Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-16
Verne Treat Drops Near
Laurel After Losing Struggle
Against Night Storm.
TRUCK USED TO BRING
POST ON TO WASHINGTON
Flyer Made First Jump to Save His
Life Last March-Has Nota-
BILE Flight Record.

His plane crusted over with ice, which
put all his instruments out of commits
sion; blinded by heavy snow and clouds
in pitch darkness, Verne Treat, veteran
mail pilot on the coastal line through
the National Capital, was forced to
take to his parachute near Laurel, Md,
last night to save his life.
He jumped from the plane only after
a long struggle during which the stag
gering plane, under a hopeless load of
ice and frozen snow, went completely
out of control. Treat landed safely
near farm house. the plane crashed in
dense woods mile away.
Plane Almost Demolished.
Aided by Scott F. Brown, the farmer
near whose house he landed, Treat set
out in the snow and darkness to find
his plane, but gave up the search after
two hours. He set out again at day
break and found the plane this morning
at o'clock. 1t was almost totally de-
molished, but the mail was undamaged.
Treat Communicated truck and had
the mail brought to Washington, arriv-
ing at Boiling Field at $3.50.
After being held at Boiling Field near
ly three hours, Treats mail was loaded
aboard another plane, and when a
Slackening of the worst of the storm
was reported, Pilot John Armstrong took
of at 1915 o'clock this afternoon for
Richmond
Armstrong faced bad going, with a
on Nf aIry ,-ofV Cav
ries of wet snow. Armstrong is the only
pilot able to get through. to the Capital
since Saturday night. He few from
Richmond yesterday shortly after dawn
and was held here after several attempts
to break through to New York had
failed, forcing him to return.
Armstrong landed safely at Rich
mond at 80 pm. after cropping through
the storm, sometimes miles off his
course, in order to find way around
the worst of the storm areas. accord
ing to report received at Boiling Field.
Due TO his wanderings in the storm the
trip required an hour and quarter,
though it usually is made in less than
an hour.
Treats battle with the snow and ice
probably will go down as one of the
epics of the local mail. line. The jump
which climaXed the struggle was the
second Treat has made while flying the
mail. A year ago this month he was
"pinched of" by heavy fog and was
forced TO jump from an altitude of H.
600 feet, landing at Antietam, Md.
Treat left New York on the regular
southbound mail run at 9:10 o'clock
last night bound for Richmond, Va,
with a good sized load of mail. He
stopped at Camden, N. j., where wealth
er reports indicated that he probably
would be able to get through to Wash
ington.
instruments Are ClOgged.
Near Havre de Grace, Md, ne began
to encounter the full force of the storm.
Flying at 1000 feet he was between two
layers of clouds in binding snow so
dense he had to resort to his tnstru
ments entirely for guidance.
MY bank and turn indicator began
to go out" he told George Smith, local
field manager for Eastern Air Trans
port, who met him at Laurel this morn
ing, land 1 knew I was beginning to
pick up ice. Then my artificial horizon
began to go. With these instruments
out it was impossible 20 hold a compass
course, because couldn't hold the COM
pass card steady without the aid of the
Continued on Page 8, Column S.