Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-27
PILOTS ASK HOOVER
TO BLOCK SHAFTS
40 Join in Petition Citing DAN
ger to Air Traffic in Co.
Iumbia Island Project.

Aroused by the action OF the Com
mission Of Fine Arts in recommending
construction Of the proposed 200-foot
twin granite shafts on Columbia Island,
all airmail and transport pilots operat-
ing on lines out Of the National Capital
today are petitioning President Hoover
to block the project.
Forty pilots are joining in the pc
tition, which calls upon the President
to disregard the recommendation Of the
Fine Arts body in the interest of human
life and property.
The columns would be an ever-pres-
ent source of danger, the pilots believe
Collision by plane with any part OF
either of the columns probably would
result in the instant death of every per-
son aboard the plane and, with planes
carrying as many as 81 persons operat-
ing in and out of Washington Hoover
Airport on frequent daily schedules,
possibility of a tragedy Is too great to
ignore. in their opinion.
Other Problems Solved.
Conferences between local aviation
officials and the various Federal agen-
cies active on Columbia Island, ar
ranged through the efforts Of Lawrence
e. Williams Chairman Of the Aviation
Committee of the Washington Board
of Trade; William P. MacCracken, jr,,
former Assistant Secretary of Com
merce for AeronauticS, and Robert j.
Cottrell, executive secretary Of the
board, have resulted In a solution OF
all problems in connection with con-
struction of possible aviation hazards
on the island except the columns.
officials Of the aeronautics branch OF
the Department of Commerce, charged
with the safety of passengers and pit
lots on American civil aircraft, have
branded the columns as serious obsta-
cles to operations from Washington
Hoover Airport and have limited that
they may be forced to close the air.
port to passenger operations II the col
umnS are constructed.
Pilots Are Unanimous.
The pilots petition, circulated at
Washington Hoover Airport and Boiling
Field under auspices OF Mr.. Williams
committee, bears the signature OF every
pilot flying mail or passengers out OF
Washington Hoover Airport.
The petition is addressed to Mr.. Will
hams for forwarding to the President.
Included in the list Of signers is the
Department of Commerce aeronautical
inspector for the local territory. The
names signed to the petition follow:
w. Wipprecht, jr; Henry j. Brown,
Walter Schaffer, AL Lybarger, M. p.
Hanscom, j. M. Castor, William Liv-
ingood, G. C. Hand, j. B. Kuhn,
Charles w. Carneal, Alvin Jones, A.
Earl Steel, Roger Scott, Paul Collins, ].
Earl Steinhauer, Edward Couples, Hugh
j. Wells, A. Raymond Brooks, P. D.
Lucas, E. e. Underhill, E. H. Parker,
Lowell S. Harding, H. L. Smith, A. E.
Wilson, John S. Wynne, L. H. Stewart,
Joseph Brown, Shelly Charles, A. c.
Komdat, z. G.. Cross, John B. Arm
strong, Harry Bissell, Lloyd Juelson,
Milton Anderson, George G. Pomeroy,
W. F. Phillip, Thomas Thompson,
Bud Baker. Lowell Scroggins and Trow-
bridge Sebree.
The Aviation Committee Of the
Washington Board of Trade Is to meet
at 4 o'clock, Tuesday afternoon, to con-
slider the protest and undertake some
drastic move toward protection OF
commercial aviation in the National
Capital. This activity, the committee
declared, has developed in an out
standing degree in comparison with
the rest OF the country"