Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-28
WORLD FLYERS HOP
FOR KHABAROVSK
ENROUTE TO NOME
Post and Gatty Face 1000
Mile Nonstop lump to
Alaska.
HALT BRIEF FOR FUEL
AND WEATHER REPORTS
First Mishap Occurs as Plane Hits
Mud Bank in Landing, But
Little Time Is Lost.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Siberia, June
% Sunday an enforced delay
of 141s hours here, Wiley Post and
Harold Gatty the American round
the-world flyers, roared from the local
landing field at 1890 am. today $3.50
pm. Saturday, E. S, t..
Their next scheduled stop was
khaoarovSk, $50 miles distant. which
they expected to reach within 2l2 hours.
At Khabarovsk, they said, they would
refuel and takeoff Immediately for
Nome. Alaska. probably the most haz-
ardouS of their record-breaking flight.
From KhabarovSk to Nome is an air.
line distance of more than 1000 miles,
frought with danger of high mountains
and seas, and the possibility of storms
end enshrouding fog.
Lands on Mud Bank.
The American flyers landed here at
pm yesterday q am. Saturday,
E. S. IT,. The landing field was in
bad shape and their plane, the winnie
Mac settled down into the Siberian
mud. Throughout the night the swift
ronoplane rested in the muck, despite
the efforts of most of Blagoveshchensk's
small population. patient pillow horses
and peasants. 1t finally was removed
this morning, however, and the flyers,
after inspecting it for possible damage
continued on their way.
The flyers today had placed more
than three-flfths of their 15,000-mile
girdle of the globe behind them. They
completed the hop here from Irkutsk,
$50 miles, in hours so minutes.
Favorable weather conditions were
believed to await the flyers on their
dangerous fight to Nome. Khabarovsll
reports said the sky was clear, with COM
paratively little wind.
Latest meteorolog cal reports will be
furnished the Americans while their
plane is being refueled at Khabarovsk.
Should unfavorable conditions de-
velop. however, the flyers have the OPP
ton of landing at Petropavlovsk before
crossing the Bering Sea to Nome. Pet
ropavlovsk is on the southeast tip of the
kamchatka peninsula. Between 1t and
Nome lies the Boring Sea.
Tractor Aids Plane
An American tractor manned by the
two flyers, augmented by several teams
of horses, lifted the staunch monoplane
from the mud hole this morning.
The flyers departed apparently i'll the
best of spirits, despite the fact their
begged plane robbed them of an an
ticipated nights rest. The motor was
working perfectly as they rose from the
field Post and Gatty labored through
out the night to free their ship from
the mud.
Almost the entire population of Bla-
goveshchensk was at the field to see the
flyers off. Crowds had remained at the
field all night, seeking to assist the
Americans.
First Mishap Of Trip.
Despite the shower of mud and water
with which the American flyers greeted
the gentry of this town when they
landed from Irkutsk, they had a smile
through it all, and stepped out of the
plane with word they were in perfect
condition. 1t was the first mishap of
the flight.
Post and Gatty are following the
Amur, or great river of Siberia and
China to Khabarovsk. This river, 5000
miles long, forms the northern border
of Manchuria. 1t is in fertile basin
and the flight would be but pleasure
trip compared to what lies behind, and
also farther ahead. Khabarovsk, a city
of 5000 in 1928, is the scat of the
general government Of Amur and capi-
tai Of the littoral or maritime province.
5000 Miles Completed.
When the argonauts put the Winnie
Mae down in the mud hole here they
had completed almost 5000 miles of
their projected girdle of the globe.
They roared away on their great
adventure from Roosevelt Field, New
York, at 1856 am. Eastern standard
time), last Tuesday. Harbor Grace,
Newfoundland, was left at 1928 pm.
that day and at Gas the next morn
ing the flyers had landed at Sealand
Airdrome, England, after a safe cross
ing of the Atlantic.
Berlin was reached Wednesday after
noon and Moscow before lunch time on
Thursday. The flyers said goodbye to
Moscow Thursday night and the next
morning reached Nova Sibirsk. Siberia,
completing the fight to Irkutsk on
Friday
WEATHER REMAINS GOOD.