Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-01
Tired by Long Voyage.

Manning their rubber rowboat raft,
which was part of the equipment of
the plane, they made several trips
to shore. saved all the most impor-
tan equipment of their ship and then
went to sleep at the homes of their
French hosts.
Plane Is Submerged.
Only the top edge of the plane
wing was above the surface of the
sea. but the flyers, their minds once
more easy after their long battle
with fog and rain, slept peacefully
until called at 3 o'clock this aIter-
noon at their orders.
Comdr. Byrd, who had added to ms
lanreIs of being the first man TO ny
across the North Pole the new dls-
tinction of spanning the Atlantic
through unusually unfavorable storm
conditions, was very tired. but was
not TOO tired to write up his log OF
the flight.
He chatted with his hosts ana
drank glass of milk before retlf-
ing in the home of Joseph CfiilieF'
deputy mayor of Fer-sur-Mer.
Conndr. Byrd declared on arriving In
This little picturesque resort. that the
America had encountered bad weather
ALI the way from the United States.
Fog had kept them from finding the
sir lane to Paris and had forced them
to srope blindly in the air until they
had no choice but to make a descent
as best they would when their gaso'
line ran out.
Hosts Set Up Guard.
With things made as shipshape
aboard their plane as possible. the
American aviators divided into two
groups, going to different houses. 10
obtain much needed rest.
Comdr. Byrd and Lieut.. George O.
Neville. radio engineer and alternate
pilot, went TO the home of the deputy
mayor, while Bert Acosta, the plot
and Lieut.. Berndt Balchen, the fourth
member of the crew, went to the home
of the lighthouse keeper, Lercop' Iney
were sound asleep in few minutes
and their hosts set up a guard to keep
them from being disturbed.
Compass Went Wrong.
Condr. Byrd, explaining the wander
ing Of the America in the fog over
Fra nee for many hours and his fina
landing in the sea at Ner'sur-Mer
said that his compass had gone wrong
shortly after the America had reached
the coast of France in the vicinity oi
i
plane and they did not know where
they were.
He said that they might have beer
near Paris at one time. but that they
could not be sure. When their ga'
and oil were nearly run out, Comdr
Byrd said the America was headed II
the direction where the sea wa!
thought TO lie in the hope that
safer landing could he made ther'
than on unseen terrain.
The commander said that the Amer
ica was driven until the fuel wa
virtually used up. lie sent down
fare and then followed with the
plane.
Struck Shallow Water.
Comdr. Byrd said that the plan
struck shallow water and the landini
gear was torn off. The plane quickl
submerged to the wings TO which IN
flyers clung until they succeeded i
launching their rubber lifeboat. a
soon as this was done they took thel
instruments, personal effects and
sack Of mail ashore, where they waite
two hours in the rain before they Wef
discovered by the villagers and take
into their homes.
Comdr. Byrd estimated that he f1eI
A200 miles from the time of leaVln
Roosevelt Field until his landing q
Ver-sur-Mer.
The comma nder expressed hope tha
he would he able 10 save his snip, bu
sviators who have seen the plane &c
DAY EXPRESSED the opinion that III
hopes of salvage are slight as th
plane was bresking up in the sea.