Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-03
STORMS OVER SEA
! GAVE COSTE THRILL
Frenchmen Confident of Sue
cess After Passing Third
| Weather Disturbance.
Continued From First page.l


thought, would be failure of our motor
1t had carried us already from France
to North America and we knew that II
would not fail us now. We had perfect
confidence in its stanch heart and that
confidence was justified. The motor
was wonderful. It@did all that we had
hoped 1t would.
Weather conditions on the whole,
were very favorable-at least the winds
were on our side. On the other hand,
almost the entire route was clouded
over and we went hour after hour over
that watery waste through thick white
mist. We could not see what lay ahead,
below or above. 1t was like floating N
a dream There was something unreal
about it--unreal and awesome. We
were two but we seemed So all alone.
Up and Down to Find Clear Way.
Most of the time was at the con-
trols, and there was plenty to keep my
mind busy There was no time for
dreaming. Constantly I had to shift
my course to find way out of the haze.
Sometimes we dropped the plane down
to less than 500 feet from the waves.
At other times we were up to $500 feet.
We seldom went above that mark, and
never very much above it.
But we had our reward. Although
my mind was taken up with the details
of navigation and the business of con-
troll, with my eyes constantly on the
instrument panel, could not help but
feel some satisfaction as we passed over
the first signs of human habitation 1t
was great relief after riding the mists.
First Thrill the Greatest.
Later. as we came down your coast
- -
uiation.-widesprea blocks of homes
some of the thrill was gone. OF course.
it was great satisfaction, but, after
all the battle had been the fight across
the sea. the war with the elements over
the ocean. We had arrived in America
and now our only thoughts were for
Curtiss Field our final objective.
When at last we arrived over Long
Island We were tremendously happy.
OF course, when we left We had gone
with the greatest confidence that we
would make it. And when we did we
we're greatly moved, not only by accom-
plishing the flight. but even more so
by the great reception which was given
me here yesterday evening.
Adequacy of Preparation Stressed.
After all, it was not the fight itself
as much as the preparations that
counted. ANY one can get in a plane
and attempt to fly across the Atlantic,
but it is the preparation which de-
termines success or failure. We did not
hesitate to make our decision to try to
leave not later than September /, be-
cause we knew that we had done all
that any could do for the trip. We had
overlooked nothing.
Meteorological conditions were not
as perfect for the fight as We had been
led to expect. There were extensive
areas of low pressure carrying favor
able winds, but not along the entire
route The conditions in France we're
far from good. There was consider
able fog in the northern part of my
country and we ran into dense banks
of it again in the south of England.
However, we had made up our minds
to leave on September S, come what
might We reached this decision on
Sunday
We met some trouble getting ready
for the flight because there was the
Sunday holiday and not many men
were available.
Finally, we did the best we could
with an emergency crew, hastily mobil-
lied, and on Sunday night the plane
was taken from the airdrome of Villa
coublay to the airdrome at LIE Bourget,
where it was put in the care Of expert
mechanics. ,
The food we we're to carry was con-
tanned in two small aluminium boxes.
Waited ImpatientIy for Dawn.
we waited for the dawn with great
Impotence. The fog at that time was
so thick that we could not see farther
than two kilometers. The landscape
was a gray blur and the air was wet
with the mists. That made us restless.
We could not leave and the hours be-