Imperial Valley press., 1927-10-14
CREW Of
plane ON
STEAMER
Miss Elder and Haldeman
Fatigued After Battle
With Elements.
GOING TO AZORES
Plane Destroyed as Tank
EXplodes While Being
H0isted 0ia Ship.
Ry United Press Leased Wire

The American Girl has braVed
the air, the sea, storm and even fire
aud once more has come out victori-
Gus
This time it is Miss Ruth Elder,
% year old southern beauty, who,
with her pilot, George llaldeman,
was saved at sea Yesterday at the
end of their unsuccessful but heroic
attempt to fly To Paris, who has
carried the banner OF present day
youth TO new glory.
Radiograms to the United Press
from Captain Coos, master of the
Dutch oil tanker Bcrcndrecht, which
saved Miss Elder and her compan-
ion after they had flown eastward
from Roosevelt field, New York for
more than SO hours, today revealed
hcncath the terse phrases of the
s,afaring man the story OF Miss FL
dor's exploit.
1t told how the American girl had
flown for So hours and % minutes
straight over the sca-a longer time
aud over Il longer distance than any
girl had ever flown before, and per
hapS longer over water than any
mortal has flown.
It revealed that for % of those
- hours Miss Elder ;r-N her COM
rauon had fought bad \eathor
y hich ranged from fog TO vr>lent
wind.
Blown from Course
For seven hours during the night
;hcv had struggled with storms
which blow them from their course
and not only did they remain aloft
aud cheat the sea-tncy beat their
WAY back to their route and when
found were flying straight for Par
is.
Then. in tnc midst of all of this
little copper tube. about the dlam
ctcr ef pencil and only few feet
long the oil feed pIpc-rroK'
from the vibration of their pound
ing motor and struggling plane
vhirh was driving against the wind.
For hours they flew without oli
pressure. They had TO keep flying
straight ahead until either they
should sight land or ship-or un-
t.! the engine should heat tn such
itcnsity that the plane would catch
fire and drop them into the sea.
IIal1cman, it was believed, was
al the controls With Miss Eldrr
beside linn they plunged on and on.
Then at 1880 II. m, yesterday they
sighted the slow rolling, ploddmg old
| utch tankc:.
What thoughts were in their minds
- fllaldcnan circlcd the ship ami
brought "Thc American Girl
down in safety at its side can only
l., imagined.
lie end Mss Elder were carried
aboard the tanker by sailors wht
must have been amazed at first H.
see IN airplanc alight by their side
and even more amazed to see the
pretty face of girl peer from is
e. bin.
Explosion Wrecks Plane
Miss Elder and Haldcman were
taken aboard, both suffering from
extreme fatigue.
Then Captain Coos of the Bercn-
drecht turned his. men to the work
Of salvaging the plane. 1t was
brought near 70 the tanker-and
tncn came the final tragedy.
AS it was being salvaged in the
tossing seas "A tank of gasoline eX'
ploded. The plane which had car
ricd the two 50 far was destroyed.
The rugged fare of a tramp
oil tanker was shared with Miss FL
Ger and Haldeman and they were
given chance to rest
With the plane lost there was
nothing to do but go on and the
HCrcndtecht headed towards Horta
chief port of the Azores Islands
There II should arrive some time to-
morrow.
That is the story told by radio
grams which came to the United
Press from aboard the Rercndrccht
during the night.