Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-09-06
Pass NIGHT at Mere Point

The fliers came ashore at Mere
Point, near Brunswick. and arrangeu
to spend the night at summer cot
tages. Lieutenant Smith said thai
he planned to get under way again
between nine and ten o'clock tomor-
row morning. daylight time.
The flight started at Pictou t!.s
morning with good weather. but as
the planes came down from the Bay
CT furdy and headed along the
Maine coast the fog began to 3atner
them. They were forced to 1y low
most of the way. at times not INV e
than $50 feet above the water.
Over the telephone tonight Lieu
tenant Smith gave to the Associated
Press a brief account of the exper-
fences of the fliers.
I'VE ran into fog most of the way
down the coast" he said. When VIZ
ieat he'd Casco Bay ii was dens. but
we hoped we could make our way
along ii little farther in the thought
that we might strike clear weather.
Soului pe uVJle anu We lOOhct.
arorinC for landing place
after circiing about the bay for'
a while we discover ed a good place
near Mere Point. We made ar easy
lending ut $40 p. NJ. Daylight 'ime,
and anchored so near shore that we
had no difficulty in getting on Dry
land, our first actual touch with
United States soil since we left
Seattle.
1--WE are all very glad to be here.
1t seems good to be back with our
people again. We have been work
ing long time to get here.
1--WE shall spend the night at sum
mer cottages on Mere Point and |
hope we can hop off for Boston be-
tween nine and ten o'clock tomor-
row morning.
Then the flight commander said
that he couldn't talk longer at this
time because he wanted to go out
and look over the planes once more
before going to bed.
Mere Point is between Harpswell
and Brunswick. 1t Is a long, narrow
neck of sand, with only few cot =
tages scattered about. 1t Is about 20
miles from Portland, jutting out into
n section of the bay dotted with
islands. The cottagers welcomed the
aviators and quickly offered them
shelter for the night. Lieutenant
Smith accepted the hospitality Of NJ.
c. Chase and his companions went to
other cottages at Mere Point, among
them a number members of the
faculty of Bowdoin College, were
hosts to four of the fliers Mt an old
fashioned Maine shore dinner to-
night. Lieutenant Smith and his
mechanician Lieutenant Leslie T.
Arnold. elected to remain with the
planes while the others went to New
Meadows Inn, where the were serv-
ed with fried clans. broiled live lob
ster and other sea delicacies. The
r1en said they had had but two eggs
each during their flight.
In describing their flight to their
hosts the officers said they had en-
countered heavy fog all the way from
st. John. n. Il. "'he visibility was
low and they were obliged to fly SC
close to the water that several times
they narrowly escaped colliding with
buoys and other distractions.
The men had many invitations FOR
the night and 1t was finally decided
that two OF them should remain al
the home Of Captain F. E. Turner oil
Brunswick; two at the home Of Mel
son Chase Of Arlington. Mass. one
at the home OF Professor Frederick
Brown Of Bowdoin and one at tee
hme Of DIR. Joseph Stetson of Bruins.
wick. all OF whom have cottages al
Mere Point.
IT was estimated tonight that the
army airmen, in their hon from
Pictou. n. s.. to Casco Bay. had GOV.
cred 4O5 miles. They have yet IL;
miles to fly before reaching Boston