Evening star., 1924-07-20

L the average visitor at the naval
air station, Anacostia, were to
be asked what he considered the
most interesting things he had
seen he would probably reply:
The pilots"
1t may be argued that this is true
at any aviation field or station, but
IL is true to a greater extent at Ana
costa, for the flyers whose names ap-
pear on its roster are the most IA
nous in naval aviation
This station for several years has
been the headquarters Of the Navy
. racing teams, and here may be found
nearly all the titlehoiders, including
Lieut.. Afford J. Williams, winner of
he 1923 Pulitzer Trophy race and
holder OF the world speed record;
Lieut.. David Rittenhouse, winner of
the 1928 Schneider Cup race: Lieut..
John Dale Price, who with Lieut..
Nead, recently broke four seapIane
records. and several others whose
Claims to distinction are readily ad-
Sitted in aviation circles.
There are no more thrilling tales to
be found in fiction than the true sto-
ries of aerial adventures which may
be heard from the lips of these pilots
on the rare occasions when they fall
into Il reminiscent mood. Such an oc-
casion occurred on the morning after
Lieuts. Price and Wead landed from
their successful flight with the Csc
long distance seaplane. Nearly all
The station flyers were gathered
around the pilots bench, and the
writer took advantage of the oppor-
tunity to put the question:
What was your closest escape"'
The first who was persuaded to an
, swer was Lieut.. Price, who has had
his share of exciting. if not alto
gether agreeable, experiences.
My narToWest eScape?" said Price.
We'll, ! think it was the time my
plane collapsed as l was being cata-
puited from the deck OF the l. s. s.
Maryland In order for an airplane
10 be flown from the deck OF battle
ship it is secured to a catapult car
and is hurled forward at very high
speed At the end of the catapult the
car stops suddenly. releasing the
plane. which is thus shot into the air
at flying speed. Because of the short
distance in which the plane is brought
from u standstill to flying speed there
Is more than the ordinary strain of
taking off.
CON this particular morning there
was no Indication that any
thing was wrong. The mechanics Sc
cured the plane to the car and made
last-minute inspection. Then l
climbed in and tested the motor while
In" cdtapult was headed into the
wind. as the Maryland was making
about twelve knots. AS soon as this
vas done L opened up the motor and
gave the signal to let go
The plane shot forward at tre-
mendous speed, and then there was
sudden crash below me. The rear
struts OF the plane. which held the
fuselage to the pontoon, had given
way under the strain of the suddenly
applied force. In d flash the. tail
struck the deck OF the ship, driving
the nose into steep dive. The next
instant the plane crashed into the
water, hitting with such force that
my safety belt was broken and | was
thrown clear of the tangled wreckage
though ] was stunned by the force OF
the impact
The Maryland swept on. carried by
her momentum, though efforts were
made to launch boat as quickly as pos
s'ble. But that was not the worst of it.
for as / struggled in the water the three
ships aft the Maryland passed by, and
! was nearly exhausted when d DESTROYER
finally picked me UP. That was about the
closest / ever came. although / had a
close second some time ago
This time 1 was flying on cross
country hop, using d De Haviland plane
and carrying a mechanic with me- | had
Just taken off from rather small field
in one of the Western states when my
wing struck a fence and broke the feed
line to my gas tank. AS soon as the
heated exhaust pipes fierce fire broke
out. Luckily We were close to the ground,
60 that the crash which followed did not
render both of US unconscious. | was
helpless, however, and would have been
burned in the plane if it had not been
for my mechanic who pulled me out of
the flaming wreck
The second pilot encountered was
Lieut.. D. c. Allen, who was a member of
the 1923 Navy racing team at the st.
Louis races. Allen has had a number of
interesting experiences, but perhaps the
most thrilling was that which occurred