Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-12-21
PAN-AMERICAN AIR
PLANES FAIL TO HOP
Off FOR SO. AMERICA

San Antonio, Texas. Dec. 20-(P)-
Baptized with rain and christened
in mud, the army's five PAN Ameri-
can flight planes were prevented
today from starting on their 10000
mile fight.
The planes were designed for wat
er, air and dry land, but not for
mud The particular variety of
tenacious gumbo which covered
Duncan Field here today after many
hours of rain. held the great ships
as though they were riveted to the
ground
The ten pilots, who had expected
by tonight to be well on their way
to the south, struggled throughout
the morning with changing emotions.
now hopeful that they could get
away, now uncertain, as rain and
fog swirled internationally about the
field.
Finally, after the ships had been
formally christened despite the pre-
cipitation, and after all angles of
the situation had been considered
Major Dargue, fight commander, an
nounced AT l O'Clock that he would
not risk the journey until tomorrow
He set A. NJ tomorrow tentatively
as the hour Of departure,
Virtually all adverse elements
have been eliminated except the
possibility of fog, which had lain
over this region for several days,
, lifting and descending at intervals.
The ships tonight rested in hang
- Of 81
distant from the spot where they
were scheduled to rise today. Flying
boats which gracefully skim the
waters surface or ride lightly on
wings of the air, they were ponder
Gus snails as tractors. motor trucks
and several hundred soldiers pulled
and pushed them to their new start
ing place.
The work of transferring the new
flying boats from Duncan to Kelly
Field was started shortly before
noon, but it was after o'clock be-
! fore the last of the machines had
been eXtricated from the black paste
J in which it was anchored.
The mud obstacle will be eliminat-
ed tomorrow by use of q concrete
runway which will give the planes a
smooth approach of a mile.
The big ships were brought out
and pulled to a position in front of
| the Speakers stand for the christen-
| ing and farewell ceremonies, which
took place as planned despite the
| drizzle that soaked everything.
After greetings and good wishes
had been expressed by Major Gener-
al w. d. Conner, representing the
! Eighth Corps Area headquarters.
and General Mason NJ. Patrick, chief
! Of the army air service, six women,
| the wives of pilots, broke bottles of
| liquid over the prows of the ships.
The liquid was officially called wat
er. but it foamed in imitation of a
| once famous beverage.
Mrs H. A. Dargue, wife of the
flight commander. gave the name the
| New York to her husbands flagship,
/ as follows:
May God. who rules the sea and
the land and the air. grant a long
| voyage of useful service to this ship
| of our great republic. May she sail
| the upper air only in the cause of
: justice and ever win the battles of
: democracy. Flagship OF the Pan
American flight squadron, fittingly
named for the greatest city of the
greatest republic of all times, I
ehristen thee New York"
Similar ceremonies marked chris
tening of the San Francisco. the St.
Louis; the Detroit, and the San An
tonic.
Tonight the planes were again
overhauled and the mud scraped
from them. The gasoline tanks will
carry only 20 gallons when they hop
off, the load having been reduced
from 200 gallons on account of the
heavy takeoff.