The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-03-06

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used.
We had our motor overhauled at
Denver and expected to fly from
there to San Francisco for the start.
Some of the repair parts for the
engine we're delayed and we were
several days late in leaving Denver.
Even then it was only through night
work and leaving a number of things
undone that we got away.
A fifty-gallon center section gaso-
line tank had been installed which
in addition to the regular fuselage
tank, gave us capacity of one
hundred and seven gallons.
We installed the engine one night
and idled it for several hours before
daybreak in order TO work in the
bearings; then we took off for San
Francisco.
Our first stop was at Rawlins,
Wyo., where the highest field on
the transcontinental air mail
route is located. We reflled at
Rawlins and made Evanston that
night.
At Evanston we were starting the
engine preparatory to taxing over
and tying down for the night, when
our carburetor caught fire.
In the haste to get started we had
neither put a fire screen on the in
take nor a drain pipe down from
the bowl.
The engine was covered with oil
and the gasoline overlooking from
the bowl carried the flames down
around it. Soon the entire nose of
the ship was abaze and, although
we shoveled earth over the motor,
it appeared that the wings would
soon catch fire.
If the fabric began to burn, the
ship was gone. l had Just finished
removing all loose equipment from
the cockpit when small hand eX-
tinguiSher arrived, and with its aid
the fire was soon put out.
All of the ignition wire insula-
ton was burned off, but otherwise
very little damage had been done
We we're delayed twenty-four
hours rewriting the engine and clean
ing out the dirt shoyeled on in the
attempt to put out the fire.
After Rawlins we stopped at Salt
Lake City, and from there we flew
over the Great Salt Lake Desert
to Battle Mountain, Nevada, where
we spent the night.
We took off from Battle Mountain
with full gas tanks and, after follow
ing the passes until part of the fuel
was consumed and the load CORE
spondingly lightened. we passed over
the Sierra Nevada range at $500
feet. and landed at Oakland, Cal.
The same evening, without refill
ing. we flew over San Francisco Bay
to Crissey Field.
The following day We took off
from Crissey Field on the start of
Our race to New York.
One of the rules of the contest was
that each plane should carry log
with the starting point and number
of passengers carried attested to by
two witnesses.
DY
the log and serviced our plane, il
was afternoon, and darkness over
took us at Lovelocks, New.
The next night was spent In
Rawlins, Wyo., after a stop at Salt
Lake City for fuel.
We arrived in RaWlins with valve
blowing badly and were delayed a
day in pulling the bank and grinding
in another valve.
We were far behind our schedule,
due to the late start from Denver
the delay at Evanston, and again
at Rawlins; but without further
trouble we would still be able to
reach New York on time.
Another valve began blowing
however, soon after leaving Raw
Inns, and when we took off from our
next stop at Sidney, Neb., the motor
had lost a number of revolutions.
We flew to Lincoln from Sidney
and after taking the short remain
ing time into consideration. we de-
cided to abandon the race and start
transforming.
We overhauled the engine at Lin
coin and worked over towards st
Louis, where we arrived about the
end of October.
At st. Louis we decided to tie ur
for the winter and I began instruct
ing students for the Robertson Air
craft Corporation on OX-5 Stand
ards.
The corporation had been awarded
the air mail contract, but actua
operation was not to start until the