
flying suits and helmets. They also
wore furlined flying boots.
The balloon is one Of the standard
navy type OF ooUJU cuDlc 1eeC capacity,
inflated with hydrogen gas.
The worlds distance record for free
balloons was established on October II,
1910, by Alan r. Hawley, who covered
l,172 miles.
The duration record was established
by Clifford B. Harmon on October 4,
1909, when he remained in the air 48
hours and 26 minutes. Present indica-
tions would seem to point out that the
three missing naval officers have ex-
ceeded both Of these records.
Lieutenant Kloor, who is the pilot on
this occasion, has had more than $50
hours in the air in balloons. He is
known as "The Kid Lieutenant" at the
Rockaway station. Lieutenant Hinton
was one Of the pilots Of the NC4 when
it made its historical flight across the
Atlantic Ocean. Lieutenant Farrell is
gunnery officer with fifty hours fy-
ing experience.