Evening star., 1924-09-14
Tumultuous Welcome Given
by Comrades and Citizens.
Remain Until Tuesday.
TWO PLANES MAY HAVE
new ENGINES INSTALLED
Next Flight Toward Seattle Will
Be to Chicago, IT'S Miles
in Air Line.
BY the Associated Press.

DAYTON, Ohio, September 1S.-
Lieut.. Lowell H. Smith and his world
girdling flyers were in the homes OF
their friends here tonight after
tumultous welcome when they land
ed at McCook Field at 5:33, compIet-
ing their 420-mile hop from Wash
ington.
The first long leg of their trans
continental flight, which will end in
Seattle, was made without incident,
Lieut.. Smith said. The flight time
was s hours and 40 minutes, low
clouds encountered this side of Cum
berland, Md. and fog near Union
town, Pa, cutting down the flying
time.
The flyers will remain here until
tuesday, according to the flight COM
mander, who said that new engines
may be installed in two of the planes
The airmen will work all day tomor-
row on their ships
Get Great Greeting.
Dayton, birthplace of the airplane."
spared no pains to stage a real home
coming celebration for the six avia-
tors, who were welcomed as the mpst
famous representatives of that indus
try for which the city is most noted.
1t was a genuine home coming for
Lieuts. John harding and Erik Nell
son, for McCook Field is their home
station. Lieut.. Leigh Wade also was
stationed at the field two years ago,
and all of the flyers have scores OF
personal friends at McCook and Will
bur Wright fields. McCook Field is
ton.
The aviators, escorted by convoy
of 19 planes from the two local fields,
including the Barring bomber, the
worlds largest airplane, were sighted
over the eastern edge of the city at
5:25. Flying in their famous for
nation. they slowly circled over Nc
Cook Field, where thousands were
craning necks, skyward, then dipped
earthward, while all sorts of noise
| making devices dinned
Friends Garry Harding.
The Boston II, carrying Lieuts.
Wade and H. II. ogden, was the first
to land. Then came the New Orleans,
with Lieuts. Nelson and Harding
Lieut.. Smiths flagship, the Chicago
was the last to taxi into position.
His flight Companion is Lieut.. Leslie
ArnolA
Wade and Ogden received yocifer-
Gus welcome. but when Lieut.. Hard
ing vaulted over the side of his plane
he was virtually smothered by cheer
ing, shouting mechanicians and Off
GERS, who hoisted him to their shoul-
ders and staged war dance of joy.
Glad to get back" grinned Hard
ing.
While greetings were flying back
and forth between the six flyers and
their friends they were hustled be-
fore cameramen. then lined up for Il
few words of welcome from Mayor
Hale. The local kiwanis Cub pre-
sented each with $50 in Liberty
bonds. they each were given travel
ing bags by the citizens welcoming
committee and presented with parch-
ment sheets containing formal
welcome home" inscription.
Next Hop to Chicago.
After that the men were loaded into
automobiles and whisked to the home
of Maj. J. F. Curry, commandant or
the field, where they received news
paper men. They were left more or
less to their own devices tonight, but
were to visit with Maj. Curry at his
home.
"Tired?" Lieut.. Smith was asked as
he talked to newspaper men on the
Curry porch.
More hungry" he smiled.
What was the hardest part or
your trip?" he was asked.
"All of it, he shot back. 1T was
just lot of hard work.
The flyers are being quartered at a
local hotel. At their expressed
wishes little entertainment has been
arranged for them. What they want
particularly to do while here, they
said, is to rest and renew friendships.
Their planes We're wheeled INTO
hangers at McCook Field almost as
soon as they left them and mechanics
swarmed over them to give the en-
gines complete overhauling and
seryicing. Crews will work on the
| "ships" all night new men going on
the job at midnight. Lieut.. Smith
probably will decide tomorrow
whether new engines will be Installed
or not.
The next hop, to Chicago, is l'o
villas in an sSr line