Evening star., 1928-04-27
PLAN TO FLY BREMEN
TO IRELAND IN 10 DAYS,
FlTZMAURICE ANNOUNCES

EHZMAUklCE ANNUUVCEo
Continued from First Page -
was surprised upon returning to fno
that the Bremen had been moved. She
was not in the reservoir where Sne
broke through the ice when We lanoeo
on il after our trip across from Ireland
Dr T oi,is Clisinier. the technical director
~ the Canadian Transcontinental Air
wsvs. and Koehl had done remarKaole
feat Of engineering and had hoisted her
I'M on the embankment. They had also
drained the water from the reservoir
The machine stood propped up, the
damaged propeller taken on ana her
undercarriage removed. All was Ill
readiness for the work OF repair.
| Koeppen. the Junkers mechanic
wasted no time in getting TO work. lie
| did not wait to have anything TO eat.
| hut started in to straighten out the
nrnpeller. In a previous article think
said there was small forge IN the
lighthouse on Greenely. and IL was
here that Koeppen hammered out the
propeller Then. bolting 1t on the smart
again. he started to put on the new
undercarriage We had brought along
Difficulties Encountered.
The original intention to try to take
off from the reservoir had been aban-
doned The ice in the bay was better,
and without skis We knew we would
need a long run. But the Bremen
stood at the top Of very steep slant
and now that she was repaired we
would have to get her down.
| II was manifestly impossible to ease
/ the Bremen down on her wheels. We
were certain to do her irreparable dam
| age. We decided 10 use dog Sleos. ana
| putting one under each wheel we began
| the task of moving her gently to the
| ice in the bay below. 1t was no easy
! task. 1t took us three hours to do II.
| With the machine safely on the ice
| in the bay we decided to stop work for
| the night. That evening We held a
| consultation and agreed that the best
| place for a take-o1 would be from the
| ice of Long Point, on the mainland
| about mile away. We had placed
native as guard over the ship during
| the night
/ Fail to Take-Oh.
Next morning conditions were ex-
| tremely good. We turned out at am
! and began to push the Bremen across
| broke through soft spots in the ice and
We had to hoist her up again and place
her on dog sleds. Then We started push
! ing her once more. this time success
/ fully. finally reaching the smooth ice
running parallel with the shore line.
| We now decided 10 build fire and
warm the oil and try to warm the en-
CINE A large vessel was procured for
| boiling water. We also heated the TINS
/ If oil for the engine. We took the spark
| plugs and cleaned them thoroughly.
| They had become badly fouled in the
| fight. We also cleaned the magnetic
and took down the distributor and the
| carbureter and cleaned them TOO. After
! that the petrol was filled in.
Could Not Start Engine.
At 8 o'clock the next morning we
were ready To start the engine. We
| tried but without success. She pop
ped few times. but she would not
take hold This was due to the fact
that the engine has very high COM
| preston. a ratio Of seven. and We could
not get compression except on two Of
/ the cylinders. We came to the con-
j clusion that the grease We put on the
/ valves after We broke through the ice
| on Greenly had melted on the warm
/ days and had trickled down the valve
stems. running into the ports. Later
| this hardened. thus preventing the
/ valves from seating properly except on
| the two cylinders mentioned We work.
| ed a whole day on this. even using blow
/ lamps in an effort 10 clear the valves.
f but with TO success.
/ That evening there was every indica-
/ ton Of an approaching gale. We de-
/ cided TO move the Bremen OF the ice
| into the shelter Of the harhor at Long
Point There we covered her up against
/ the storm We knew would come
We were not mistaken. II began to
snow before we had completed this
work. Then gale came up and further
work that night was impossible.
Optimism Departs.
/ Much Of our optimism had left us
/ now. When the repair parts came we
/ expected TO install them quickly and
| take of without further delay. Nov
/ We decided 70 hold conference.
| We were no longer In our quarters on
Gfeenly Island. but were installed on
+ the mainland. The baron and Koehl
, had been put up in the home Of the
! telegraph operator there and had been
/ taken 10 the house Of the parish priest
! We messed together however. at the
/ house Of the operator and 1t was there
! we conferred that night.
should like 10 say a word here about
Floyd Bennett. had never met him
before he came 10 Lake Stagnes with
the relief plane ! had no idea when
left there that he was 50 Ill His death
was shock TO me Aviation Will miss
j him. He did much for it. Ills loss Is
inevitably great.
News Depressing.
The news depressed us greatly Until
/ then the three of Us had been Oyerjoyed
/ " De reunited When left GreenIy
/ expected IN be- gone for not more than
two days. but my stay vas an enforced
one and my comrades showed every
pleasure al my return. ! brought them
many things they needed They had
been without Injuries Of any kind and
almost without necessary clothing. |
brought back cigars and nice things 10
eat and clean underwear and shirts 10
wear.
That first night together In the light
house we had almost q feast. We hoped
~ be on IN the morning We felt GER
tain of taking the Bremen into the air
again. 80 We had quite a party with
the food and beer and wine topping IL
gif with cigars sud cigarettes, We en-
loyed IL immensely.
We went ~ bed planning 10 get np
~ dawn The weather indication were
fair. but when We arose conditions were
bad We decided moi ~ delay, however
sHd Ne TOOK off at Il s5. Atlantic time
0r o. Eastern standard time.
We encountered sTI0w 81 the starr 0t
our fight hack FOR 100 miles the
going vas bsd II VAS exceedingly
bumpy in the air and We had head
wind, which showed US up, Escnsn
and / took the controls f0f The fifsi
three h0uts. then Bslcheu and KOehl
feY the nexL three hours.
Progress Satisfactory,
hflef The first hours the weather
cleared Then We ran into bright sun.