Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-28

the Navy on March I Of this year, and
at that time re-enlisted.
The West Goa Hawaiian flight as
IL was known in Navy circles. was the
second historic air adventure by the
Navy, the first being the crossing Of
the Atlantic for the first time by a
heavier. than-air machine-NC-4.
In two great double mOtored sea-
planes, the PN-9 No. and the PN-9
No. 3. built especially for this cruise.
COmdr. Rodgers and Lieut.. Allen y.
Shoddy set out from a chOppy lee moor
ing in San Pablo Bay, an arm Of San
Francisco Bay. shortly after noon on
August 81, 1925, with Hawaii as their
destination. As markers for the fight
the Navy had stationed a destroyer at
each 200-knot point along the way.
a. Left Alone on Flight.
Snoddy. commanding the PN.9 No. S.
was forced to descend because Of a
broken oil feed line when he was be-
tween the first and second destrOyers
off San Francisco. Rodgers had the
fight to- himself in the No /.
He was heard from regularly
throughout the remainder of the day
and most of the next day. With the
near approach of the subtropical night
the nearest destroyer that he was GO
ing through a 'hellish" storm and
that his Supply of gasoline was giving
out. An hour later he dropped his
great bird Of passage into the sea. and
a. black silence settled over him and
his ship.
His dangling anterna through which
he had kept the worlds attention on
his feat, was submerged and rendered
useless. Swift destroyers swept the
seas in search of him and seaplanes
spun out from Pearl Harbor and swept
the skies. The flashing finger OF the
radio tried to seal CHI him out from a
thousand sources. All Of these eff
forts were in vain.
For nine days he drifted through
the storm, wind and calm. always. for
tunately. in the general direction Of
his goal. His water supply quickly
gave out. He distilled sea water from
a still that his mother had given him,
using some Of the ship woodwork for
his fire. When a calm struck, he
rugged up a sail from part of a. wing
cover He was a dominant figure in
his cockpit, spending all of his time
there. almost constantly on watch.
stealing but a few brief hours for
sleep.
Saw Steamer Pass.
Radio Operator O. G. StanZ ma n
aged to rig up a. temporary radio. but
it did not carry to the closest ship.
Once the doughty voyagers watched
| big steamer glide by in full day.
| light They yelled to it frantically
but 1t went by them, and lost its
chance for undying fame. Black forms
eli h ttvh 6n cI, orly
| They could see them by day, and hear
| them by night. They were always
alongside. timing their speed with the
drift of the ship, jowls dripping with
| expectation of feast of human flesh
feast they were to he denied.
They drifted on to the West. pas
Oahu. which they saw in the mists
but where they feared to land be
| cause Of Jagged shoals that would rir
| the bottom out of their cockleshel
| craft. After nine days his drift
brought them in sight of the tiny port
| of NawlliWili. island of Kauai
| Before he could warp his craft into
! this haven. United States submarine
which had been sent in search of him
| sighted the sea plane. The adventure
was over. Hollow-cheeked from lack
of food and dropping from exhaustion
! the crew of five were quartered in the
| quaint little Hawaiian port. while the
world was given the story of their
return from the valley Of death.
| Comdr. Rodgers wrote a vivid ac
/ count of his flight. which was sen,
/ over the wires of the Associated Press
under his signature. His story. dated
Honolulu. September ~. 1928. had the
| distinction Of being the first signed
| dispatch. carried by the Associated
Press Ii Was the only AnfhnrizeC