The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-10-20


George called me to the con-
trolls. We knew we had to take
our chances with the sea. George
called:
go down through that hole in
the clouds"
I pushed the nose Of the ship
over and started down, but eVi.
IDENTIFY was too slow, for the next
second George grabbed the wheel
and pulled the plane into a tremen-
dOus dive. 1t wasn't long until we
were down through the clouds and
the alttmeter registered 500 feet
We could see the ocean beneath
Us very clearly.
The motor seemed to get noisier
and / took the controls while
George went to the rear to put on
his life suit. He had no more than
gotten back Of the gas tank when
the motor started a most terrific
pounding.
In a flash he was back without
his life suit and the next IS min
utes seemed a year.
Motor Vibration Terrible
The awful pounding and heavy
vibration of the motor was terrible.
I was becoming fiery warm inside
the rubber life suit. / kept turns.
ing everything over in my mind
to see II had made every possible
preparation and decided 1 had
done everything that could be
thought of.
I was holding in my hand the
big knife which was to cut our
Wav out of the plane.
George was not in the least
excited. His battle face had
come back.
He told me that If the motor
stopped, I should go fiat on the
floor behind the gas tank, and he
did not mince words when he
told me to hold on to that strut.
I insisted that / take the con.
trolls while he went to the rear
to put on his life-suit, and he
told me we were losing altitude
too fast.
was not afraid. Perhaps
was too weary. I know I never
felt calmer in my life. The
only thing that worried me actu.
ally was the fact that I knew
my wonderful plane would be
damaged and perhaps ruined.
and the thought Of not making
Paris worried me.
Steamer Comes In Sight
And then / looked to the right
and sighted a steamer.
When I pointed it out to George.
he headed directly for it. We cir
cled around it and could see it was
the Barendrecht. I wrote a note
asking how far we were from land
in the hopes that we were near
enough to continue on. ] missed
the steamer and wrote another
message, hitting the deck with the
message. The steamer painted in
large white letters on the deck,
giving US its position and the mum.
Der Of miles to land.
This sign read: as. 40 degrees
W. Terceira- Azores $50 miles"
The oil pressure had cropped TO
five pounds, and we knew it would
be foolish to attempt to continue.
George flew low over the boat,
throttled the motor and shouted: (
I'VE are going to Iandt Pick Us
upg' = :, =
George flew back with the wind
for about half a mile, then turned
toward the Barendrecht and into
the wind. We were about $50 feet
above the ocean.
Cuts Panel to Escape
then cut out a panel from
the side of the fuselage so we
could escape as soon as possible
after we landed.
cannot tell you how much it
hurt me to drive that knife
through the side Of the fuselage
and deliberately to slash up my
plane. Yet I knew it had to be
done.
We were almost alongside the
Barendrecht by now and gliding
very slowly.
I saw George cut off the
switches and pull the wheel way
back. The plane seemed to come
to a dead stop. got a last min
ute's look at the ocean and at
close range we could see the
waves rolling pretty well. The
next instant we had splashed into
the top OF a big wave.
Water began rushing in around
the front controls, but everything
was dry in my compartment. 1t
was terribly quiet with the drone
OF the motor gone. Something
was missing without that motor.
It was five minutes after 4,
and we had been in the air ex.
act1y 35 hours. George was laugh
ing as he turned around and
looked at me standing there as
il waiting for something else to
happen. He said:
"Well, here we are, Ruth. Sup.
pose we get out and look around
a bit"
ruth Elder win continue her
story in The Washington Times
tomorrow. when she viii give all
the details Of the rescue and In.
cidents fOllONing.l
III / I'LL nIlFn