The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-01-04
4 1HOURSOF STEADY
flight PASSED this
morning BY CRAFT
Passes RefueIing, non-Refuel-
ing and Continuous Hop
Marks During Night
FOG DANGERS CONQUERED
How Long vii! It Fly?' World
Asks as Army Ship Makes
Home in Heavens
FOG DANGERS CONQUERED

Home in Heavens
Imperial Valley, Calf. Jan. 4.-(R
After peacefully sailing over the
imperial Valley since yesterday, the
army monoplane Question Mark
headed back towards Los Angeles be-
fore noon today in its fourth day OF
q flight to set q new endurance rec
ord through refueling.
Word Of Major Carl 6patz' decision
70 quit the valley and journey north.
ward came from Captain r. g. Hoyt,
pilot Of refueling plane No. l. The
flight started at Los Angeles rs hours
ago.
They're all happy up there" Cap
tain Hoyt said. Seem to be feeling
good and everything running fine.
Guess they're bit tired Of watching
this desert and so we're going to fly
to Los Angeles"
Captain Hoyt said his ship would
accompany the Question Mark and
that q gasoline contact probably
would be made en- route.
The following dispatch was
written for the Associated Press
by H. ]. Adamson. assistant TO
Assistant Secretary Of War +.
Trubee Davidson, and the war
departments official observer Of
the flight Of the Question Mark.
Metropolitan Airport, Los Angeles,
Jan. 4.-(FeDriven from point to-
point over southern California by
heavy fogs, buffeted by choppy aerial
currents, flying blind in dense and
low hanging clouds the army air corps
endurance ship Question Mark still
roared it's way through space today.
blazing its way to new aerial con-
quest, s4s- ~s@
The ouestion- Mark at 1883 O'Clock
last night equaled the record for re-
fueling endurance flying. and five and
q half hours later passed the non.re-
fueling flight record OF heavier than
air craft. At 1888 the ship equaled
the record achievement reached last
June by the two Belgian army avi-
ators, Adjutant Louis Crooy and Ser
geant Victor 0ronen, who stayed up
60 hours, Z 7Sminutes.
Continuing its flight the ship at
1851 o'clock today swept aside the
magnificinet record Of the two Ger
man aviators- Risticz and thinner
man. who six months ago flew for 65
hours and 25 minutes
There was every indication today
that the motors Of the monoplane and
the morale Of its crew were as sturdy
as they were at 7:26 q. M, on New
Years day when Captain Eaker. chief
pilot. opened the throttles and started
the flight.
Fog Changes Plan
The last so hours have been hectic
ones aboard the Question Mark. hours
OF toll loaded with uncertainty. First
there was fog at San Diego which
compelled Major Spatz to change his
plans which called for refueling con-
tact over the army air corps station,
Rockwell Field on North Island.
He realized that success OF the
Question Mark depended upon his
ability to get gasoline at Los Angeles.
Having reached this important de-
cision as dusk drew it's curtains We'd
nesday over the mountains and
valleys beneath him, Major 6patz was
next confronted by the problem Of
getting message to the ground per-
sonnel ct Los Angeles.
With his heavy laden ship Major
Spatz did not dare take the risk Of
going lower than 1900 feet and from
this position he had to drop q mes
sage Of vital importance out into the
darkness.
About Z. p. M, Wednesday, the
Question Mark circled the Metropoli-
tan Field.
Miss Note In Dark
The red flare from . Very pistol
told Lieut.. Moon, pilot OF the refuel-
Ing ship No. 2. and Lieut.. Stowell. air.
drome officer, as well Is their reGpec-
tive crews that q message was being
dropped. After .l5 minutes Of frantic
search flares were sent up telling the
ctrcling Question Mark that the mes
sage had not been found. Once more
the Question Mark fired O. llAre and
dropped message. This latter fell
on the fringe Of the powerful flood
light Of the field and was found. II
was announced IN terse terms that
ITS gallons Of gasoline were to b de-
livered ct once.
A few minutes atterward, Moon ana
his crew took of and delivered the
fuel.
shortly after midnight the question
Marx came back. fired three green
i1ares which meant nnore gas. Once
mcro A0ou and his men went aln9t,
located the onostion Nark. II the
silvety path u, The xiaiug .rnpon--a
path full Of uhirling ~ caIrenta No
contact was n1Ade. Noon came hack
but hardly had landod lefcgQ; t1hrVo.
additional green flares ord1fed him -
come back.
This time. after difficult uaapeuyor-
] ing and extremely expert 3lying o08
the part Of tho pilots Of both &hlp1.
100 gallons Of fuel were delivered.
Thege the Question Mark u soaxing
now. stin sphynx-like 81 it, daenoe
y the query:
~lIow long will Y flyi~
FORKS I10Nu1 DEAD
Grand IogkA n. d. IN.
Ma oaxoh II. 8nahoo. r.. 1136o0t o&