The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1921-01-21
OFFICER TELLS
OF BALLOON TRIP
Naval Officers Lost to the World
for Twenty Nine Days.
ARE FOUND BY AN INDIAN
Wandered Four Days In the Dense
Woods and Were on Verge Of Death
When misunderstanding Story Of
Trip Told by an Officer.

naval officers, Lieuts. Hinton, Farrell
and KloOr, who abandoned thei
wrecked balloon near Moose Factor,
on the shore Of James bay on Dec
IA. arrived safely here. The follow
Ing story of the balloon trip of tn,
airmen was told by Lieut.. Stephel
Farrell: ~
Lieut.. Farrell's story Of the fiigh
and wanderings of the trio begins will
the morning hours In ROckaway Dava
air station on December IL and goes
on through the flight, the landing, anC
up TO the meeting with the Indian al
Moose Factory who saved their lives
"It was just an ordinary balloon
hop" Farrell began. ut was for train.
Ing. Hinton told me after we left
that the gas In the balloon was ten
days old, stale and impure.
Hinton called me up at about TWEEN.
ty minutes to IL december 13) and
told me l could come on flight If !
wanted to. No special orders are
peeded. We just got permission from
SOhiiIidiidci SuIiliiluSS VI Tie DOSt
and Executive Officer Douglas.
81 am senior officer of the three,
but klOOr was In command of the
flight, as he is a balloon officer and l
am a gunnery officer. l have beer In
aviation for three years and have
flown in every kind Of aircraft. We
left at l p. m.
Left With Four Pigeons.
"We had four pigeons; we let the
first one go with a message for the
Brooklyn navy yard.
Hinton and KlOOr had heavy un-
derwear and uniforms under their fly
Ing suits. l had only the underwear
and the flying suit. l had a grip with
my uniform and some other things in
1t. We had eight sandwiches and two
thermoS bottles Of hot coffee. None
of the underwear was electrically
heated.
I'VE expected to land next MORN
Ing in upper New York state. We had
no maps or charts except a railroad
map of the Canadian Quebec Central
line. which | bought. We had thee
chances to land before we did. We did
stop one at Wells, n. Y.
"We made fast to a tree near a
light. 1t was in a window Of a farm
house. A man came along and we
asked him where we were. He told
us, but he could not say what big town
we were near.
kIoor Game to &c On.
: w east loose and went up again.
1t rained and blew during the night.
We could have landed at Ottawa at
II p. m. We saw the lights Of a big
city. But KlOOr Is just a kid and he
was enthusiastic about a long flight.
We oil agreed that we ought to do a
decent flight. There had been rain
from Wells N.
"The wind was north by west. That
night it blew hard and rained. There
was no sign of civilization. But we
thought 1t would be all right in the
n.orning. AT daylight we saw only for
ests. The rain had Gained down.
There were low clouds and fog.
1.-THE rain stopped at 8 a. m. ODE
~. We ate all our food dur.
lne the night. We had two packages
Of cigarettes and one box Of matches,
but you cannot smoke in a hydrogen
balloon. We realized we we're in bad
that morning"
At II a. m. the u came out and
up the gas In the balloon; |
hat makes the gas expand and sends
he balloon up.
1--WE were fighting to keep in the
ar. All We saw was trees. lakes, and
1t was about 1 80 p. m. that
We saw a shack in the woods. At
east we thought 1t was a shack. We
we're In doubt about this until we
leard a dog bark.
81 took bearings with the compass
N the shack and the place where the
log barked. We decided TO land. We
in low clouds about 1000 feet
Ugh. The wind was north by west.
he sun had been heating up our bag
md we began to go up. We reached
800 feet. 1t takes a long time to 60
rom that height.
Make q Bad Landing.
1.-THE clouds were below US and
bove US. We got down about two
1t was a bad landing and we
fere pretty badly shaken up. We
Iere not hurt or thrown out, but the
asket was smashed against the
round.
''The balloon caught between the
We had taken the pigeons into
he basket to protect them from the
Usually they ride in a cage
led outside Of the basket. The wealth
r was clear and nearly freezing.
"All three Of us stepped out of the
asket in flying clothes. 1 took
he grip. We were soaking wet. KlO0r
the pigeon cage. We started off
a terrific pace to get where the
og barked. We did not stop to in
pect the balloon. From the bearings