Evening star., 1927-05-22
CAPITAL ACCLA|MS
t|NDBERGH FEAT
Cheering and Din of Auto
Horns Reveal City's Joy
at Triumph.

The National Capital, one-time home
of Lucky" Lindbergh, cast dignity
to the winds TO greet with joyous
acclaim the thrilling feat of Americas s
youthful hero of the air.
The air of expectancy which had
electrified the city as it appeared GER
tain that their new-found idol would
be successful, broke with loud bang
and a couple of war whoops as the
news of Lindbergh's arrival at Paris
reached the downtown crowds by air.
plane signal, extra paper and radio.
Magicaily. it seemed. the rowing
throngs of shoppers and Government
workers. Just out Of office, halted in
their tracks and gave vent to pentup
eXuDerance.
Girls danced with gleeful excite
ment, men Joined in the sporadic
cheering and motorists clamped down
on their horns. Traffic came to a vir
tual standStill on + and other crowded
streets, while automobile drivers and
pedestrians alike craned their necks
upward and felt the goose-f!esh down
their spiues as they saw the signal
plane from Boiling Field flash the
big news
flane carries Message.
The Government departments were
just starting to empty their thousands
of eager Lindbergh fans onto the
streets when the fateful word of com
pletion of the flight burned it's way
over Associated Press wires to The
Star.
The Star had a telephone line open
to operations office at Boiling Field.
and as the first flash" came in, it
was relayed to Capt. Donald +. Muse
already in his plane. with propeller
turning. He was off with a roar and
in apparently no time at all WAS over
the city, with a 10-foot streamer OF
black and white cloth flying from the
tail of the fuaelage in accordance with
previously announced plans for signal
ing the event. simultaneously, Thorn.
ton Fisher of The Star interrupted his
radio account of the base ball game
to announce the gladsome news from
Paris.
'He did it. | knew he'd do it,"
shouted the people on the street. THE
boys got nerve. He deserved to make
it,"
The expressions of pleasure ranged
from such verbal outbursts on the
part of the plain citizenry to brief.
formal messages Of congra tulation by
tdblG IL Jill L ISSiuCHl SOOItuSC,
bers of the cabinet and other gratified
officials.
The celebration downtown was
spontaneous and jubilant, but it was
cut short by the cries of 'HuXtree!'
and the eagerness to grab paper
and devoUr every word of the blaring
bulletins from lie Bourget Field,
France.
Conventions Forgotten.
Those who couldn't push to the
front and get an extra for themselves
from the hoarse-voiced. perspiring
newsboys did not hesitate to stare
greedily at those of their more for
tunate neighbors, even though the lat
ter happened to be perfect strangers.
Nobody minded about conventions at
such a time as this. for all seemed to
feel that Lindbergh's wonderful ac-
complishment had made everybody
brother and sister for the nonce.
Washington felt drawn just little
closer to Cheese" Lindbergh than II
would have for almost any one else.
for it was remembered that slim,
or Lucky" or Cheese or whatever
ro,y want to call him. went to school
here in his younger days and that ne
holds a warm spot in his heart for
"oid D. c."
That Washington reciprocated TINS
warm feeling for the New Worlds Co
lumbus of the skies could not be MIS-
taken Yesterday afternoon ana eve
ming. If Uncle Sam had not let ms
EMPLOYEES out when he did, it had be-
gin to look as though the whole gov
ernmental works would blow up with
nervous excitement. Efficiency eX.
perts will find that not much national
business was transacted yesterday
afternoon in the Federal departments
1t is rumored. in fact, that even the
efficiency experts felt inclined to let
efficiency go by the boards untll the
suspense was ended.
Shortened by Sorrow.
The celebration might have been
louder and longer. but for the tlnge
of sorrow which still hangs over the
city from the disastrous end OF the
transatlantic attempt of the French
men. Nungesser and Con. Most Oh
the messages Of felicitation cab!ed or
radioed to Lindbergh contained note
of regret in this connection.
The thing that enthralled Washing
ton Yesterday was the amazing rean'
zation that a mere youth-25 years
old-had ventured forth alone, with
out radio equipment or emergency
food supplies, on a daring, hazardous
ocean hop that only few days before
had spelled defeat to two OF Frances
bravest flyers.
There was real romance and ad-
venture here, sufficient to run riot
with the imagination of even the most
spathetic of human beings.
Feminine hearts especially throbbed
with admiration for the tan-faced,
tousel-haired. good.looking young
aviator of the air mail service, who
dared to wing his monotonous way
over the broad Atlantic ahead of his
less impetuous fellow competitors, left
behind to await a more propitlous
take-off.
Gee, he'll be a movie hero, now"
one fair + street stroller cried. as
she embraced n girl companion. Il
Just love him to death" responded
The enthusiastic girl friend.
And the way she wrung her hands
indicated that if it is true that
Lucky" doesn't care for girls, he'd
better stay away from Washington
until this epidemic of transatlantic
emotion dies down a bit.
lTAll Alo AAHA7Fn