The New York herald., 1921-03-26
VAIN SEARCH MADE
FOR BALLOON LOST
WITH FIVEABOARD
Planes, Dirigibles. Water
Craft Mgzag Over Wide
Mexican Gulf Area.
HOPE NOT YET GIVEN UP
Naval Officials Think Men
Have Landed on Some
Barren Island.
NIGHT HUNT CONTINUED
Lack Of Water Chief Worry if
Wind Drove Big Bag Ashore
Outside Mainland.

PENSACOLA, March 25.-Continued
search to-day by squadrons of air
planes, flying boats, dirigibles and
Eagle boats failed to reveal any trace
OF the missing naval balloon, in com
mand of Chief Quartermaster G.. X.
Wilkenson and carrying four students.
which left the naval air station here
Tuesday night and was last reported
over the Gulf twenty miles Off ST
Andrews Bay. Naval officials, how
ever. have not given up hope of res
cuing the missing men.
supplementing the work OF the air.
craft. the Eagle boats and a sub
chaser to-day zigzagged over a 500
mile radius of the Gulf with ST. An
drews Bay az a starting point The
naval vessels followed out exactly the
same tactics as We're employed in war
times for hunting submarines.
CTclins above and in constant COM
munication with the dirigiole CT, a sis
ter ship TO the i'll fated CO. which flew
from Rockaway, l.. T., to Trepassy.
Newfoundland and was then blown out
TO sea and lost. men in the big Fol
and H-16-A flying boats scanned every
inch OF land and sea in their search.
New York Man Aboard
In the balloon with Wilkinson whose
home is in Houston. Texas were Rus
sell V. Eiand OF Belleville. ILL.,; Edward
l.. Kershaw OF Rayne, La: John 0.
Elder OF Lebanon, \. T.. and William
II. Trefrey OF Salem, Mass.
Despite to-day's disappointment naval
officials have no intention Of surrender
ing hope and the search is being con-
tinued tonight and will be carried on
gain tomorrow, the circle ever VII
dening.
The balloon III which the fiSe men
left here at O'Clock Tuesday afternoon
was 5000 cubic foot craft Besides
the men and ballast two pigeons were
carried. One of these returned to the
air station at $50 o'clock yesterday
morning with 4 message which had
been started nearly twenty-four hours
before. The second pigeon returned that
afternoon after II, TOO. had been twenty
four hours Oh the way. The last mes
sage gave the position as twenty miles
Off St. Andrews Bay, with the drag
rope In the water and all supplies sX-
hausted At that time the wind was
on-shore ana tile balloon was slowly
drifting northward.
II IS oil the wording or the last mes
sage that naval officials base their
belief that the balloon landed somewhere
on the deserted coast of the outer island.
The balloon apparently had almost suf-
ficient buoyancy to remain in the air
ana thus it is certain that when the
basket touched the water the descent
would stop.
Might Float Several Days.
Ii Is believed by balloon experts here
thar The craft would keep the men above
water for several days if the weather
remained calm.
With an onshore wind officials believe
The balloon may have been CARVED to
the beach in some remote place from
which the fliers have been unable to
communicate or work their way to civ
ilization. RI they landed on the outside
island their hsrdships. are likely TO be
much greater than II they reached the
mainland because there It is almost bar
ren. without any place where fresh wa
ter might be gathered. The mainland,
however. while broken and barren In
many places. has many fresh water
streams from which tne fliers could
auench their thirst. Food can be OBJ
tained almost anywhere because Of the
wealth of shellfsi along the entire coast