The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-04-20
Irish Filler SaUed
CrelU of Bremen

Continued from First Page.)
I chart our course and steer to a
4 haven of safety.
Ours is the story OF success,
perhaps. but theirs the story of
: glorious failure that OutslIineS
such trifling things as success.
In our minds eye we can pic.
ture the adventures and the hard
ships OF our lost comrades. I'VE
can sense how, perhaps. Princess
Iowenstein and her gallant com.
panions dived to a grave beneath
! the waves in midocean. because
. In those awful hours when the
Bremen had to be navigated
q through the impenetrable fogS of
knowledge that any moment we
! might ourselves become another
contribution to science.
Navigators Save Day.
Had it not been for the mas
terly navigation of Koehl and the
Rirmanship of Fitzmaurice. our
story might have become their
story and the telling left to
others who will follow.
It is easy for us to imagine
how Nungesser and Coli may
have roamed hopelessly above the
stretches of snow. the ice-bound
rivers and the endless -orests of
the hinteT4and of Labrador in
search of human habitation as
the precious drops of fuel were
being exhausted, because we have
sat tensely in our seats peering
at those same wastes until all
hope for success seemed gone,
though an hour before the sight
OF land had lifted our spirits
high.
What happened to HinchIiffe?
IL thought of him and his pas.
senger, Miss NLackay. when the
compass became useless owing to
the short distance between that
area and the magnetic pole. 1t
was not difficult to see how they
probably were carried out of their
course to a wretched death i'm the
cruel Arctic. Because for hours
we were forced to fly without
the assistance OF this instrument
80 essential to aerial navigation.
Our great crossing began under
peace lasted through long, won
derful hours. Now and then we
threw over smoke bombs to ascer-
tain the speed and direction OF
the wind. Small disturbances,
which every motor suffers, over
came themselves. The wind was
favorable in part and never par
ticularly unfavorable during this
portion Of the flight, and we GOV.
cred mile after mile in good time.
That was during the day on
Thursday.
After q flight or Is hours, as
We flew into the west, enormous
clouds and fog banks appeared
suddenly before US. The thermom-
eter went down. The ice zone of
Newfoundland was reached. Now
koehI brought the machine above
the clouds which were OF an
orninous formation. They were
grotesuue and threatening.
An icy wind. bowling out of
the west, received us. but we
were prepared for such appari-
tons and threats OF disaster We
had to get through whatever the
cost might be. But while we flew
through the mountainous clouds
&uQ AOuSut dSdluSb LuS WHO 4
noticed F'itzmaurice trying to
shout to KoehI. The noise of the
motor and the storm drowned his
voice. Fitzmaurice took out a
pencil.
II noticed that Koehl was his
usual calm self. He had become
serious and anxious, but there
was no alarm. no fear in his
attitude. I tried to look at the
note Fitzmaurice had written.
Finally. / succeeded. 1t con-
tanned this message: Approach
land while it still is possible.
Our oil tank seems to leak"
A charming message. Koehl
told me later that, in order to
collect himself, he said "three
pater nosters." The gallant cap
tain smiled at Fitzmaurice and
nodded his assent. We all three
knew that if what we all three