The Washington times., 1921-01-18
K[OOR TO[DOF
FIERCE WINDS
Weather Expert Tells Probers
Of Cautioning FIiers They'd
Be Swept to Canada.
STORM SIGNAL IGNORED
FIiers Might Have Landed at
Wells, N. T., Commander
Admits at Inquiry.
BY s. ID. WEYER,
Information News Service.


international News Service.
ROCKAWAY, n. Y, Jan. 1S.-Al-
though warned by a meteorological
officer that If he ascended to 1000
feet altitude he would strike a wind
that might carry him to Canada,
Lieut.. l.. A. Kloor, in charge OF the
free balloon that came down near
Hudson Bay, told naval probers to-
day that his operation was to get
the gas bag into that altitude.
He said such a height WAS best that
day, he found. for operations.
1t would have been possible, he
stated-'just as easy as falling off Il
log"-to have come down after col
liding with tree at Wells, n. Y, but
fly out the night.
voice, with Lieut.. Walter Hinton, OF
NN4 fame, one of his passengers.
one OF the most attentive listeners.
Kloor gave details of the flight
from BEGINNING to end to naval
inquiry board.
The balloon that carried himself.
Hintoa-audg Isisut. Stephen A. Farrell
to Canada, Kloor said, was in excel
lent condition when he left ii. the
basket resting upon the ground anu
the gas bag festooned in q tree top.
DESCRIBES RAINsTORM.
After describing the rise OF the
balloon to escape a rainstorm, only T.
be caught by a heavy wind in the
darkness of night, and the tossing
journey. Koor resumed:
AT lib p. m. on December IA. We
all three thought we heard the bark
of dog below. / pointed out an oh.
ject which looked like a small house.
We all agreed 1t was. We didn't stop
to consider anything. but immedi
ately passed the word: Tand-
"'Lieutenants Hinton and Farrell
co-operated with me in every respect,
and with their aid everything was
made ready for landing. 1 could fig
ure exactly the position in which We
would land from our position of 6-20o
feet altitude with safety to all.
when we were thirty feet above
the treetops l shouted out the order:
Bend your knees so as to take care
OF any possible bumps. A very good
landing was made considering the cir
cumstances. No one was hurt"
An atmosphere of intense expectan-
cy pervaded the administration reom
of the United States Naval Air Station
here this morning when the naval
court ordered by Secretary Danieie
resumed it's probe into the Test
balloon" case.
The "lost baIloonists are to tsfl.
each individually, bit by bit under
cross examination, how they did
shift for themselves until the fright
ened Indian rescuer spotted them
They are to unfold a detailed story
of everything that happened from the
time of the landing in the wilderness
to the time when, at Mattice, Ontario.
Lieutenant Farrell apologized to Lieu
tenant Hinton for having knock ed
him down, only a few minutes after
their arrival at the Outpost OF civili-
zation.
From its outset yesterday the In
ouiry had all the earmarks of red
tape and involved technicalities in
herent in such official affairs. The
plain wooden table at which Rear Ad-
miral George w. Kline prcsides as
head of the. court. fianked by Capt.
Henry II. Hough, Lieut. Comdr. Joseph
p. Norfleet, and Comdr. Archibald
McC;lasson, was again covered today
with large important looking meteor
illogical charts, radiograms, and bulky
portfolios containing still more docu.
mcnts.
But over II all hovered the human
equation with a big question mark.
where Is Farrell? what will he
say on the stand? What will they
ask him?
Long before the time of the courts
convening - 1890 newspapermen
haunted the halls OF the various sta
ton buildings in search OF him. He
showed his face only for few feet
ing moments yesterday and then
didn't say a word beyond a polite
"howdy."
Rloor and Hinton were in evidence
all day. almost always together.
laughing and chatting with the re-
porters, though neither, OF course,
mentioned the subject now under Of
fetal inquiry.
KLOOR TELLS STORY.
Lieut.. \. l.. kloor. in command sf
the flight, who was the hrst Wit
ness. said he had received orders
from his commanding officer Decem
bcr , authorizing the flight OF De-
ccmber II.
que to unfavorablo weather con-
ditions' Lieutenant Kloor said. ~ths
flight could not be made prior to
December 13. Observations on that
day showed weather conditions were
ideal for free balloon flights.
81 sent n memorandum to my oa~
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