The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1921-01-14
DOCS Wall SAVED
LOST AIRNE:N
Aer0nauts Had to Chase Cree
Trapper Before He Consent
ed to Guide Them.
FEARED FOR HIS PELTs
Third Pigeon Made Ready to L. asr
Sign of Habitation Caused Trio to
Take Landing Chance-Cloth-
ing Ripped From Backs.

Cochrane, Ont.-The shrill wall of 4
moose dog caught in a trap at Ship
sands, near the mouth of the Moose
river, brought to safety the three
American airmen. Leutenants Hinton
Farrell and Kloor, who were blown
800 miles in balloon from ROckaway
Beach N. Y, by a gale which swept
across the continent on the, night of
December ID last.
The three officers in the balloon, ig-
norant Of where they were, sought
vainly for signs of habitation in the
wilderness about the shores Of James
bay. Then their ears caught the wall
of the dog. Jumping Immediately to
the conclusion that the sound marked
the presence of some dwelling they
pulled the rip cord of their balloon
and descended at Snipsands, where the
Hudson's Bay Company first establish
ed post in the wild lands about the
bay.
The landing place is upon Ships Is
land, a little to the northwest of the
mouth of the Moose river, which emp
ties into James bay The balloon de
seconded into clump of trees ten miles
south of Shipsands before the officers
realized they were in the very thick of
the forest.
Practically they We're helpless, but
fortunately the mildest weather in the
history of the old post was prevailing,
with the thermometer registering 10
degrees below zero. They eXtricated
themselves quickly from entangliW
ropes that fell about them as the bal
loon struck the trees and then Chamber
ed to the ground.
The three men quickly released the
dog. Such is the outline of the story
CLEANED from George w. Mcleod, the
veteran Indian mail carrier, who came
down the trail Of the Missanabi river
into Mattice with The news that the
three airmen were safe and sound at
Moose Factory post.
From Mcleod it was learned that
Lieutenant Stephen A. Farrell, the
elder officer of the three, had suffered
somewhat from frostbite and shock.
but was recovering quickly at the time
he hit the trail to bring the news To-
civilization. The three men lost much
of their clothing when their balloon
struck the trees
To Mcleod, Lieutenant Walter Hin
ton told the story Of the struggle the
balloOnists had during the first eight
hours of daylight on the morning of
December II, when they found them
selves over the bleak northern wilder
ness. At that time the three men
We're in the grip of a. violent gale Of
an estimated velocity of 50 miles an
hour
For eight hours they iockeyed help |
1essly in the grip of this storm, first |
casting ont ballast and then releasing |
gas from the balloon They We're n |
the verge of starvation Two Of the /
carrier pigeons wSich they had carried !
for the purpose OF releasing with mes I
sageS had already been plucked aud I
eaten.
. AT noon on December II they had |
plucked the third pigeon and were |
about TO ent 20 when they heard the
bowling OF the moose dog and decided
20 take a chance upon landing. AZ this
time they were drenched to the skin
and covered with icicles
Immediately after me three men had
expressed their thanks al landing safe
III upon the ground they held a con
sultatiou as Go thl best direction to
take In thoIr jittcmpt TO reach some
settlement liuten was for striking
northward. hui Farrell an officer with
years Of experience al sen, urged they
follow thr old slogan of Follow the
star iu the cas.,m sky" Al tlp Sug-
gpstion of Lieutenant A. L. Kloor the
three men finally began TO trudge In
generally southprly direction through
the snow ucru-ted underhrush.
suddenly. through a rift in the for
est. the three r.n saw smoke from a
chimney. U Else beacon on
straugp shor lost mariner