Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-25
|GALE POSTPONES
| -CURT|SSA|R RACES
Dirigible Takes Air to Ride
Out Storm as 10 Planes
Flee to Baltimore.
tConIinued From First page.y

of wind as 1t came In and nosed over.
cracking landing strut, bending The
propeller, damaging wing tip and
bending the interplane struts. The
plane was flown by Lieut.. G. r. Reber.
leader Of the third section, frst divi-
sion sio Of the SQUADRON; Lieut.; Reber
plane can be repaired in time 20 take
on with its squadron today.
Is Planes Go TO Baltimore.
The last squadron in the air, vB-lB.
light bombardment squadron. known as
the RED Rippers." from the U. 8. 6.
Lexington, was caught by the full force
Of the storm, and after one section Of
three planes had gotten down with
great difhculty, 1t was decided mad
visable to risk the others In attempted
landings. Lieut.. Comdr. John Camp
man. commanding the squadron, led
his Is remaining planes In o race with
the storm to Baltimore, where they all
got down safely at Logan Field just be-
housed In q National Guard hangar
there until about pm, when the wind
died down and they few back through
O. pouring rain to AnacoStia. where they
rejoined the other squadrons.
As fast as the squadrons landed the
planes were TAXED to the line and were
staked down to weather the storm.
Tarpaulins were tied over the engines
and cockpits.
The barge which went berserk in the
storm was used to carry the pyramid
shaped pylon marking the upstream end
Of the 20-n1ile speed course over which
the race, was to have been flown. II
was anchored between Hams Point and
the War College. The wind swept it
rapidly toward the air station, and 81
finally drove onto o mud bank along
side the sea wall directly In front Of
the block Of seats reserved for mem
bers OF the diplomatic corps and other
dignitaries.
Planes Ride Out Storm.
It remained on the bank during the
worst part Of the storm and then was
towed back into the channel by two
Navy tugs and was re-Anchored. A
number Of planes, including two az
passenger Consolidated Commodore
g. Buenos Aires lines, rode cut the
tia River. A tri-motored Ford trans
port plane, equipped with pontoons for
use as q seaplane, also rode out the
storm at q nooring close to the eea
wall near the upstream end Of Boiling
Field.
Following the landing Of the planes
from the battle fleet the biggest thrills
Of the afternoon for the large crowd Of
spectators ut the air station was pro-
which took OF from Hoover Field with
five hours supply Of gasoline to ride
out the storm, which probably would
have beaten It to pieces on the ground.
The blinp struggled for four hours
against the gale and rain, bobbing up
and down sometimes several hundred
feet in the ascending and descending
air currents and pitching and rolling
as 1t was buffeted by the gusts. Part
station and finally, rs the storm Abate6,
headed down the Potomac River toward
Langley Field, Hampton, Va, to put ltn
overnight in the airship hangar there.
The blimp has been based at Aberdeen
Proving Ground. Md, where there 10 0
small airship hangar, but could not beat
It's way there against the winds follow
ing the storm. -.
Spectators Brave Gale.
Owing to the fact that the storm
struck just as the spectators began ar.
irving at the Anacostia station, oficers
there were unable to make q count Of
the number Of visitors. 1t Is believed
that more than 5000 were on hand
when the storm broke, however. Most
OF them took refuge in the airplane
hangers and several thousand waited
through the afternoon until the races
Hundreds of automobiles which car
ried thousands Of spectators to the field
were held up by the bottleneck on the
18th Street Bridge, where repair work
forced the traffic into one lane. Police
men were stationed at frequent inter-
walls from Pennsylvania avenue to the
turmoil to the flying field and there
was steady line OF cars moving at
snails pace from IL o'clock until about
on the race. At this time all traffic TO
the field was helted and the single road
from the field made one way for, D
double line of cars out.
None Of the special events which were
to have been held In connection with
the races were flown with the exception
of the arrival Of the squadrons from the
battle fleet. The combat planes, num-
bering more than 100 In al, left Hamp-
ton Roads, Va, where the three afr.
plane carriers to which they. are as
signed now are based, at 10 o'clock yes
terday morning. They met over indian
Head, Md. at 1915 and appeared over
the Capital promptly on schedule, Ct
1880 pm. =
They passed over the Capitol In az
cordance with the program and few
west to the Washington Monument.
There it became apparent that they
would have to land Immediately to es-
cape the storm and the plan to fly out
to Chevy Chase and back down the line
Of Connecticut avenue before passing
In review at AnacoStia was Abandoned
as the squadron leaders led the way 10
safety.
Los Angeles Visit Cancelled.
The visit of the Navy dirigible Los
Angeles, which was to have been one
celed yesterday morning because Of
thunderstorms between the National
Capital and Lakehurst, N. j., and the
big airship remained within her hangar
at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station.
Many of the special features which
were to have made yesterdays event
one of the greatest aeronauticai dem
the National Capital ever has seen can
not be held next Saturday, owing TO
the departure of two OF the airplane
carriers and their planes from Hampton
Roads tomorrow for the Pacific Coast.
Four OF the squadrons and one of
the carriers are to remain on the East
Coast during June and the planes will
proceed on Monday to Long island
Sound to join with the Scouting Fleet In
o joint Army-Navy exercise to test the
seacoast defenses of New England.
Plans had not been completed last
night for next Saturdays events In
connection with the races. The race
itself will be run as had been planned
for yesterday, probably starting ut
3 pm.
The Battle Fleet squadrons remained
at Anacostia last night and are to leave
today for Hampton, whsre six Of them
will be taken aboard their mother ships
In nrena ration for the trim In the Pa.