Viewing page 44 of 105

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

[[strikethrough]] 146 [[/strikethrough]] 142

it would be possible to rescue them. I was with the party two days and one night but no trace of Mueller and his party could be found. When we came back to the grounds, I found that Dick had ordered the second balloon filled and was going himself to see if he could not locate the lost party. It was very hazardous and I was able to convince him to abandon it.
    
While we were discussing the matter a messenger informed us that the party had landed safely and was now on its way out of the mountains. There was a mad scramble to get as close to the canyon as possible. Finally, Mueller and his passengers arrived. They were delighted with their experiences and became great heroes to their friends. But there was no more ballooning here as the public had been surfeited on this particular kind of "sport" even though the men who had the experience were relating how safe it was.
        
A REAL ESTATE ADVERTISING FLIGHT
    
Mr. W. H. Obear of San Francisco made me an offer to fly on eight Sundays at a real estate subdivision he was advertising at San Mateo near San Francisco. I accepted this offer with the understanding that I could first fly at Sacramento. Here we set up on Southern Pacific Rail Road property and made the agreed flights and then made a balloon ascension with the "United States" balloon which I had borrowed from Dick for the purpose. 
    
This balloon was filled with city gas from the gas mains and was so light when completely inflated that I became alarmed. I feared that the netting might break due to the strain. We carried the basket filled with sand bags and attached all the bags we could to the concentrating ring. We were to carry eight persons. To make it reasonably safe I immediately discharged some gas and threw overboard sand ballast until there were twenty bags of sand left.