The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-09-11
PAY
PERSH|NC
VISIT
Hold Informal Chat With
Chief-NeIson's Plane Var
nished for Trip

well, such is fame" sighed a
grimy mechanic at Boiling Field
today as he wrung out a big wet
sponge and began hopping up the
wings of the New Orleans, round.
the-world plane which made a
forced landing at Halethorpe, Nd.
Wednesday while enroute to
Washington.
Washes OFF Names
The mechanic was washing Of
the names of hundreds of thrilled
flappers of Halethorpe. Relay an
other nearby Maryland towns. The
flappers, part of the crowd of
10, 900 persons who crowded about
the plane during the 4S hours it
stood in the alfalfa fields of Hale
thorpe, had visions Of their names
lingering imperishablv on the wings
of the famous prane as 1t stood
in some museum for future citizens
TO gaze at with awe.
They inscribed their names on
every portion of the great plane
as a last resort, after striving
vainly for a more fleeting contact
with fame-a handclasp or, better
yet, a kiss-from the two embar-
raised aviators who remained by
their craft to direct the repair
work. Many of them wrote bits of
sentimental verse.
Yet the first thing the mechanics
were ordered to do after the plane
arrived at Boiling Field late yes.
terday was to wash off all this
loving work and restore the ship to
its former chaste simplicity. AS
browning indignity a heavy coat Of
varnish was appHed to obliterate
any last marks which might remain
and to make certain that scratches
left by the pencils might not lead
to rotting of the fabric.
The only official act of the six
globe circling flyers today was a
call on General John j. Pershin9
at the War Department.
General Pershing was in New York
when the flyers landed here Wed.
nesday. The presentation was made
In a formal military manner DIV
Major General Mason NJ. Patrick
chief OF air service, after which the
Flyers were put ''at ease" and sat
down for an informal chat with the
commander of the armies.
General Pershing declared that
their flight had "blazed a new trail
IN the development Of aviation" He
predicted that their record will stand
unequaled for a long time.
The famous airmen who have
Iiown these ships around the earth
VIII take off early Saturday morn.
ing TO complete the flight across
the United States, the last link in
their globe-circling Journey, the
first ever made by aircraft.
Leave Boiling Field at 1880.
The three airplanes, now the most
famous aircraft in the world. will
be flown over Washington tomor.
row morning by the crews which
have handled them throughout the
flight.
They will take the air from Boil.
ing Field at 1880 o'clock tomorrow
afternoon, flying directly to the
Capitol. which they will circle. The
flight will then be maze over Penn.
| sylVan1a avenue to the White
House, south over Highway Bridge
to Arlington, where flowers will be
dropped over the tomp of the I'm
| AhoWn ooIuler, ana then over the
downtown and. residential sections
OF the city, after which the planes
will be flown back to Boiling Field.
The fliers probably will drop
flowers over the tomb of Woodrow
| Wilson at Mt. st. Adams.
After their flight the famous bird.
men will be taken by automobile to
view the Defense Day parade.
A change of route for the western
| flight has been arranged for the
| filters, the War Department has an.
nounced. Instead of going by the
northern route, crossing the Rocky
Mountains in Wyoming, the filters
will proceed by the southern route.
through Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona
and California.
The southern route will carry
them over Santa Monica field, Cali.
fornia, where they hoped off on
March II on the first leg of their
flight. The official conclusion of
the epochal journey, however. will
he made at Seattle, Wash, where
they left American soil.
The filters last night were the
guests of Brigadier General William
G. Mitchell, assistant chief of air
service. at dinner.