Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-24
BY IVAN II. PETERMAN.

BY IVAN II. PETERMAN.
CAPE MAY, NJ j., February "a
(NAN.A1.-Half a dozen mechanics
and ground men rolled the big orange
painted amphibian to the ship, where
she poised. her Liberty motor roaring
challenge to the Atlantic. There was
no fuss or hurry The hop was daily
occurrence. and nobody, least OF all
Lieut.. Walter Anderson, was even mildly
excited.
Mr. Crump, will you act as my radio
man?" Anderson, commanding the
Coast Guard aviation unit and the pilot
for the day, addressed a small, wiry
man in dungarees. Crump dropped his
wrench. wiped his hands, and stopped
work on a motor to become Sparks" OF
the air
I was the third man, occupying the
observers cockpit. Like Anderson,
wore a heavy, fur-lined suit, tur-nneo
helmet and sheepSkin flying boots. The
Looming we were using is an open-cock-
pit plane, the radio man, deep in the
hull, alone being protected from the
weather. :,
''This looks like needless preparation
said the pilot, but after we've been up
for a couple of hours you viii be gao
you have plenty on" How true tnls
was 1 learned later.
IL WIS q UIASAAb AaJg NANAAAo SOH~f
with little wind. The flight was to be
| our first adventure with the Coast
! Guard-the first time. incidentally, that
newspaper men were allowed to see
! the works" with this much discussed
branch of governmental service. Mac,
our photographer, and had presented
ourselves to Capt. William II. Snea,
commanding Section Base 9, at Cape
May a resort town, 80 miles from Pnll-
adelphia, an hour earlier.
/ You understand, of course, that
much of our operations is necessarily
! confidential; that we pursue methods
| only the officers in charge are cogn1zant
Of" Capt. Shea said "One OF the
| fundamental parts of the service is en-
| forcement of the laws, protection OF
| life and property coming frst, however
Anticipating the SmuggIers.
"As nearly every one knows, SNUG
glerS will attempt to enter the country
! unlawfully. 1t is part of our duty to
anticipate this and to act accordingly
| To keep up with violators We must
| know their movements. How we do
this 1 cannot tell you fully, but the
first trip you make today will give you
an insight"
Capt. Shea then turned us over to
Lieut.. Anderson, and for the time be-
Ing we became III BIleCb al ODcCANCA
with the Coast Guard.
The take-od at IL am. was smooth,
although one gets plenty OF spray when
an amphibian leaves the water. AS we
arose the control stick in the second
cockpit (the plane was dual controlleo)
waggled dangerously near my chin, but
chung to the cowl, and soon the base
was below us, with the ocean on the
left. Crump already was busy taking
into tiny microphone, notifying the
base operator that C-G No. was in
the air.
Radio communication in the Coast
Guard is itself novel. There Is no dot
and dash code Instead the operators
talk directly, the voices in high
; squeaky tones, due to the short-wave
frequency used, being audible only with
the ear close to the phones The mes
sage Crump sent went ike TINS;
: calling Base 9-Base 9. Will you
: give me an o. x? Will you give me
: an o. x. Base 90" 20. K, C-G 2
e o. K, C-G. 2; I got you" Then, civ.
v ing his position, Crump says: Shaping
D course eastward; weather clear, WING
! about Is, Base g." and repeats it. AL
this is done very quickly, so that {
stranger is entranced by the rapid-flr'
conversation.
e The ship flying at 300 feet. howleC
: mentarily below. I adjusted the cog
: giles, and following Anderson's arm, say
several small fishing smacks and
motor boat or two. They we're lustil
?. heading toward sea- intent on the day
e haul. A red-faced man regarded u
d nonchalantly as we skinned down
g hundred feet to give him the once
over.
A Blase Sailor Man.
Y Apparently the plane was no novelt
in his life, for he busted himself wit
:. a net as we roared over his stern. Fc
il half an hour we proceeded eastward
! land disappearing without my even nc
y ticing the change. The ocean wa
Us fairly calm, the wind cold, and the su
Y made of the whirling propeller blades
v solid disc of silver.
Ak 1 felt touch on my knee, and sa
Anderson's arm thrust behind h
&c back, holding out a note. 1t wa
e. marked Radio" So / passed it dow
n to Crump 1t notified the base We wei
= heading south, which we did with
~ slow bank
rs. How far out?"' I wrote, passing IL
tn note to the pilot"
&c About As miles," he replied.
or or looked at the altimeter-50O Re
es only We were doing 70 knots (arour
ow IS niles an hour. 1t was comtor
Sc. ing to know that the ship could Lar
- on the sea. One appreciated no
Lindbergh felt. On, on, we few l
an hour or more. Getting colde
lg. Water, water, everywhere! Not sh
sy in sight,
- The compass wiggled around. v
8 were turning. Another radio MESA
advised Base we were changing
Y a westward course. More monotone
N scanning of the sea. Visibility Is pc
10 today" wrote Anderson. / mold
ON agreement. A white line appeared {
rectly ahead, stretching away to a fl
s thread north and south.
RE- Clouds of fog?" I wrote. Undt
~, meath Anderson scrubbed Meth
/: Maryland shore line" We veer
o. south again, being almost oppos
J. Ocean City. Md. A dreary eXpan
the Winter shore line
Not in years had such heavy Sno
lnly fall visited the coast line, we were
esW formed. 1t was picturesque to see
3. white blanket extending down to
very waves. Lonely fishing hi
overturned boats marshes, ice, sno
get Ughl / drew the fur collar closer. I
ost. a wisp of smoke from a solitary chi
>SS ney. The pilot swung out to sea aga
Oe5o Suddenly a gaudy spot loomed