Evening star., 1927-05-20

here. The unfavorable local weather
again made the verdict a doubtful
one.
The rain did not last long. and,
although a heavy mist hung over the
field, the weather report was studied
again and then Lindbergh suddenly
said Lets go" to S. J. Stumpf. a fell
lew Missouri Nationei Gt1ardsman and
representative of the st. Louis group
sponsoring the nonstop fight effort.
The Spirit of ST. Louis, which had
been carefully gone YER by mechanics
and found in perfect condition. was
wheeled from a hangar which had been
barred to all except the mechanics.
With a truck furnishing the mo-
tive power, the monoplane was toWed
to the west end of Roosevelt Field,
where the America Transoceanic Co.,
owner of the America, soon to start
on a flight to Paris, has a long run
way used as speedway for heavily
loaded planes to taxi along to get the
tremendous start necessary to get
them into the air.
Sacrifices Safety Precaution.
The youngster, who has declared
that he believes in his plane, which
shows that he has confidence in HIM
self, again justified his reputation for
doing the unexpected. He stopped
the plan when he reached the spot
where the runway begins and bega II
ung in the rest Of his gasoline
there.
In turning the nose of his plane
toward the northeast he was almost
on his course from the beginning, but
he sacrificed a safety precaution. III
he had started the other way and
failed to get off the ground, or was
forced to land after getting into the
air. Curtiss Field, nearby, would have
been safety zone.
Travelling light, with only a week S
supply of Army emergency rations,
slim" has no radio and will not be
heard from until he lands in Paris.
He will travel the great circle course,
following the compass all the way
He hoped as he left that he would
"get q break" off Newfoundland,
where he was anxious to be able to
see land markings and get his bear
ings for his dash across the ocean to
Ireland.
Always man of few words, he
had even less to say than usual be
fore he left this morning. When the
plane was being fueled and then care
fully wiped he sat in an automoblie
nearby with B. L. Mahoney of the
Ryan Air Lines. builder of the plane
He seemed impatient to be off. He
half smiled when the weather began
to clear, and when the sun finally
came out just before he craWled into
the one seated cockpit to tune up his
motor, his smile became broad grin
Chamberlin Wishes Him Luck.
Clarence D. Chamberlin, who has
hoped for several weeks to get OH OF
a hop to Paris, wished Llndpergf
good luck, as did Comdr. Richard i
Byrd. who will follow the trail blaZec
by the youth in a few days. Comdr
Byrds careful preparations 10 nave
the America act as escort Tor the
Spirit of st. Louis finally prevented
rather than insured it. The America
was in the air for a three-hour tesl
| fight when the commander decldeC
the youngster was ready to go. ne
came down to find out just when h'
could tender his services as escor'
and found the flying horseman 81
! tar advanced in his preparations tha
| ne was able to be off before the gian
! Fokker could get back into the air Il
( follow.
Lindbergh evinced no excitement ol
| nervousness before the hop-off. In the
/ Curtiss hangar. the young trail blazer
! after poring carefully over weather
| charts, played with a stray kitten. he
! donned his flying suit about 1880 am.
| five minutes before his motor was
started. Before boarding the plane, he
smlingly remarked to Chief Abraham
| Skidmore' of the Nassau County po'
| lice:
When l enter that cockpit, it's like
| going into the death chamber. When
| I get to Paris it will be like getting g
pardon from the governor"
| Lindbergh, who had waited a week
at Garden City for the weather tc
clear sufficiently to give him what he
considered a chance to make the non
Continued on Page 4, Column 81