San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-13
NAVAL A|RMEN
RESTING IN
HOSPITAL
''Pampered Like Invalids, +"
Says Radio Operator
of Plane PN-9-1.
by Universal Service.

HONOLULU, Sept. 12.-"Getting
the t.s rest"
Commander John Rodgers and his
-rew of four men were between the
sheets" at the Naval Station hospital
At Pearl Harbor today, resting easily
after their experience of being lost
IN the Pacific ocean for ten days.
We're being pampered as if We
~ere invalids," said Otis Stantz,
radio operator of the flsgplane, as he
jcyfully puffed cigarette after
TACT we are anything but that"
At the Naval hospital it was said
Commander Rodgers was reacting to
The rest cure prescribed by the fliers
more slowly than the others appar-
entity because be had borne the brunt
Of the long watches aboard the drifting
plane.
READ PRESS REPORTS.
Pilot Skies n. Pope asked for news
papers and eagerly read of what the
press associations had to say Of the
California-Hawaii nonstop flight and
its subsequent outcome.
One article, which speculated upon
a possible tragedy TO the airmen, set
the airmen grinning.
Nothing encouraging about that"
was the terse remark of one Of the |
aviators.
Commander Rodgers was anxious &c |
leave the hospital.
Before he left San Francisco he |
wired Governor harrington OF Hawaii |
that he would call upon him two |
days later. As the whole world knows,
the call was delayed.
RIG LEEBOARDS.'
From Lihue, where the disabled |
plane was towed by the submarine,
R-4, Rodgers sent message to Gov
erBor Harrington expressing his re-
gret that the appointment was de-
Iayed.
The ingenuity of Lieutenant Bryon |
Connell in rigging leeboards was
disclosed today. With the leeboards |
on the drifting plane the airmen
rere enabled to grab the wind at 10 |
iesrees, which proved of great assist
nnce in getting across the Kauai
.hsnnel.
Commander Rodgers today paid q
,reat tribute to the staunch PN-9 No. .
!, which, for ten days, rode il out"
In spite of the severe buffetings Of |
nigh seas the flagplane was never
n the slightest distress.
PRAISES CREW.
The outstanding feature Of the
rip" said Rodgers, was the way
he material stood up. / believe the /
No No. 1 TO be the greatest plane |
YER 20 20 <loft. It is capable Of 4
itself on the ocean sur
ace under ordinary weather eondi- 1
ions almost indefinitely.
Il can't speak TOO highly Of ny II
rev. Not once did their morale sag.
They were always cheerful and buoy
mt In spite OF short rations every 4
han went about his duties with ad-
iirsble energy.
The interest the world took in our
xploit was, Of course, exceedingly II
'ratifying and when We landed we
earned that We ourselves were the
last concerned as to our safety, We
new that everything would come out
u right"
In commenting on the flight, Com
handler Rodgers pointed to an angle
Fhich was not generally understood
efore.
The flight he said, Hwas plan
ed TO be a nonstop one, provided
he winds were favorable. In the
vent that the winds were unfayor-
bic il was planned to refuel from
ne OF the guard ships and then pro-
eed to Hawaii. The only miscarriage
a our plans was our failure to find
be q. S. s. Aroostook, which was the
essel selected to do the refueling."