The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-01-07
BALLOONISTS NEARLY
STARVED WHEN FOUND:
ATE 2 CARRIER PIGEONS

ATE 2 CARRIER PIGEONS
Hearst, Ont, Jan. 6-Tales of terri
BILE hardships endured with the ut
! most fortitude by the three stranded
ballonists from Rockaway, N. Y, in
the frozen wilds of the Canadian
north were related here today by In
dian trappers arriving from the Low
er Hudson Bay district. Their stories
in the main corroborated reports
from Cochrane that the airmen were
on the verge of starvation and were
forced to eat their two remaining
carrier pigeons to keep alive. The
men are now slowly vending their
way back to civilization by dog train
with the thermometer registering 80
degrees below zero. Unless unusual
storms are encountered they--should
reach Mattice no later than Friday.
A pullman coach will be placed at
their disposal when they leave the
trail there.
The men are in good health and
spirits, the trappers say, with the ex-
ception of Lieutenant Stephen A Far
/ rell, the eldest of the trio, who suf-
fered greatly from frost bite and
shock.
According to the stories of the In
dians, the bowling of a moose-dog
caught in a trap at Shipsands, the
original trading post of the Hudson
Bay company, was responsible for the
; safety of the airmen last Sunday.
When they heard the dog cries the
balloonists decided to land. The great
balloon struck in a clump of trees
ten miles south of the post, and its
occupants were almost stripped of
their clothing in the perilous decent.
At the time of the landing the mer-
curry was only ten degrees below
zero, the mildest weather for this
season of the year in the history of
the trading post. When the men ex-
treated themselves from the wreck
age the first words were uttered by
Lieutenant Walter Hinton, veteran
of the historic transatlantic flight in
the NC-4. Who extended gracious
thanks" to the Almighty for their ex-
istence. The next thought of the air.
men was to express thanks to the
unfortunate dog whose howls caused
them to descend. For almost forty
hours the Americans had Knocked
death in a raging storm high in the
air and for the time being they were
too exhausted to do any thing but
congratulate themselves upon their
safe landing.
The airmen had been drenched to
the skin and icicles hung over their
torn clothing. For four days they
wandered aimlessly in the wilderness
md were at the point of despair
when they were discovered by a
frightened Indian trapper. George
Mcleod, the Indian mail carrier,
who brought the news of the mems
landing to the outside world, said that
their first desire was to notify their
wives and relatives of their safety.
George McClelland, who has been
hitting the trail between Moose Fac
tory and Mattice for II years, said
today that had the balloon drifted
ten miles farther north they would
rot have lived to tell the story. More
than one hardy trapper has met his
fate in that desolate region rarely
ever trod by human beings, he said.
Before attempting a decent, the
balloonists told Mcleod, they jock
eyed for eight hours to find safe
place. During that time they were
tossed by raging gale, that at times
reached a velocity of 70 miles an
hour.
They decided to chance it when
they heard the bowling dog and as