Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-06
Loses Way After
Landing First
] at Eisleben:
SETS NONSTOP
DISTANCE MARK
5000 Miles Covered
by Bellanca Flyers
i'm AZ Hours. il

By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, June 6.-For the second
time in little more than fortnight
an American airplane has spanned
the vast Atlantic and landed safely
on the European continent.
The nonstop flight of the Bellanca
monoplane Columbia, piloted by Clar-
ence D. Chamberlin, with Charles A.
Levine as his companion, ended at
Eisleben, Saxony, 110 miles south
west of Berlin, at 5 o'clock this
morning (nidnight, New York day
light saving time), when the tuel
supply was exhausted. -
Lands in Marshy Field.
Taking to the air again, the flyers
made brave attempt to reach Ber-
lin, but apparently lost their way
in the cloud banks and adverse winds
encountered during the morning,
and, with a broken propeller, came
down at last in a marshy field at
the village of Klinge, near Kottbus,
Brandenburg, 20 miles southeast OF
the capital. In alighting, the pro-
peller hit the ground, the wheels of
the Columbia settled into the marshy
ground and further progress was I'M
possible. The plane had Travelled 120
miles from Eisleben, and if headed IN
the right direction would have landed
at Berlin.
The flyers failed to achieve their
goal, Berlin, but they established a
new long distance sustained flight
record, having covered about $500
miles from Roosevelt Field, New York,
Starting from Roosevelt Field at
6:05 am. Saturday, they had been in
the air AZ hours when forced to land
at Eiselben, as compared with 3312 |
hours for Capt. Lindbergh's 3,610.nile |
fight from New York to Paris little
over two weeks ago.
Berlin at Fever Heat.
News Of the Columbia's start and
the subsequent dispatches telling Of
their progress had brought Berlin to
fever heat and the great Tempelhofer
Field, nuclues for web of commercial
air lines, was massed with crowds
waiting to welcome the Americans. |
Many waited all night.
An American flag was run up the
main, flagstaff, the band of the Luft. |
hansa, or German Air League, played
lively airs and officials hustled about |
making arrangements for the recep- |
ton.
AS the morning wore on, rain and
winds chilled the ardor of the waiting |
thousands, and recurring conflicting |
rumors added to the general incon- |
Senience. The airdrome officials ap- |
reared to be without reliable informa |
ton regarding the Columbia's where
aboutS.
The plane was first sighted over
Germany at Dortmund, in the Ruhr
valley, at am, but thereafter be-
came a phantom ship until its appear
ance at Eiselben, where it came to
earth for fuel.
Schurman at Air Field.
The American Ambassador, DIR.
Jacob Gould Schurman. and his official
party left Tempelhofer Field at 8
am. after having waited for four
hours. but returned when it was re-
ported that the Columbia was over
Magdeburg, less than two hours flight
from Berlin.
AS soon as the landing at Klinge
became known the Ambassador con-
ferred with German officials regarding
plane hurried off, carrying American
and German officials.
This was Immediately followed by a
half dozen other machines bearing
newspaper men. AT first 1t was
thought the airmen would be brought
TO Berlin in Lufthansa machine, but
later it was decided that they should
be taken to Kottbus by motor and
permitted to rest until tomorrow.
co;1 of baf
was doubtful whether the Columbia
could be put into proper condition to
permit of the Americans flying her to
Berlin tomorrow.
Crowds Leave AirdrOme.
Shortly after noon. when news that
the airmen had lost their way and had
landed at Klinge was megaphoned to
the watchers at TempelhOfer Field,
the crowds there began melting away,
and in less than half an hour the
great airdrome was deserted.
Despite the disappointment, the
Americans We're credited with plucky
and sensational flight. 1t was pointed
out that Chamberln encountered
thick, muggy weather as soon as he
crossed into Germany, and his failure
to find the trail to Berlin was ascribed
primarily to the heavy cloud banks
and confusing winds.
Although flock Of scouting planes
went out to locate him soon after he
was sighted over Dortmund, he wan
dered too far to the east. Had his
course been a direct one after passing
over Madgeburg, he would have ar
rived at the Tempelhofer Field.
Pilsener Put on Ice.
II was mysterious flight from the
start, for when the Columbia hoped
off from Roosevelt Field. Chamberlin
and Levine kept their destination Sc
cret. The possibility was reported of
their swinging southeastward over
Europe to Rome or, at any rate, Of
continuing as far as their gasoline
would carry them. Their fuel supply
was believed to he sufficient for a
4S-hour flight under normal condi-
tions.
When it became definitely known
that the Columba's intended landing
place was the Tempelhofer Field a
crowd began gathering there.
Early in the morning the brass hand