Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-01-07
In CANADIAN WILDS
VeDtUrSOme BallO0nlSlS Have Fearful
Experience.
SAVED BY BOWLING. OF A.LOST DOG

Safety--WrostIed With Storm for
Many Hours-Now on May Back Il
Civilization.
Hearst, Ontario, JAN. 5.-Tales OF
terrible hardships endured by the air.
men from Rockaway in the wlds oil
Canadian northwest were revealed here
today by Indian trappers arriving
from the lower Hudson Bay district.
Their stories in the main corroborat-
ed reports from Cocfrane that the air.
men. were on the verge Of starvation
and were forced to eat their two re-
manning 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 cnusua
storms arc encountered they should
reach Mattice no later than Friday a
Pullman coach. will be placed at their
disposal when they leave the trail
there.
spirits, the trappers say, with the eX-
ccption Of Lieut.. Stephen A. Farrell
the eldest Of the trio. who suffered
greatly from frost bite and shock.
According to the stories Of the In
dians. the howling 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 dogs cries, the
balloonists decided to. land. The great
balloon struck in a clump Of trees
ten miles south Of the post. and it's
occupants were almost stripped Of their
clothing in the perilous descent.
At the time Of the landing, the mcr-
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 eXtricatcd them
selves from the wreckage the first
words were uttered by Lieut. Walter
Hinton, veteran Of the historic trans
Atlantic flight in the N. ca. who eN-
tended gracious thanks" to the
Almighty for their existence.
The next thought of the airmen was
to express thanks to the unfortunate
dog whose howls caused them to des-
cend. 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 anything but congratulate
themselves upon their safe landing.
The airmen had been drenched to the
skin and iclclcs hung over their torn
clothing. For four days they wandered
aimlessly, in the wilderness and We're
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 noti-
fy their wives and relatives Of their
safety.
hitting the trail between Moose Factory
and Mattice for seventeen years, said
today that had the ballon drifted ten
miles farther north, they would not
have lived to tell the story.
Before attempting 4 descent. the
balloonists told Mcleod. they jockeyeu
for eight hours to find n safe place.
During that time they were tossed by
a 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 they des-
ccndcd Farrell spied q smoke stack in
the distance. 1t disappeared from view
as they struck the tree tops and when
they crawled from the balloon there
was no sign of habitation.
They at last made camp for the night
and waited for daylight. With renewed
spirits they set out in the morning IN
a southerly direction. until they again
saw the smokestack in the distance.
Making for it. they met the aged In
dian, Tom Marion. He took TO his
heels, pursued by Lieut.. Kloor, who
caught the old man and induced him to
lead them to refuge. He took them
to his hut and from there sent his wife
to Moose Factory to notify Hudson Bay
company men of the appearance of the
three strangers.
Company employees then came to
their aid and took charge of them.
Warmed, fed and dressed in dry cloth
ing the men told the thrilling story OF
their fight.
After their departure from Rock
away. y. Y. they said the balloon
driftcd northward toward the Adiron-
dacks until in the vicinity of Fork
Mountain. near Wells, n. Y, 1t was
caught by a terrific storm. The off,
GERS felt no ALARM. however, and de-
cidcd not to send out any OF the
pigeons, .reserving them for a more
serious situation.
They expected to take westerly
course after reaching the St. Law
renee river but before arriving there
they were caught by Il southeast gale
which swept them toward Canada. No
offort was made to make a landing