Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-10
CLOTHES Of PILOTS
FOUND WITH NAVY
BALLOON IN LAKE

w Wv ItiJ - w.
loon found partly submerged off
Port Stanley, Ontario, on Lake
Erie, has been identified as that Of
Lieutenants L. J. Roth and 7. b.
Null naval balloonists, in a report
tonight to the navy department
from Pilot Shiller, who flew to the
scene from Cleveland.
The uniforms of both pilots were
found in the wrecllage of the big
bag of the half submerged craft
the report said, and with them was
the log, an extra leather coat and
a pair of gauntlets.
The balloon was partly inflated,
but the basket was missing, indi-
eating, in the opinion of naval Of
ficers, that the two men had cut it
loose and abandoned their clothing
under stress.
A motor boat which put from
here this afternoon for the wreck
age of the missing naval balloon, re-
turned at 8 o'clock tonight. News
paper men said the basket had been
cut entirely away from the bas bag,
which lay upon the water.
All ballast had been thrown over
board. The food supply Of the bal
loonists was found, untouched in the
rigging.
The condition of bag and basket
was such as to indicate that Lieu
tenant L. J. Roth and Z. Z. Null
had worked frantically to cut the
basket free from the bag to prevent
from being smothered when the bal
loon hit the water
The balloon'A log was found, but
was so water soaked that it prob
ably will not be decipherable.
TRAGIC ENTRIES IN LOG
REPORTED DECIPHERED
CLEVELAND, Ohio, July T.
Portions of a log kept by Lieuten-
ant Roth told of the tragedy in the
air of the navy balloon. The log,
together with clothing and personal
effects of the balloonists, was found
tangled in the ropes which dragged
lazily behind the big bag as it drift
ed through the voter.
The last entry was at $50 a. M,
Saturday.
1t was of only two words:
All over"
1t was only with great difficulty
that this and other entries in the
log were deciphered. The notes were
blurred by water and torn by the
wind and dragging of the rope,
through the waves.
The balloon collapsed 25 miles
southwest of Port Stanley.
There was still hope, however,
when the search began that the
pilots had escaped. This was aban-
doned by those on the scene when
the gas bag was found, without the
basket, and then in the tangled rig
ging the log was located.
An entry in the log made at 12:45
a. m. Saturday told of the balloon
drifting in a northeasterly direc-
ton over Berne, Ont, at an altitude
of 500 feet. At 3:15 the balloonists
were 1000 feet over Rtgston, Ont
At $50 a. m, at an elevation of
1900 feet, they dropped forty
pounds of ballast, said the log.
The next entry dated $50 a. M,
told of flying at 1000 feet, but gave
no location.
Then came the fatal "all over"
An indication of the trouble
which may have caused the accident
was found in two notes scrawled
on pieces of torn paper which had
been stuffed into the pocket of Lieu
tenant Roth's uniform.
one generator has gone bad"
said one of the notes.
The other note said: "Will try to
make Aberdeen and get a new gen
orator. We ought to make it, all
right"
The log, started Friday night,
takes up the story of the airmen's
fight q oainSt tho odds Of I,ord 1,,a1,