Evening star., 1925-10-17

Continued from First Page)
the West after attending the air meet
at New York.
For "A long time, ii was explained.
the Air Service has been endeavoring
to obtain at least two stations in the
mountains-one at Cumberland. Md,
and the other at Uniontown, Pa.-on
which they can rely. AT present
pilots flying west over the mountains
have. for weather information the con-
ditions over Moundsville. $50 miles
away. and the first stop on the model
airway.
The "A planes. which battled with
the elements in Pennsylvania. Ohio
and West Virginia yesterday, had been
held up at Boiling Field for two
days because of bad flying conditions
over the mountains. The pilots,
anxious TO get home after encounter
ing many delays, both at Mitchell Field,
Long Island and here, received a
special weather report from Union
town yesterday morning at 1880
o'clock which stated the clouds were
500 feet and rising steadily.
This was pronounced as satisfactory
and the planes began getting away.
A little later in the morning, however.
"a report was received from I.angin
Field. Moundsville. that it was raining
and flying conditions We're poor.
Recall Impossible.
1t was too late TO recall the planes
by panels or signals on the ground
either at Cumberland or Uniontown
even If facilities were available at
those two cities for this purpose. At
present. the Air Service has no def
mite information on the weather over
the mountains with the exception of
an irregular and Indispensable service
out of Uniontown which was arranged
privately due to lack of funds.
Lieut.. Donald G.. Duke, chief OF the
Model Airway said today plans have
been in existence for a long time to
establish weather stations in the
mountains to guarantee the flyers
good weather over this dangerous
country. When clouds are low and
there is fog the aviators usually sit
on the ground, for while they could
get through by flying above these con-
ditions. they are not willing to run the
risk of having to fly blindly. In the
event the motor stops they have no
choice of landing fields but either must
jump with their parachutes or take
the extreme risk of gliding through
20 a crash or miraculously safe land
ing.
Crash Message Received.
News of the crash at New Salem,
Pa, yesterday of the Honeymoon
Express and the death of it's three
occupants. Lieut.. George H. Burgess,
Maurice Hutton and Verne Thinner
man of the Dayton Herald. was re-
ceived at Boiling Field yesterday in
a telegram from Capt. j. c. Platt, who,
with Lieut.. c. c. Mutt. was flying
near the doomed plane. The message
bore no details.
Lieut.. Burgess was well known in
Washington, having served at Boil
ing Field for about two years. Re
Gently he was transferred to Dayton
to be radio control officer of the
Model Airway. He was an expert in
aviation radio. He was married and
had two children.
Lieut.. Burgess was born in New
York, May 4. 1898, and enlisted in
the Army at the outbreak of the war.
Hutton was aviation editor Of the
Dayton Herald and Journal and had
devoted his entire newspaper career
to air matters. Before entering news
paper work he was member OF the
United States Army Band and had
many friends in Washington. He
flew to New York with Lieut.. Bur-
CESS and Zimmerman, staff photog-
rapher of the Herald and Journal, to
cover the national air meet at Mitchell
Field. He had covered these annual
air gatherings at Detroit in 1922, St
Louis in 1923 and at Wilbur Wright
Field. near Dayton, last year He
was about 25 years old. was married
and had two children.
Hutton Widely Known.
Hutton was known virtually through.
out the Army Air Service. and par
tiCularly at McCook and Wilbur
Wright fields was held in high esteem
by the Air Service pilots. Officers on
duty here who had served at the Ohio
fields recalled Hutton today, and de-
clared his death was severe blow to
aviation.
Air Service officers, led by their
chief, Maj. Gen. Mason NJ. Patrick
We're highly indignant over published
reports that the honeymoon express"
was "obsolete' and had been con
demned." The plane was a standard
DH, similar to virtually all of those
which battled the storm yesterday
with the exception it had compart-
ment built in after the pilots seat to
accommodate two passengers. 1t is
Obsolete" as far as type is concerned
it was explained. as all the DIS are
in that category It's airworthiness
was sound, and particular attention
had been paid to it's upkeep because
it's main use at McCook Field was to
ferry civilians.