The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1921-01-21
OFFICER TELLS
Of BALLOON TRIP
Naval Officers Lost to the World
for Tweaty-Nine Days.
ARE FOUND BY AN INDIAN
Wandered Four Days In the Dense
Woods and Were on Verge Of Death
When Rescued-ThriiIine Story Of
Trip Told by an Officer.

Mattice, Ont.-The three American
naval officers. Lieuts. Hinton, Farrell
and kloor, who abandoned their
wrecked balloon near Moose Factory
on the shore of James bay on Dec.
Ia, arrived safely here. The follow
ing story of the balloon trip of the
airmen was told by Lieut.. Stephen
Farrell:
. Lieut.. Farrelrs story of the flight
and wanderings of the trio begins with
the morning hours in Rockaway naval
air station on December 13 and goes
on through the flight the landing, and
up to the meeting with the Indian at
Moose Factory who saved their lives.
1T was just an ordinary balloon
hop" Farrell began. 1T 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 twen-
ty minutes to II December 13) and
told me l could come ON flight If
wanted to. No special orders are
needed. We just got permission frcm
Commander Cummings of the post
and Executive Officer Douglas.
II am senior officer of the three.
but Kloor was in command of the
flight, as he is balloon officer and
am gunnery officer. | have been in
aviation for three years and have
flown in every kind of aircraft. We
left at l p. m.
Left With Four Pigeons.
1--WE had four pigeons; we let the
first one go with message for the
| Brooklyn navy yard.
Hinton and KloOr had heavy un.
derwear and uniforms under their fly.
ing suits. had only the underwear
and the flying suit. had grip witt
my uniform and some other things in
1t. We had eight sandwiches and tive
thermos bottles of hot coffee. None
of the underwear was electrically
heated.
1--WE expected to land next morn
ing in upper New York state We ha,
no maps or charts except railroa,
map of the Canadian Quebec Contra
line, which l bought. We had tire
chances to land before we did. We Iii,
stop once at Wells, N. Y.
1--WE made fast to tree near
light. 1t was in a window of farm
house. man came along and W
asked him where we were. He toll
US. but he could not say what big tow
we were near.
kloor Game to Go On.
"We cast loose and went up agar
1t rained and blew during the nigh
We could have landed at Ottawa q
II p. m. We saw the lights of bi
city. But Kloor is just a kid and h
was enthusiastic about a long fiigh
We all agreed that we ought to do
decent flight. There had been raj
from Wells on.
1.-THE wind was north by west. Thi
night it blew hard and rained. Thel
was no sign of civilization, But W
thought 1t would be all right in Il
morning. AT daylight we saw only 70
ests. The rain had Gained dow.
There were low clouds and fog.
1.-THE rain stopped at 8 a. m. Cd
cember 14). We ate all our food du
ing the night. We had two package
of cigarettes and one box of matche
but you cannot smoke in a hydrog,
balloon. We realized we were in b;
that morning"
AT IL q. m. the sun came out al
heated up the gas in the balloo
that makes the gas expand and sen
the balloon up.
I'VE were fighting to keep in t
cir. All we saw was trees lakes. a
snow. 1t was about ! 80 p. m. til
! we saw shack in the woods.
| least we thought it was shack.
| were in doubt about this until
| heard dog bark.
| II took bearings with the comps
J on the shack and the place where t
dog barked. We decided to land.
u were in low clouds about 1000 {,
le high. The wind was north by we
= the sun had been heating up our /
. and we began to go up. We reach
d $500 feet. 1t takes long time to
~ from that height
Make a Bad Landing.
1.-The clouds were below us q
above us. We got down about {
90 o'clock. 1t was bad landing and
ID were pretty badly shaken up.
:. were not hurt or thrown out, but
i, basket was smashed against
ground.
- The balloon caught between
- trees. We had taken the pigeons
"a. the basket to protect them from
u. landing. Usually they ride IN a C
a.. tied outside of the basket. The we;
go err was clear and nearly freezing.
ho "All three of us stepped out of
10 basket In our flying clothes. t
az the grip. We were soaking wet. III
took the pigeon cage We started
at a terrific pace to get where
dog barked. We did not stop to
,y spect the balloon. From the bearl
| took In the balloon we figured