Evening star., 1928-04-22
Balcllen to Start
for Creenly IS
land Today.
SPEEDY REPAIRS
SEEN BY PILOT
Bennett Is Too iii
10 Make Long Trip:
Take-Off Studied.
BY CHARLES J. v. MURPHY.

BY CHARLES ]. V. MURPHY.
StaH Correspondent Of The Star ard North
American Newspaper Alliance on the relief
LAKE ST. AGNES, Quebec, April 81
The first comprehensive effort to re-
lease the German transatlantic flyers
and their airplane, the Bremen, will be
started tomorrow. AT o'clock-at the
first crack of dawn over the hills
Bernt Balchen. Comdr. Byrd's trans
atlantic pilot, will take off the mono
plane provided by the North American
Newspaper Alliance on its 7l0-mile hop
TO Greenly Island.
Only weather-a binding fog or storm
will delay the start of the tri-
motored monoplane. Balchen an
nouneed this afternoon. He was much
rested. The effects of the cold which
caused him to defer the start scheduled
for today had apparently diminished
and he was eager to get under way
Reports received direct from the
Greenly Island lighthouse today said
that the Bremen was standing virtually
ready to install the spare parts carried
by the Alliances plane The Bremen,
1t was said will be ready to fly Monday
afternoon or Tuesday morning. Wealth
er conditions were reported as favor
able.
Equipment Already Loaded.
Already loaded in the Alliance plane
is the entire equipment needed to con-
ditton the Bremen for fight 1t in
cludeS new propeller. landing gear,
oil and fuel lines 100 pounds of oil
and so gallons OF peterborough to
fuel the Bremen for the nonstop flight |
to Murray Bay
When the plane. which has been
designated by the mayors reception
committee OF New York City as the
ofilcial relief plane, gets of she will
carry Maj. James J. Fit1naurice. Ernest
koeppen, the Junkers' mechanic Pilot
Balchen and the correspondent of The
Star and the North American News
paper Alliance.
Floyd Bennett. co-pilot with Bernt
Balchen in the trip from Detroit, was
seriously i'll with influenza tonight. and
upon advice OF Murray Bay physicians
VIII not try 10 make the trip TO Greenly
Island when the plane leaves tomorrow
morning He will. however. try to pick
up the Alliance plane on its return 10
Murray Bay Baichen will pilot the
plane alone. With him. 10 act in case
OF unforeseen emergency. viii be Mai.
F9fzmaurice, who has achieved. per-
haps the best record OF any flyer In
the Royal or Irish Free State air forces
for his work with heavy and multi-mo-
tored planes Duke" Schiller will not
be on the relief plane.
Less than two years ago Fitzmaurice
had fitted gigantic tri-motored
bomber OF the Free State air forces
With extra petrol tanks and was going
10 make a solo fight from Ireland 10
New Yorw with II, but could not get
sufficient leave of absence
Made Landing In Storm.
At one time however, in a trial trip.
he piloted this heavy and unwieldy
vessel through one OF the worst storms
ever witnessed on the Irish coast and
brought 1t 10 land safely during heavy
snowfall and fog.
The total airline distance from Muir
ray Bay TO Greeniy Island is $40 miles.
The Alliance plane, even II stop~off is
made for safetys sage, at Seven Islands.
should reach Greealey by O'Clock.
With this time in mind, II Is expected
that the Bremen should be ready TO
leave Greenly by Tuesday morning,
stopping at Murray Bay that night. and
arriving in New York Wednesday night.
It's the only ship that Is capanle
Of bringing US out" FitZmaurice said.
after examining the plane. and the
baron and Capt Koehl most certainly
will be glad 10 see II come into sight.
Believe me. they have not been enjoy
ing themselves on that blasted island"
Major Watches Work.
The major was particularly interested
in the operation attending the changing
~ the wheeled gear on the Alliance
machine II was the first time he had
seen such maneuVers.
1T Is pity" he said, that we
caused you 80 much trouble.
Wenzeil. the mechanic. and Tom
Muiroy the chief engineer of Comdr.
Byrd's expeditions, worked through the
night 10 install the skis, load the
Bremen's equipment and refuei the Al
liance's plane
At conference yesterday morning In
which Miss Herta Junkers, daughter Of
the Bremens designer; Mai FitZ~
maurice. Bernt Baichen and the corre~
spondent of the North American News
paper Alliance participated. II was de-
cided that the mOnoplane should stop
al Seven Islands, 240 miles from here,
and take on more fuel, instead of at
tempting a nonstop flight, al was
originally planned
VIII Decrease Load
As consequence, the Alliance plane
Win take of from here only 440 gallons
Of fuel instead Of $50. which will make
a difference of 200 pounds In the
planes load. an important consideration
In the take-oft from Lake st. Agnes.
Both Fitzmaurice and Balehen were
agreed that IL would be wiser Ia cut
down the load, rather than hurl the
giant plane over the long hanging hills
which ring the lake
The Alliance plane, however, will
make the retufn with the Bremen non
stop Overnight the mechanics Will re.
store the wheeled gear and both planes
will he IN readiness for the Jump IA
New York the Alliance plane acting ~
escort Tor tDe Junkera
Wen pitch IN and help In The re-
pairing of the Bremen" said Italchen
Maj Fitzmailrlce estimated IL would moi
lake more than SIX hours to make the
repsirs by this time" he aaid Baron
lcontinued on Page q. Column 81