Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-09

bored in the glass. I was not entirely
without use of my eyes, although my
vision was restricted; so much so that
1t was impossible to see the horizon or
to view the instruments closely. didn't
want to remove the goggles, but I had
to. I pushed them up on my forehead
I was beginning to get pretty weak
needed more oxygen and opened the
emergency valve, gulping down good
deep breath.
1 felt somewhat better, but We were
not climbing very fast. had to put
my head down in the cockpit behind the
cowling. My eyes were freezing and
very painful. My right hand was be-
ginning to get cold from holding the
frigid stick, although the rest Of my
body was warm.
To return to the field then would
have been a failure. The altimeter
seemed to be frozen. 1t seemed to be
sticking at $4,000 feet.
Gets Up to 10000 Feet.
increased the angle of climb slightly
That did not seem to help a great deal.
The time passed like hours before l
pushed the altimeter up to 10000 feet.
But 1 was not satisfied. tried to climb
higher. MY eyes were causing consid-
cradle trouble. so pushed the goggles
back down. didn't want to injure them
for a record.
bad to fly with my knees controlling
the stick. My left hand was busy hold
ing the supercharger throttle. Although
the automatic spring which would pull
it closed and slow down the motor II l
fell unconscious was not heavy. 1t
seemed as II it were heavy weight.
I held my goggles with my right
hand like a lady with her lorgnette.
In that way broke the wind and got
an occasional glimpse about.
Still we did not climb. was getting
pretty impatient and weak. felt
strange dizziness. anticipated but never
theless annoying let the oxygen now
continually through the emergency tube
to be sure I did not faint for lack Of 1t.
The plane already was wavering as
If it could go no higher. But I was
determined to force it up at any cost.
I stuck the nose higher. That was not
wise, I soon learned. Almost before
I realized it the nose whipped over and
we fell crafty in spin. That was
the planes peak. We could go no
higher.
Drops 1000 Feet in Spin.
Well. what of it, I thought; let her
spin: that lazy feeling is comfortable.
1 let 20 the throttle of the super
charger The motor slowed down to
idling speed. The air was so light and
the controls so tightly frozen that we
fell 1000 feet before worked out Of
the spin. / Spiraled down in great
circles, slowly, so there would be no III
effects to plane or pilot from the
descent My ears, though, ached from
the growing pressure.
The field came into sight. The job
was nearly done. circled few times
and then slipped down through the
gully into the field The men who have
helped me came to greet me. L climbed
out again after an hour and "a minutes
in the air. It was worth it. felt fine.
The men at the station congratulated
me. But I told them it could not
have been done without their help,
for it required the work of many men
to make the flight possible, the APP
prevail and aid of Rear Admiral William
A. Moffett, the chief of the Bureau OF
of Comdr. James M.
chief of the engine section,
and Lieut.. Moore and Fliedner, the
engine expert, his aides: of Lieut..
Comdr. J. r. Poppen Of the Medical
School, of DR.. Sears and Of Lieut.
Comdr. D. c. Watson and Lieut.. j. j.
Clark of the naval air station. All
helped and without them the flight
could not have been made.
(Copyright, 1929. All Rights Reserved.)