Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-10

calmly Don't say anything to any of
the passengers yet. There's no need
of causing them unnecessary worry"
Davis then turned to Jerdone and
told MIN of the trouble. Jerdone turned
over the controls to Davis and he and
Curtiss Wright mechanic named
Handlon, in charge Of the two big 625-
horsepower engines on the plane,
crossed the pilots compartment and
also looked at the damaged wheel.
AS calmly as though they were dis
cuSSing what they would have for sup
per, the three put their heads together
to decide the best method for bringing
the plane down at Atlanta without a
bad smash After talking 1t over they
the business of flying the plane, doing
nothing which might alarm the passen-
gers in the least.
Handlon came out of the forward
compartment and sat down beside me.
At think we may be able to get down
all right" he said. There's a chance
that the broken strut may slide into
place and hold long enough for us to
get in safely. If it doesn't, We probably
will wash out the landing gear and the
lower wing, but believe they will take
I'D enough of the shock so we won't
get hurt"
to ask the name of a town we were
passing over. I'm sorry don't know"
Handlon said. but I'll find out for you"
He went back to the nose of the ship,
looked at the strip map Davis was
using to check his course and replied
that it was jefferson, Ga, and that the
plane was flying at an altitude Of 1875
feet His manner indicated that he had
not a care in the world He smiled and
returned to the pilots compartment.
Thought of Crash Persists.
Despite the ease of manner and ap-
parent confidence Of the three mem
bers of the crew my mind turned in
voluntarily to thoughts Of crashes and
my glances returned time and again to
the damaged landing gear with the
thought that maybe it was only bad
dream and I would wake up and find
everything all right, but each time the
wheel was down and when the plane hit
a bump or rough spot in the air the
wheel would jerk against the broken
strut.
We'll. maybe it's not SO bad after all"
thought. Perhaps when We land,
especially since Jerdone will put it down
on the good wheel, the trut will hold
in place. But suppose that wheel drops
one of these bumps. What then? That
would be mad. Or suppose it goes up on
its nose? That will mean almost GER
tain death for those two pilots, out
ahead of the wings and engines. Or,
worst of all, suppose we should catch
fire? Pl badly none of us would get
out"
After little, however, my mind be-
came reconciled to the fact that there
was nothing I could do about it, that
the matter was in the hands of the
TWO pilots up front, that they were
among the best in the business and that
my worrying would do no good. con-
sidered that after all 1 had flown more
than 10000 miles in all kinds of planes
without mishap of any kind and that
perhaps it might be a good experience
to go through little crack-up. 1 even
became a little curious as to just what
would happen and began to wish we
were closer to Atlanta and there would
not be so long a period of suspense.
Passengers Undisturbed.
Once in a while Handlon or Jerdone
or Davis would look back through the
window in the wall separating them
from the passenger cabin as if to ask
well, how do you feel about it now?"
And would smile back as cheerfully
as possible.
Across the aisle Hainer HinShaw, of
the aviation corporation, stationed in