Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-04
Rsne Racover, who has handled the

NeNe HacOVer, VINO mas nGn0len the
innumerable details incident to our
arrival, tells me that the newspapers
this morning printed dispatches from
the little island Of Ste. Pierre saying
that we made our first American land
fall there.
Vt would have been pleasant to make
our first landfall over French territory.
but it simply is not true. Neither Bel
lonte nor myself. can understand 1t. We
were in communication with wireless
telegraph station on Ste Pierre, but we
did not pass within sight of the island.
We did not see it at all, so how could
any one there have seen us? We passed
far to the south of it. am quite
certain Of this.
Now that 1t is all over and have
had time to think little, I may as well
So. that at no time before or during
the night were we ever anything but
extremely confident that we would be
successful, although we, of course, were
always keenly aware of the fact that
everything depended upon the motor.
But how can refrain from mentioning
how happy we were when we first were
sure that Eve had sighted land? That
was over Nova Scotia.
Thought Of Byrd's Defeat.
Until that time, you know, and espe-
cialiy during the long hours when we
strained our eyes for q glimpse Of the
American continent, we thought fire.
quently of your Admiral Byrd. Admiral
Byrd, great flyer, who took all pains
with preparations, arrived In France,
and probably new over Paris, but landed
in the sea along the coast because Of
the fog. For hour after hour We had
faced mist and fog. We simply had to
believe that fog, which had defeated
Admiral Byrd. would not play us the
same trick
During this period all our hope was
founded on one appliance. have men,
toned 1t before. 1t was the radio To
say the least. it was interesting to know
that always we were In touch with other
human beings, on ships or on land.
have said that we were not much
concerned after making landfall, that
after reaching Nova Scotia we were
confident of arriving at New York; but
that, perhaps, Is not quite accurate.
For We still had our worries. And that,
again, was the radio. Those little dots
and buzzes that came to Bellonte out
Of the ether meant everything.
He could still hear them. He was
at the controls total of fiye hours out
Of the time since we left LIE Bourget,
but very nearly all the time he had
clamped to his ears the little black discs
through which we knew that we were
still part of the world. that we could
stu communicate with our fellow
beings.
Looking back on it, how thankful we
should be that that accumulation of
glass, aluminium and hard rubber did
not go wrong until we had actually ar
rived at the American coast. When 1t
did go out we could not understand
lust what was the trouble
Does Not Know what Allied Radio.
We do not yet know what it was, ex-
cept that Bellonte, who has operated
radios for the French Air Union. be-
lleves that 1t was some defect in the
EXETER, which provides current for the
field coils of the generator. Several
radio experts have volunteered to 60
over the equipment, and when we take
OF tomorrow for Dallas we trust that 1t
will be In good working order. 1t is
very important. ! might add, while
am on this topic. that, even when the
tranSmitter was not functioning 1t was
great comfort to know that the
world did not consist solely of the gray
fog blanket through which we few. but
that Bellonte was constantly listening
to the buzzes and whistles of radio sets
on ships and ashore, far and wide.
!
discouraged After three years of prep
aration there could not be room for
doubt. How could doubt, after that
long period OF preparation, after Surviv-
ing some 20 plane wrecks during the
World War; after flying to China and
back, that could prepare a plane in
such way that could fly the Atlantic
With absolute certainty? How, after
the constant possibility of being forced
TO land on houses between Paris and
the Channel Coast, could doubt that
once over the Atlantic, we would make
It?
Every one asks me, what were YOU
, thinking? Did you think of your dear
ones: did you think of your wife as
you lodged hither and there to avoid
What can I say? did not think of
them. No, thought of one thing.
! was making troublesome fight, I
tnOught OF the best way to dodge those
storms That was plenty to think
about. How could man think of any
thing else2
Patience Meant Success.
Well, that Is all past. It could be
done again. ! am not anxious to do
1t. But, after all, given a stanch plane
and competent pilot mean one who
could be done again. There is no
reason why 1t couldn't be. Patience
that Is the chief requisite at present.
Endless study of meteorology, endless
study Of your airplane, patience and
refusal to say "Quit"-those are the
requisites, and they are not rare.
! feel that this flight has brought
out things not known before to avia-
ton. But ! do not wish to make i'm
mature pronouncements, ] have not
had time TO think The weather, that
is important; the type of plane, the
amount OF load. the advisability of
making several stops rather than a
single hop, the desirability of several
motors rather than one; all these things
are TO be considered
have thought them over. During
The ling hnIlrg nf naisf and. lE1nkAr nnIge