A Remarkable Trip by U.S.A. Airmen in a Free Balloon
From New York to Moose Factory, James Bay, Ontario, 820 Miles in 25 Hours
By J. BEVERIDGE, Moose Factory
THREE U. S. A. Airmen left Rockaway Station, Long Island, New York, on Monday, 13th December, in a free balloon, with the intention of flying across the State of New York.
After ascending, and while crossing New York City, a storm caught them, and drove them off their course. Being at an altitude of 6000 feet, and above the clouds, they were unable to see the ground.
The country over which they were flying was high, necessitating the discharge of ballast to prevent the balloon striking high land.
Having no chart, and, therefore, losing their bearings, they were unable to tell over which part of the country they were flying.
On Tuesday, December 14th, after being in the air about 24 hours, the men thought they heard a dog bark, and through a rift in the clouds they saw a house; they then decided to descend.
The pilot opened the valve, and the balloon commenced to descend at a rapid speed. The wind had carried the balloon beyond the place where they had seen the house, and there was nothing but trees on which to land. All the remaining ballast was thrown overboard to prevent the basket crashing on the trees; thermos flasks and all the furnishings were cast over. But their descent had been too rapid to be arrested so easily, and the basket collided with the trees. Too much gas had been released to allow the balloon to ascend again. The basket continued to drag through the bush till at last the balloon came to a halt tangled on the side of a tree.
The time of landing was about 2 p.m. Taking a southerly course by their compass, which they had managed to retain, they commenced to walk through the bush, but made little headway owing to the dense mass of foliage, spruce trees, willows and marshy land. They built a fire, cooked one of three carrier pigeons. This was the only food they had had since leaving New York.
Making themselves as comfortable as possible, they rested for the night but had little sleep. Keeping the fire going all night was the only means of being warm.