Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-06-26
FLIGHT
DELAYED AT
LAST minute
Final Preparations Are
Halted E arly in
Morning as r ain
Starts Again

ROOSEVELT FIELD, N. ". June
26.-tPt-For the second time in two
days rain amounting almost 20 a.
cloudburst caused last minute post
ponement today Of the Richard f.
Eyrd flight to France.
At 1885 p m. Porter Adams presi-
dent Of the National Aeronsutical As
sociation arrived at the hangar.
Adams came from Washington Thurs
day to seal the barograph before the
flight starts.
He was asked whether his appear
ance meant that hop off was GER
tain for the coming dawn.
Oh. no." he replied "but the
weather men told me this afternoon
there was a fifty-fifty chance Of a.
flight so ! came out from town.
There's a possibility alright. Il
wanted to be right on hand"
Searchlight Brought Out
Just before midnight a great army
searchlight was brought over on a
truck from Mitchell Field and trained
on the America.
The light was so strong that il
made the ship plainly visible from
the hangar three-quarters Of n mile
away. The America perched like
great lusrrous moth in the sur
rounding darkness as mechanics hus-
tied about greasing up the landing
gear and testing struts and stay
wires.
At this time no definite word had
Vet been received concerning n hop
off from Commander Byrd. Shortly
after midnight fueling was begun, a
job expected to take about two hours.
Although no definite announce
ment about take-off had yet been
made, the fact that fueling had been
ordered begun was generally taken
as an indication that they fully ex-
pected to get away at dawn.
Storms Brewing
James II. Kimball. weather bureau
meteorologist. however reached on
the telephone by newspapermen at
the hangar, said one storm was brew
ing in Pennsylvania and another was
sweeping over from Lake Erie
sin my opinion, he said, " il would
take fancy navigating for the Am
erica to get off at o'clock in the
morning"
Four o'clock in the morning. Byrd
has said. is the best time for take
off as the air has better lift at that
time and by leaving at that time day
light is assured over the. first leg
Of the flight to New Foundland.
Shortly before o'clock Grover
Whalen. vice-president of the Am
erican Trans Oceanic company, an
nounced that a take-off had been
positively decided on if the wind
swings around to make leaving the
runway possible.
At that time the wind was south
west and would have to swing almost
to due west to give the plane the
headwind it needs to take the air.
"Have Decided to Go"
A cross wind makes a hop off i'm
possible. The wind during the night
had been swinging in the right di
rection and it was believed il would
be in excellent position by dawn.
I'VE have decided to CO." Whalen
said. Conditions are not ideal but
we have never asked that
"They are good and il this local
wind gets right to let the ship into
the air il will start as soon as it's
all loaded
ilt set tht
for n take off at 4 O'clock and said
that il the wind was not right then
they would stand by until six. III
the wind should not come around by
then, he said, the flight would be
put off another day as an early
morning take-off is demeed advis-
able.
At Whalen's- statement activity was
l.1 II
where il squatted in the glare of an
army searchlight at the top of the
runway.
Pump Gasoline
The man who had been pumping
gasoline into the great tanks for the
last hour, accelerated their motions
and mechanics oiled and creased and
tested stays and bolts as though
racing against time.
Food for the fliers was packed
away in the cabin. two roast chickens,
20 sandwiches, coffee and tea.
Commander Richard r. Byrd and
his three associates, Bert Acosta,
George Neville and Bernt Balchen.
continued 10 rest, or try to rest at
their hotel in Garden City as the
final prenarations were made for
their flight.
Shortly after Whalen made his
statement, the breeze, which had been
blowing briskly. suddenly died.
The flag atop the hangar which mad
been swapping in the wind all eve
ming, hung Imply straight down.
Such remaining wind as was still
glowing was moving to the west.
With the dying Of the wind a fine
drizzle started falling but il was not
believed this will develop enough to
do any damage.