The Washington herald., 1921-05-29
ACE OF A. Eff.
CROSSES U. S.
TO Dine HERE
Eddie Rickenbacker Safe
At Boiling Field After
Long Flight.
USED SIX PLANES
IN MAKING TRIP
Meets Gen. Pershing and
Comrades of First
Ship Over.

Splsttered with the mud Of the
Cumberland mountains where he
was forced TO land for three hStrs
while a storm ragged overhead.
Eddie Rickenbacker. Americas fore
most sirmsn. glided into Boiling
field at o'clock last night
Rickenbacker had crossed the
continent in exactly &c hours Of ny
ing time. although the actual time
OF the journey was three days.
IF / hadn't cracked UP at Chey-
enne. I would have made the flight
in two hops. as ! intended TO do,-
said Eddie. -As IL is it's thanks 20
the air mail service and Providence
that I'm here"
Plies In Pfve ships.
7 have flown in fye shIps. in
cluding the one that smashed.- he
said.
Il made the trip to call national
attention to the urgent necessity Of
keeping American ships in the air.
I have also dropped leaflets Of the
Memorial day message Of the com
mander Of the American Legion
down upon the big cities few
over.
During the trip encountered
fog, rain and treacherous mountain
air currents. II was the roughest
flying ! ever had. Just think that
the air mail pilots go up against
that sort Of stun every day for the
small salaries that are in some
c.ses begradged them. I'll tell you
a man wouldn't be a mail pilot for
81 600 a month unless he loved the
game.
These mail pilots are the men
who would be defending the air for
Uncle Sam 20 hours after war Was
declared. when or IL that hsppenx
again
Propeller Gets Dog.
About the onIy-ru ] had on the
| trip was when I was forced down
| In the Cumberland mountains near
a little village just south Cs Cuu-
/ berland. Nd. Al 1.-THE natives came
out to have a look al me or the ma
chine. Ny prop" was idlinE and a
little dog gave 4 couple Of sniffs at
it. Bingo, on went a half inch Of
his nose. That wasn't funny. but the
way the two little girl owners Of
the pup hopped my frame for letting
the accident occur. was"
MY original plan was to nv from
San Diego TO North Platte. land. ami
the next morning hop over to Wash
ington. AS IL is. ! made San Fran
, cisco, Cheyenne, Omaha. Chicago.
Dayton. Moundsville. some place IN
the Cumberlsnds an dhere--
Here for Dinner.
An invitation asking the noted
aviator to attend a dinner for Gen
Pershing here last night caused him
TO attempt the flight in less than
half the time Of the fastest limited
trains. Early Thursday morning he
left San Francisco. but his place al .
the PershinE dinner would have
been vacant ha dhe not been able
20 "hou" rides on mail and army
planes after his crash at Cheyenne,
MSo
The American ace had planned to
make the trip with only one stop,
but was forced to land six times
from Redwood city, Calf. TO wash
lngton- The flight was made in the
interest of the American Legion
membership campaign.
Eick-nbacker met with hard lurk
. Z
He went to Redwood City. CAL from
San Francisco in order 20 hoop or
on Tuesday. In lznding at Red
! wood City. his plane went into a
slide and he had dificulty in right
ing IL. Fortunately neither n. nor
the plane was injured.
Meets Hard Luck.
After waiting over a day az Red
wood City for the weather 20 clear,
he took of Thursday, but the fog
drove him back to the landing neid
He got away again a short time
later.
! In crossing the Rockies. the flyer
encountered strong head winds.
which DELAYED him in reaching
Cheyenne. He landed on the field
at night and smashed his plane. he
was again fortunate and escapSd
injury.
Flying with a United States mail
pilot Gickcnbacker left Cheyenne
~