Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-04

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husband was taking his life in his
hands. So she stayed away from the
field, to keep in her mind a. picture of
him that she treasured. saying good
by to him at the hotel, but Mrs.
Levine, wife of the surprise compan-
ion of Chamberlin, was on the run
way.
She said she did not know who was
going with Chamberlin. And then her
husband stepped into the cockpit and
waved good-by to her and she was
as much surprised, she said later, as
any spectator.
The deity designed monoplane, its
propeller whirling and its motor roar
ing, TAXED down the runway and
lifted itself clear of the earth about
1000 feet from where the spectators
stood. A flight that had kept millions
in anticipation for weeks was under
way at last.
The true start of the plane was
preceded by false one, the plane
taxing down the runway for about
500 feet and then returning to its
starting place.
Levine was in the plane at that
time, but it was not expected that he
would go. Immediately before this
Levine had refused to say. in his
wife's presence. whether he would go.
All he would say was that Chamber
lin would not go alone.
Mrs. Levine Faints.
AS the plane sped down the runway
on its final start. Mrs. Levine turned
pale and her hands fluttered to her
face, then she tainted and was taken
from the field by friends.
.HA1 znc~4NW rN~H nnrO
the rising sun had streaked with
orange and red a thin line of fluffy
clouds Into it, it's bird-like body
gliStening like silver, the Columbia
flew with never a falter, soon attain
ing an altitude of about 5000 feet. The
plane had been loaded with 455 gal
Ions of gasoline, enough: mechanicians
said, to carry it more than 1000 miles.
OF this 455-gallon fuel supply, IS
gallons were carried in tin containers,
2 strapped inside the fuselage. There
was a 20-galIen oil supply. Food for
the two occupants of the plane were
y 10 chicken sandwiches on toasted rye
bread, six oranges, two quart thermos
TASKS of chicken soup and one quart
thermos flask of coffee and two gal
Ions of water.
The weather was said by Chamber
lin to be ''as good as can be expected"
His last weather charts showed south
east winds on the first part of the
flight, between New York and Nova
Scotia, with the probability of fogs.
Clear weather was promised from
Nova Scotia to Newfoundland, with
northwest winds.
Rain and fog east of Newfoundland
were predicted. The weather man sug-
geSted this could be avoided by taking
a course south of the great circle. In
mid-ocean winds shifting to northeast
and from mid-ocean to Ireland
moderate tail winds from the west
were shown by the charts.
Before hopping into the plane,
Chamberlin penciled the following
note to Capt. Lindbergh:
Sorry not TO wait to greet you, but
/ have to take advantage Of the
weather. I'm off,
An elderly man broke through the
crowd and calling, Good luck, Clar-
ence," flung his arms around Cham
berlin's neck and kissed him-to the
aviator's evident amusement. A mo-
ment afterward, Chamberlin was
introduced to a young woman, who
expressed the wish to kiss him good
by. Chamberlin brushed his cheek
against hers.
Among others, who also wished him
farewell. was Anthony II. G. Fokker.
designer of the America, the tri-
motored monoplane in which Comdr
Richard f. Byrd proposes to make a
nonstop flight across the Atlantic,
and Lieut.. George Q. Neville, Byrd's
radio engineer.
BarOgraph is Sealed.
The Paragraph, official recorder of
the attitudes of the flight, was sealed
by Carl f. Schory, secretary of the
contest committee of the National
iAeronautical Association who had
come from Washington officially to
start the flight. Schory gave the Off
cial time of the hop-off as 6:05:27. That
was the time the plane gained an alti-
tude that was considered sufficient
elevation for a flight start.
The actual hop-off was accomplished
with a great deal less difficulty than
Capt. Lind5erghs. The rush down
the runway was smooth, and aviators
who watched every movement of the
plane, said it was "a splendid piece
of work" The plane kept directly
down the runway, and did not bounce
as Lindbergh's plane had. The ascent
was gradual, the plane Swimming the
earth for O short distance and then
rising with grace and sureness until il
was a speck on the horizon. Three
planes were dots of black like dead
stars around DrllndnI ORD closely
following ii.
It's total weight was Set at $3.50
pounds. The plane itself weighed
1850 pounds When Chamberlin and
Bert Acosta were breaking the world
endurance record a few weeks ago the
plane was filed with the 10 FIVE gallon
gasoline containers. Acosta and Cham
berlin stayed up a little more than
81 hours.
Has 4,500-MiIe Radius.
With the fuel supply carried. the
Columbia was estimated to have g
cruising radius Of $500 miles. It
speed was estimated at los miles al
hour with no wind. This sneed vii