Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-01
FLIGHT IS HAILED
;. AS AIR TRIUMPH
Airrnen Compare Paris Hop
With Polar Trip in Impor-
tance to Science.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. July 1.-The victory
of the monoplane America over tht
storri1-tossed wastes of the North At
lantics' was heralded by aviators 10
day as a triumph of navigation.
Packed tensely with drama from the
start, the fight of the America was
described as one of the most remarka
BILE in the history of aviation. sue
cessful adventure comparable &c
Byrd's bolt to the North Pole, and IN
achievement TO bring new laurelS TO
it's, crew of distinguished air pioneers
Head winds. freezing and binding
fog, mists and rain fought in vain
against the progress of the four men
In the airplane.
Battle Over Whole Route.
The battle began shortly after the
take-on and did not end until the giant
challenger of the elements came down
in France.
OFF Nova Scotia the America en-
tered a wall of fog and rain from
which 1t failed to emerge until If
landed.
The fog wall extended all the way
across the sea and was whipped con-
stantly by treacherous winds.
Even as the America first passed
over land the elements refused to
quit For hours the crew had been
unable to see land or sea. but the
fight went on. The efficiency that
escorting aviators saw prevailing in
the cockpits of the America at the
time of the take-off was maintained
over the long route.
Freezing Fog" Over France.
Tarso bulletins that told a tale of
danger were received throughout the
flight. Everything completely GOV.
cred by fog" one message said,
Cant see wing tips" said another.
Have seen neither land nor sea for
hours" a third asserted.
over France the America described
freezing fog"
The cryptic alarm SOS" came
from the air several times. and
then the Americas radio became
silent while the ship came down
victorious in a new epic fight of man
against the elements.
There were only about 20 persons
about the hangar of the America
Transoceanic Co. when the word came
that the flyers were safe at Ver-Sur.
Mer. and most of these were news,
paper men.
wives stay at hangar.
Among the faithful who maintained
an all-night vigil at the end of a tele-
graph wire. however. were Mrs Bert
Acosta and Mrs. George o. Neville,
who refused to give way to fear even
when their husbands were missing for
hours.
When a cablegram was received
from Comdr. Byrd, addressed to his
wife, saying he had landed and all
were safe, the two women telephoned
Mrs. Byrd in Boston and they ex-
changed words of Joy on being re-
lieved Of the intense strain.
Others of the faithful group were
Tom Mulroy, chief mechanic, who
was with Byrd at Spitzbergen when
he few to the North Pole. Grover A.
Whalen, vice president of the America
Transoceanic Co. and personal repre-
sentative of Rodman Wanamaker,
hacker OF the fight, also remained
throughout the night.
Women Appear Wan.
Mrs. Acosta and Mrs. Neville finally
left for their temporary home at the
Garden City Hotel at 5:45 o'clock this
morning. They had been about the
hangar, where the telegraph wire was
located, throughout the night and
most OF yesterday. They appeared
wan from want of sleep, but smiled
cheerfully in the knowledge that their
husbands were safe.
Each woman shook hands with the
newspaper men who had shared their
vigil with them and thanked the men
for keeping them posted throughout
the night with the latest bulletins of
the fight.
Floyd Bennett, who was to have
been pilot OF the America, but for an
accident which has confined him to a
hospital in New York, was told of the
safe arrival Of the America over the
telephone by Mr.. Whalen.
1T was a tough break, but it could
have been worse" said Bennett when |
told Of the forced landing.