New-York tribune., 1921-02-18
FLYER Lost I'm
| Mexico Found;
| Nearly Starved
r;e,,t. Pearson Says He War;
dered Two Days Without
Food After Being Forced
Down by Engine Trouble
Landed in Deep Canyon
MET Shepherds, Who Told
WAY Back TO Civilization;
Walked About 80 Miles

Ell, PASO, Tex, Feb. II. - Lieuten~
ant Alexander Pearson. jr, aviator,
who returned to civilization last night
sfter having been lost fog week, said
to-day that motor trouble had forced
him to land soon after he had left FL
paso last Thursday on flight to San
Antonio. Unable to start up again, he
wandered for two days, he said, before
\ finding two shepherds, who informed
@him that he was in Mexico. The plane
now is five miles south of the Rio
Grande. and probably cannot be re-
moved until representations are made
to the Mexican government, officials
here assert.
Telling his stoyy to The Associated
Press tonight, Pearson said:
"On account of engine trouble did
not follow the air line 10 San Antonio,
but kept as close to the fields as pos
sible. I was flying at about 5000 feet,
directly ever the river, when my en-
CINE died. | spiraled down, and, being
unable to see safe spot 20 land, had
decided to drop into the river, but,
because of the dead engine, was forced
instead to take what was about the
worst spot in the entire country.
81 landed in 4 deep canyon and don't
know yet how / was able to do it with
@at wrecking tho plane. The wings
|Vsgcre not disabled and the plane could
I be flown out, believe, if it were pos
sible to get new engine to it.
Drifted on Stream
believing was on the American
side, somewhere north of the river, l
started to walk south, thinking to
reach the Rio Grande. But as at that
spot the river runs north and south, /
paralleled it for two days and must
have walked about thirty miles"
Finding q stream, Pearson made a
raft of logs, and, cutting a pole with
which to guide it, he launched into the
current, hoping he would be carried
down to some habitation.
Throughout Thursday night he pilot
ed the craft down the river, drifting
means of the pole to speed his prog
ress. The night passed without a light
or sign of habitation.
pom want of food, Pearson rested the
%raft at the banks and tried to sleep,
9but could not, again taking up the
Journey downstream. All day Friday
as the crude raft rode the water the
exhausted aviator kept watch, and just
before dark he sighted shack on a
hillside some distance from the river
bank.
Found Uninhabited Shack
He landed and let his raft float on
PEARSON found the shack uninhabitec
and forced an entrance.
Dried beans, bacon and hard breat
we're stored in cupboard. The halt
fsmished airman found matches on d
shelf, gathered few sprigs of grass
and splints of mesquite brush and
built fire upon which he cooked the
Hbeans and fried meat. Removing his
vet uniform, in rags from brushes
along the stream, Pearson obtained his
first sleep since leaving El Paso.
No one had come to the desolate
shack Saturday, so Pearson prepared
another meal, rested again and then
Megan to explore the surrounding
|Muntry in search of means of continu-
10 his journey. Throughout the day
5 browsed around the great ranch of
@Rich the shack seemed to be the
|wenter and when nightfall came had
found no means of transportation or
communication.
H Sunday the aviator repeated his ex-
\ ploration until late in the afternoon,
/ when sheep herders who inhabited the
4 shack when in that part of the country
/ returned. Without means of trans
II portation themselves, they informed
II Pearson that he was seventy miles
II southwest of Sanderson, Tex, and di-
II rected him to the nearest ranch house,
b many miles away.
Monday morning Pearson took up the
long walk to the ranch house. Again
10 found no one at home. He re-
aained there until Tuesday, when the
anchers returned. Horses were OBJ
ained and the trip was begun for Sam
dsrson.