Evening star., 1927-10-14
RUTH ELDERS HOP
SETS NEW RECORD
FOR SEA MILEAGE
American Girl Travels $500
Miles Over Water Before
Forced Landing.
FLYERS WILL REACH
AZORES TOMORROW
Planes Tanks Explode as Seamen
Try to Lift 1t Aboard Res
cue Ship in Atlantic.
By the Associated Press,

By the Associated Press.
PARIS. October 14.-Forced down
ct sea after battling storm and me-
chanical trouble, the flying American n
girl, Ruth Elder. and her comrade in
adventure, George w. Haldeman,
were safe and sound today on the
Dutch tanker Barendrecht, steamins
steadily for the Azores. They are
due TO arrive there some time tomor'
roS rierning.
Their monoplane, the American
CsirA took f1re after their rescue, and
lies beneath the waves of the At
lantic, a mass of charred wreckage.
When forced to alight they had
covered about 1928 miles from New
York in the longest flight ever made
entirely over water. They fell short
Of the European continent by some
500 miles and of Paris, their goal. by
about 200. 1t was the longest flight
ever made by woman.
Encountered Storm Zone.
A little more light was thrown on
their aerial odyssey in a wireless mes
sage from Capt. Coos of the rescue
ship. This showed that they had en-
counterSd a storm zone, s predicted
by the New York weather experts.
Fighting the storms for eight hours,
they emerged triumphant. but found
themselves far to the south of their
course Then the oil pressure gauge
dropped, revealing that the feed pipe
was broken.
They continued to fly as best they
could. thus handica pped for FIVE
a
the pistons would jam. Then, about
$50 miles northeast of the Azores.
sighting the Barendrecht, they headed
foi her and alighted alongside.
Sailors made fast the plane. and the
girl and her companion clambered
aboard. well but fatigued." as Capt.
Coos reported. Their first thought
was for their plane. American Girl,
and the Dutch captain agreed to at
tempt its salvage, as ii was not dam
aged. so Skillfully had il been brought
down upon the water.
Gas Tanks Explode.
Lines were attached and the task
of getting it aboard begun when in
some manner, probably through fuel
spilling on the overheated engine. the
gasoline was ignited. There were two
explosions. and the graceful mono
plane which had served it's crew so
we'll was soon mass of flames. OBJ
liging the Dutch master. in view of
the nature of his own cargo, to drop
tackle and sheer or, leaving the ma
chine TO its fate. So quickly and com
pletely was ii burned that the sailors
were unable TO save anything on
board.
The glorious failure" as it was
hailed in Paris, both thrilled and re-
lieved the French public, particularly
the feminine portion. Parisiennes
were pleased that one of their sex had
set a record for continuous overseas
flying.
Multi.MOtOred Engines Urged.
Newspaper commentators. in com.
mon with a number of French air.
men. hold that much as the flight
was TO be admired as an exhibition of
bravery and hardihood. its complete
success could have served no useful
purpose.
Regret was voiced that a flight
which seemed destined to end so well
should have failed from such a small
cause as the breaking of an oil pipe.
AT the same time, technicians assert
ed that this was one more proof that
transatlantic flyers should use multi
motored planes and not depend on one
engine which could he disabled by a
small mechanical defect.