The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-10-15
French AUiat0rS Make First C10SS1Q OF South Atlantic
Ruth Elder; Still Jau11tU
Makes Landing at Azores

Despite Loss of Plane-Crew
Reports Her Undisturbed
When Saved From Crippled
Craft
Horta, Island Of Fayal, Azores,
Oct. 15.-(AP)-Vivacious as ever
and minus neither her poise nor her
iipstick. Ruth Elder stepped ashore
here this morning, safe, with her CO.
pilot George Haldeman, from their
daring venture over the Atlantic in
the monoplane American Girl.
1t was a far cry from her starting
point near New York, but the pretty
American aviatrix looked to the great
crowd that had come to welcome her
as though she had just left Broad
way.
With Captain Coos hat poised
iauntily on her rebellious curls, Miss
Elder, after posing for hundreds of
photographs stepped from the Barren
drecht into waiting launch and bid
a cheerful farewell to the crew and
the captain Of the Barendrecht which
has lost two days in coming to the
Azores to land the flyers. "Thank
you very much," were Ruth's first
words when she and Haldeman were
taken aboard the Dutch tanker Bar
endrecht on Thursday, the crew said
today.
Uses Lipstick
Then she produced her lipstick,
apparently oblivious to the fact that
she had just stepped from the very
jaws of death to safety. So deep an
impression did her sang-froid in the
face of danger that she had just
escaped, make on the crew of the
Dutch tanker that the lipstick epi-
sode was duly noted in an Official
summary of the rescue as given out
by the Barendrecht's radio operator.
Although Miss Elder was unwill-
ing to give an interview until later,
it was learned in the statement given
out by Radio Officer Meder that the
explosion in the American Girls
engine followed the humping of the
plane against the side Of the Barren
drecht, after the wings had been
broken off by rough seas. The
flames from the plane shot up so
high that. had the Barendrecht car
ried benzine or gasoline, she would
have been blown up, it was Stated.
To Sail to Continent
The American flyers, although
baked Of their hope to span the
Atlantic in nonstop flight to Paris,
intend to get there just the same,
planning to remain in Horta until
Monday when they will take the
Portuguese mail boat Lima, for Lis
bon en- route to Paris.
The Barendrecht, which had played
SO vital part in the stirring drama
of the American Girl, arrived at
Horta at 8 o'clock this morning, local
time. Despite the early hour and
a heavy rain, that was falling, a
great crowd had gathered and crowd
ed aboard the Barendrecht full of
questions and armed with innumer-
able cameras.
Appearing fresh as daisies after
their trying experience, Miss Elder
and Haldeman posed for the photog-
raphers with officers Of the Barren
drecht.
Miss Elder was unwilling to give
an interview until later, but Radio
Officer Meder gave out the following
statement:
Plane Did Not Sink
"The plane circled around the
Barendrecht at 10:30 a. m. on the
18th, asked our position and then
came alongside in mid-ocean. AL
though a land plane she did not sink
and the flyers climbed to the top.
Miss Elder donned her safety
suit, but Haldeman did not.
"The Barendrecht put out q boat
despite the fact that the seas were
very rough and took the flyers
aboard. 1t tried to pick up the
plane, but the wings broke off and
the motor bumped against the side
of the ship and then exploded and
sank. shooting flames up as high as
the bridge. Had the Barandrecht
carried benzine or gasoline, she
would have been blown up.
"Miss Elder and Haldeman were
all right except for fatigue. The
first thing Miss Elder did was to
produce her lipstick and her first
words were Thank you very much.
"The passports, parachutes and
luggage were lost in the ocean. We
left the American Girl in pieces
lifting and sinking slowly"
Members Of the Barendrecht's
crew said that Miss Elder has been
charming to all Of them during the
trip from the time that she, and
Haldeman were picked up until their
arrival today.
Shows Friendliness
Showing this same happy friendli-
ness this morning, her blue gray
eyes appearing to defy fatigue and
the scarlet Of her sweater and stock
ings vying with the excited rosy
tint Of her cheeks, Miss Elder stood
on the deck Of the Barendrecht with
the captains hat poised jauntily on
her rebellious curls. Her airiness
and daintiness contrasted strongly
with the silence Of her co-pilot in
their great adventure, Haldeman.
who seemed content to let her hold
the center Of the stage.
The American Girl was restless,
Continued Oh page two)
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