Captain Mueller was not one to be put off by a few dark clouds off in the mountains to the north. It was sunny in the morning, the skies were clear to the east, and after all it was the last day of the carnival. Mueller optimistically set out to inflate the balloon. Surely there will be some that will ride the winds with me today.

Richard C. Halsted rode in the balloon earlier that week and gathered together four other men to pay the $25.00 fee for today’s ride. The other passengers were Lane C. Gilliam, Sydney Cray, Edwin Dobschultz, and photographer Harold A. Parker. At 2:30 the six men climbed in the balloon and after dealing with the ropes being caught up the wires they were finally up, up, and away. As they drifted along in free flight the drag rope of the American touched the tops of the trees in the orange groves north of the park. Mueller had a sandbag dropped overboard and the American gained elevation.

Thirty-year-old Parker brought with him his new Kodak bellows camera. This modern wonder used roll film and was promoted as being a "vest pocket model." As the balloon rose Parker snapped the first aerial pictures of Pasadena.

The passengers were quite occupied with pointing out familiar sites to each other while Mueller remained silent. He was aware that the balloon was traveling north instead of east. Instead of turning back at this point he chooses to toss out more sandbags and gain altitude, rather than be the laughing stock of his peers by landing shortly after take off.

That was the last folk’ back home saw of the American. Speculations ran from the balloonists landing on one of the crags on the valley side of the range, to Mueller gaining more altitude and crossing the range into he desert on the other side. The Pasadena office of the Southern Pacific Railroad sent out telegraphic inquires to Palmdale, Lancaster and other stations along the SPRR line.

Professor Thaddeus Lowe of the Mt. Lowe Railroad, and a balloonist in his own right, dashed these theories, saying that the air moves in waves and the danger of being tossed against the mountains was extreme. Also at the elevations necessary to make a crossing the air is very cold and it causes the balloon to lose his lifting power.

Page 10 of the Los Angles Times Sunday morning the 21st gave an accounting of the balloon last being sited below Alpine Tavern. Anxiety was increasing and the tension mounting as rain began to fall in Pasadena and reports of snow at Mt. Wilson were coming in.

By Sunday afternoon search parties were being organized. Reports of sightings had came in from Camp Sierra, the train dispatcher at Echo Mountain Station, and a ranger in Sierra Madre. These were tabulated and entered into the search plans

On Monday morning the Pasadena Daily News proclaimed; PASADENANS MAY HAVE PERISHED IN BALLOON. When the weather cleared the search parties headed for the mountains. One group went in the mouth of the Arroyo Seco and headed towards Switzer’s Camp, another group was to enter from Mt. Wilson. Roy Knabenshue, another balloonist, took off Monday morning on a train into Rubio Canyon and then rode to the top of the Great Incline where he waited while the crews cleared the tracks of snow on the Alpine division.

The electric plant agreed to blow its whistle when word was received of the balloon crew. Two long blasts meant the group had been found alive. Four short blasts indicated they were found but that some had perished. Monday came and went with no blast from the power plant, as did Tuesday morning. That morning the story was headlined in New York, Chicago, Baltimore, and the Los Angeles papers, the Tribune and the Times.

WHERE IS THE AMERICAN?

At a small flat area in the canyon called the group found that by moving the wet pine needles aside, dry ones were underneath. One match was found amongst them and it was cautiously used to light the needles, some shavings and a crumpled piece of cigarette paper. They rationed the food into thirds and ate one third of it.

Sunday morning they continued down the canyon though the water in the widened stream was now waist deep. Soon a crashing of water was heard and it was realized none to soon a waterfall was ahead. Closer investigation led them to discover a 30-50 foot fall. It begins to hail again and rain was coming down in sheets. The men had to head back up the canyon the way they had come. Halsted at one point falls completely into the water and the others with no regard for themselves go in after him. Cold and drenched the six men continue on soon finding a snow-covered trail and a stump of a tree that had been recently cut. Another thirty minutes up the trail and they smelled smoke and came upon a pen for cattle or pigs. All was not lost. At last they saw a house with smoke pouring from the chimney.

On Monday the men rested most of the day, as the weather was so bad Delos would not guide them out to Switzer’s the location of the nearest phone.

Tuesday morning the weather broke and Delos Colby guided the men to the trail that would take them over to Switzer’s Camp. Colby would not go all the way himself. The men broke the trail Indian style and at 2:30 Tuesday afternoon the search party resting at Switzer’s heard another "HALLOO!" The balloon party had reached Switzer’s. They were quickly rushed inside to warm by the fire and promptly had to field a barrage of questions from the press.