The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-06-04

1oAtAnNeu krOkn N1ket a8esl
path d tie alrnen On their long
journey
me islands were reached and
passed. however early today. indicat-
ing tie four men On board the fEi.
notored ulonoplane were certain Of
their ability Is carry On Is Suva.
The plane was a hours out from
Kauai il SO n. llas. island time. 81
11.z0 & n washington. md ct It's
present rate oE speed should reach
8uva some time between $50 n. N.
ana s 3. nj. island time, cs between
$40 ana midnight Washing kcn time.
With barely two days rest. the IN
4repid airn1en yesterday morning
climbed aboard their ship IL bark
fre Sands Field. on the neigh boring
island 81 Kauai. and calmly set cut
On the longest overMa Ter flight ever
attempted
Their destination = suva, iii
Islands. little dot in the southern
Pacific. ITO miles from HpnolEllns
See Southern Cross
At o'clock this morning Pacific
time. the huge ulonOpl Lane was il
clear view Of the constellation
southern Cross. Tor which Il was
named
The equator had been crossed, and
the plane continued roaring on its
way ct 4 speed 0f 100 miles an hour.
Seventeen hundred miles Of the
dangerous hop from Kauai Island
To Suya had been covered. and 1.400
miles stretched ahead
Throughouk the early hours Of
this morning. the planes radio con.
ResS.sa Plss1N - a. ~ ~ nNsVv ~ -
eaRe. AIS weill Al few hours
before the fIiers had fought and
conquered terrific tropical storm.
Messages told nk storms and the
struggle to rise above them with =
missing motor as calmly ~ = man
WOuld say good nlorning. These
men, already recOncEied To death, but
fighting every minute to live, take
their troubles lightly and In Jest.
ing mood Their radio quips, flash
ing cut OF the darkness, are dra.
matte. For instance:
race between as and the
clouds. Going to 10000 taltitudel
Going To be 4 bad night. Motors
doing heavy pulling to $500"
That message was received at $40
last night. Pacific time. Five min.
utes later came this:
still circIing Tor altitude
Taking off from Barking Stands at
$40 sunday morning. the huge plane
cfrcled the field once and then
started Decline for SuYa. For
one-thIrd 0f the distance over its
far-flung course. the plane repeat
edly flashed its CHEEKY All well.
The radio told Of eating away
spaee At the rate of 100 miles
per hour. The weather was re-
ported fair and everything appar.
entity was fine. Then suddenly
came this aickening message:
Zone motor sounds bad. Have
dropped to SO miles an hour.
At that hour the plane was
1000 miles out from Honolulu
ana 700 miles from the nearest
land the tiny Phoenix group Of
FIGHT Rain Storm
For 20 minutes . watching world
waited in anxiety. Then finally
came this message:
Motors not 10 steady, but no
danger. Speed at present 50 knots. /"
Twenty-Five agonizing minutes
later came this:
Have encountered many small
rain storms ana recently the star.
board motor was sputtering. AL
Ok. now. Regards TO all. /"
These men, despite their battles
against periIs Of faIIible mechanism
and scoWIing elements. found time
ia Joke and laugh as they fought
their grim fight.
'Uim just drew q cartoon Of Igor
with his eyes popping out when thu
motor sputtered." said 4 message
received here by q Wstching crowt
still filled with trepiGation.
a few minutes later. Warner wal
radioing the description OF another
grim battle with the elements. They
were just entering the dread aref
81 the doldrums, g region Of fierc.
variable winds and rains, feared b
mariners as the "hotbed" o.
tropical storms.
They ran into ponderous clous
hanks. They were forced 70 clilnl
again. To an altitude Of 10000 feet
and to bank sharply, first to Ief
and then to right, a order 70 avoil
them.
his ii great game. \ radioe,
Warner 'dodging these darl
clouds.
Ine plans apparently b holdinl