The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-08-20
RESCUE ship
DALLAS SPIRIT
UNHEARD FROM
Capts. Erwin and Eichwaldt
Send SOS Call in Last
Message Received
PLANE TAKES TAIL SPIN
Men Forced Out of Race by
Accident Start Out TO Find
Missing Planes
PLANE TAKES TAIL SPIN

San Francisco, Aug. 2O.--LF - An
crrand of mercy and rescue apparent
" at a dramatic and ssudden end. vast
reaches Of the Pacfik were being
combed today for CartAiA n illiaGn =.
Erwin mad Captain 4? III. Etfl Qk
pilot and navigator, respectiveSIk
the rescue plane, Dallas Spirit. max
The plucky pair started from Oak
land yesterday to wing their way
over unused lanes Of the water be-
tween here and Hawaii in an effort
to "spot" the missing Dole flight
planes - Golden Eagle and Miss
Doran. or their five occupants.
Whether fate intervened or their
radio equipment went out Of order
is not known, but at 9:02 last night.
the following message flashed into
the offices here Of the AssQciate
Press: "SOS. Tail spin" Then si-
lence.
Startling Message
As swiftly as the lightning cleaves
the sky came the cry for help from
Erwin and Eichwaidt. Lullcd into Sc
curity by the pleasant greetings re-
ceived over many hours, the Asso-
ciated Press operator, suddenly elec-
trified into action, began writing fu-
riously. Here is what poured into
his ears:
went into q tail spin-came out
O. X. But sure scared. Sure was q
clase call-xxxxx Bill (Erwin) thought
it was all off but we came out Of 1t
xxxxx the lights on the instrument
board went out and 1t was so dark
that Bill couldn't see thexxxxx OS
xxxxx tail spin xxxxx." He heard no
more.
1t was a stunning climax to noble
undertaking. The Associated Press
operator gasped, handed his copy to
an editor and turned back to his in
struments. Feverishly he twirled the
dials Of the radio, listening for some
further sign from the air. There
was no response.
Has Sending Set Only
The little monoplane, equipped
with q sending but no receiving set,
had been in constant communication
with the Associated Press offices
here. All through the afternoon and
well into the night the operator had
copied messages from the flyers, as
they sped along seeking the missing
flyers-Miss Mildred Doran, John
Auggie Pedlar, her pilot, Lieut.. V. r.
Knope, her navigator, and Jack Frost,
pilot, and Gordon Scott, navigator of
the Golden Eagle.
Naval radio headquarters here es-
timated the Dallas Spirit was about
592 nautical miles from San Fran
cisco when it encountered trouble.
This was based on location messages
sent before the distress call.
Were Lighthearted
Travelling along at a speed esti-
mated ut approximately 100 miles an
hour, Erwin and Eichwaldt had ex-
perienced no difficulty. Lightheart-
edly they careened through the air
as some of their messages indicated.
A few picked at random follow:
5:O4 p. M: We see a ship ahead
of US. Presumably the Mana. We
will 60 down to wave to them.
4:45 p. M: Just saw rum run
ner on the left and had hell of q
time keeping Ike in-Bill. s
5:57 p. m.: We are now about to
have supper. Will call you again
after supper.
6:O5 p. m.: Please tell the gentle
man who furnished our lunch that IL
is fine, but We can't find the tooth
picks-Bill.
7:l0 p. M: Have seen no wreckage
ss. ss 'asssiss osss %s :a:' ss: q
Captain Erwin took. the Dallas
Spirit out last Tuesday as starter
in the Dole race, but was forced back
to Oakland with q torn fuselage,
caused by the ripping of the canvas
bordering a window on the fuselage
bottom. He made repairs and put
out yesterday to fly zig-zag course
to Honolulu in quest Of his uuheard
from competitors in the race.