Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-25

Continued From First Page.l
clouds suddenly began to settle all
along the line and to grow In density,
and within Is minutes the entire line
was solidly logged in.
Treat missed landing at Richmond by
only 10 minutes, the city lights being
trying in vain to locate the field, he
turned back to Washington, but found
this city also fogbound. He then headed
| west, hoping to ind q break In the
/ fog near the mountains, so he could
land before his gasoline supply was ex-
hausted.
There was no break, however, ana
when the main tank ran dry Treat
switched on the reserve and began to
climb, realizing that he probably would
have to take to his parachute for the
| trst time in his career Of IL years as
q pilot. He said that he knew approx
| mately where he was at all times He
climbed until the last drop of gasoline
! went through the carburetor and the
motor coughed and quit. He then was
at an altitude of 1000 feet. Cutting the
switches to prevent fire when the
| plane crashed. Treat unbuckled his belt
and climbed out of the cockpit. AS he
dropped into the fog he noted the angle
| at which the plane was gliding and
then pulled the rip-cord Of his para
| chute.
Lands Easily In Tree.
Treat landed easily in a tree on the
farm Of Edgar Line, half mile from
| Sharpsburg, Md, and only 100 feet
from the Norfolk q Western Railroad
tracks. He walked about miles along
the railroad, leaving his parachute In
the tree, and at daylight arrived at the
farm of Victor Metz Metz took Treat
IN his automobile and set out to find
the plane. Treat, despite the fact that
he had last seen his plane disappearing
in the fog, Was able to direct Metz al
] most exactly to the spot where the
tlefleld station Of the Norfolk q West
| ern.
The plane was completely demolished,
the wreckage being scattered over q dis
lance Of 100 yards. Though several Of
the Ii large and small sacks Of mail
had burst, Treat and Metz recovered
every one Of the 500 pounds Of mail
unchanged. The mail was loaded
aboard MetZ's automobile and, after
Treat bad communicated with Rich
mond by telephone and reported the
crash, the pair left with the mail for
the Capital.
Merrill also was caught in the fog as
/ he neared Richmond. With fuel sum-
Gent to keep him in the air until day
break, he headed West. as had Treat,
hoping to find clearing over the
mountains. After circling blindly for
more than five hours without finding
an opening anywhere, Merrill noticed q
thin place in the clouds just at dawn
and slipped through.
Brings Plane Down Safely.
He let 60 his parachute flares switched
on his landing lights, and set the plane
down without q scratch In q field at
Appamattox at 5:45 o'clock. He also
telephoned to Richmond and reported
that he thought he would be able to
| fly out as soon as the weather lifted
and he had refueled his plane.
Treat left Hadley Field, N. j., the
New York terminal Of the coastal run,
at 9:10 o'clock last night. He took on
! 10 gallons Of fuel at Camden, N. j., the
| Philadelphia stop, and arrived at Boiling
Field on schedule.
Though this morning was the first
time Treat ever has taken to his para.
chute: he has come through severe,
service on the local run, In one Of
which his plane was demolished, though
| he escaped without q scratch. He Is
| regarded as one of the best pilots on
the Eastern Air Transport Line, for
merly operated by Pitcairn Aviation.
Landed in Mud Flats.
| On April as last Treat narrowly es-
capped death or serious injury when
OF from Boiling Field for Richmond
Three cylinders Of his engine were
smashed to bits by the failing piston
rod. Treat, then over the Potomac
River. Immediately decided to land on
! the mud fats on the Maryland shore
| rather than to risk q landing in the
built-up section around Alexandria.
Gliding in toward the shore, he re.
| leased two parachute mares and switch
ed on the landing lights. BY this light
he selected q mud nat, not noticing an
| iron fence in the darkness at the far
side of the level area until Just before
he touched the ground. Seeing the
| fence suddenly looming ahead he pull
ed the plane up into q stall, struck the
ground tail first, crumpling I'D the en-
| tire tail portion in back Of his cock
pit, and then plowed through the fence,
tearing off landing gear and lower
wings. He unfastened his safety belt
and climbed out without injury.
A year ago this month he was caught
in q fog with balky motor, found an
opening near Glenburnie, Nd, and let
90 two flares. The flares started a
grass IRE in the field he had selected
FOR landing place, but he coolly ma
neuvered for q landing outside the bla1-
ing area and dragged his mail out to
safety.
Served During World War.
Treat q. native Of New York, was
trained as a military pilot during the
World War and has been flying ever
since. He new the first mail plane
over the coastal line from New York
to- Richmond when service was inau.
gurated two years ago. Last year he
was taken OF the airmail run for q
short time to train rs pilot Of tri-mo-
tored planes, contemplated for use on q
passenger line over the airmail route.
When this plan was postponed he re-
turned to the mail service.
Dick" Merrill also has bean with
the airmail line sAce It was established