Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24

A--sse.--s<e.es..
me. held out my hand. I wanted
them 70 grab me, but somehow they
"Tfiey pressed back against the wan
and allowed me to pass.
'wel1, that's all remember until I
got up In the hospital little while aeo."
81 Saw Them Co Over"
While Wacker spoke these words,
Boettfer cooled his heels In jail, the
authorities refusing any amount Of bail
They held that the pilots comparative
lack Of injury proved his guilt. Seek
ing personal safety, he had fi1aliciously
scuttled the ship. Through hours Of
tortuots griliing,. they failed TO force
his admission Of Incompetence or f1egli-
gence.
He declared bluntly, ~ don't know
what caused the accident. Any one Of
several things might have set the bag
80 far as my knowledge goes, the
ship was In perfect condition. She had
been overhauled, examined and re-oTer-
hauled. The engines worked fine. The
bag was tight and the steering.gear In
precise adjustment" BSstsnsr tSlS then en-
equator. 7 rose to my feet, and hold
ing the wheel with one hand, told the
others to Jump with shouts ana mo-
TONS
i saw them 90 over. Then the Bag
buckled.
aAs che gondola shot forward, I
took long dive toward the ground. My
chute opened In about 10 feet. About
500 feet below me discovered Wacker,
my mechanic. I recognized the leather
at saw him swing toward a building.
The men on the building backed away
when Wacker reached out for help.
THE worst sensation came after my
chute opened. I began sliding down
rapidly, and, looking up, ] saw It was
beginning TO burn. In an instant be-
gan to spin and whirl.
THE nearest structure was a 26-story
building and I tried to land on the roof.
When got close an eddy blew me out
and fell on the Board Of Trade Build
ing.
burst into fire. Somebody quenched IL
with q spray from q hose.
II must have been dazed when ]
landed, as didn't know where was
until rolled over ana looked down into
0 street. climbed down o fire escape.
II seemed long way to the bottom.
Starting toward the lake, I saw O
CIUWu dIUuuu tAte uunuAu9 WHERE TIE
ship had fallen. was looking for the
other fellows when four detectives
walked up and arrested me on o charge
Of manslauehter."
The HandEaiden Of BuffOOnery.
During the ensuing Investigation and
trial, witnesses and attorneys quibbled
over the technicalities of biiHnp fight,
asserting, denying and refuting, selling
irrelevant clues and throwing innuen.
does.
For one whole day the court listened
to Boettner's testimony, brought out
during croSs-examination.
If there Is no danger in flying, why
did you carry parachutes?" they asked
It was futile and painful to defend
the parachute then. People regarded
1t only as the handmaiden of buff
foonery. The presence of parachutes
on the Wingfoot Express was damaging
evidence, the prosecution contended, for
1t betrayed the pilots intention to per-
form circus acrobatics and inperil the
lives Of innocent people.
They had never heard of q parachute
used as an emergency lifeSaVer, nor did
they understand that Il was an airman's
only means of escaping a sinking ship.
On motion OF Boettners employers, q
tribunal Of three impartial men was
appointed to settle claims of parties who
had suffered from the Wingfoot Express.
Witnesses were called and financial re-
dress made.
Boettner's trial was postponed, and
although still the victim Of a serious
charge, the prosecution had yet to prove
his guilt.
During the respite whites and blacks
clashed IN Chicagos race riots Of 1919,
and the court docket as well as the jails
were deluged. The citizenry forgot the
Wingfoot Express, and the court failed
to reconvene the case. 1t has never
For their acts Boettner and Wacker,
who survived his injury, became char
ter members of the Caterpillar Club
fully three years before the organiza.
ton was conceived or named.
The War Departments Caterpillar
records began in 1922. But the Wing
foot tragedy was not mentioned on the
omcial list for seven years. Its redis-
covery was accidental.
AS to Wacker and Boettner, both are
still associated with aviation and live
in Akron, Ohio.
When Comdr, Hugo Eckener in his
Graf Zeppelin few the last leg Of his
world tour and circled Cleve- |
land Airport in respect for the National
Air Races Of 1929 he was followed by Q |
hotilla Of baby Zeppelins.
The flagship Of the feet was piloted |
by Admiral John A. Boettner.
tcopyrisht' i H,Ss,e. +, The independent
Next story: Lieut.. Harris, who
stApfed otit 0fHlhia aor,,aad y1,ny1nt.iana