Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-06


written Exclusively for The Star and the
North American Newspaper Alliance.
NEW YORK, February eff I were
man given to worrying, would have
worried considerably on this flight. I
Jew practically all the way across the
continent with clouds so thick below
me that I couldn't tell for sure where
was. depended on the instruments.
When planned this flight, did not
intend to break any record. had to
60 East on business. I do not like to
ride in trains, so called on my friend
Allen Lougheed to see If he had a plane
he wanted delivered In the East. He
said he had and agreed to deliver 1t
for him.
Twice though it was all over Once at
midnight, when we were riding above
the clouds at an altitude of $4,000 feet,
the motor went blup! blup! blup! and
stopped.
1t certainly was q sickening silence.
I knew what was wrong instantly
and switched on the other gasoline
tank. The one / was using had gone
dry. thought 1t was all right then,
when suddenly the motor coughed once
more and stopped.
Whats the matter In there?"
yelled to the mechanic.
was so deaf from the roar of the
motor couldn't tell what he said, but
he started to working hard on the
pump. which raised the gas from the
auxiliary tanks into the wing tanks
where 1t would flow to the motor Then
the motor started again.
1t sure was o relief. had thought:
oh, Lord. now will have to jump"
All Set to "Go Over"
I was going to tell the mechanic to
| 60 over first and then I was going over.
didn't know what was below those
cloud banks, and didn't want to land
| anv fast plane In the dark with 400
gallons Of gas. It would have burned
| US all up too quick to think about it
II had tried to land 1t and run into
anything In the dark. (
All of this probably took less than
80 seconds. but 1t seemed like q long
, time to us.
I kept on flying by the compass
though, never looking at the map on
which had carefully laid out a beau
tiful course. I did not use 1t during
VAC mAo!S 40 AAouAo ahU "a uuluVeS oA
my flight.
The second time thought it was
about over when dropped down
some where In West Virginia, I
think, to try and locate myself. There
, were 5000 feet Of clouds below me and
| I had to fly that fast little ship down
through them blind. It averaged $50
miles an hour all the way, but at times
we went up to 100.
When I came out Of the bottom of
the clouds I was in q snowstorm. The
| ground was all white below and the
trees were heavy with snow. It was
q beautiful sight, but extremely danger
GUS for US.
Ice Forms on Wings.
Then ice began to form on my
wings. I began to climb up out Of the
moist atmosphere. Then few no and
down several canyons trying to locate
myself, but couldn't make sure where
I was.
There were only two things we could
do. The first was to set the plane down
somewhere and call it off. But the
very good in that country.
The alternative was to stick 1t out
and make good. decided to try the
latter course.
So broke O promise had given my
wife to always set the plane down under
such conditions and few on.
A little later decided to come down
through the clouds again. This time
came down somewhere in the mountain.
GUS section of Pennsylvania.
When I got into New Jersey anc
looked ut the time I felt better.
Circles Field and Lands.
I few over q lot Of towns In New
Jersey. / don't know now what they
were. All towns in New Jersey lool
alike to me.
knew the way 70 Roosevelt Fiels
well and ! opened the plane up wild,