Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-15
Fuel of Flyers Believed Ex-
hausted by 4::30 O'Clock
This Morning.
GERMANS LAST SIGHTED
3e5 MILES FROM SHORE
Five Airports Wait in Vain for
Craft That Took Off From
Lisbon for New York.

KEENE. N. H, September IS (Pl.-
A large airplane heading toward New
York was seen over this city at IL
noon. Eastern standard time. 1t was
large gray plane and appeared to
have pontoons. The ship came from
the northeast, and as Keene is not
far from the Atlantic Coast a plane
could have come in from the ocean
unnoticed because Of low clouds. AS
the plane was flying at such high
altitude and high speed it was i'm
possible to distinguish any markings
on it.
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Septem-
Der Is (P)-A check of possible
landing places on Nova Scotia and
Newfoundland today revealed no
trace of the Lisbon-to-New York
flyers, now many hours overdue. A
low ceiling overhung the Nova
Scotian coast.
b. the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, September 15.-Fear
for the safety of two Germans and q
Portuguese who took off from Lisbon,
Portugal, on a nonstop flight to New
York arose today as their gray mono
plane was overdue.
Tempered with fear was the reali-
cation that the plane Esa might have
come Down at some remote place in
the Maritime Provinces of Canada. The
flyers took enough fuel, by their own
estimate. to last 48 hours. That hour
was up at 4:30 am, Eastern standard
time. today.
Christian Johanssen, German war
flyer; Will Rody, 23-year-cld German
and owner of the plane, and Fernando
Costa Vega, Portuguese sportsman,
we're sighted at LAO pm. Eastern
standard time, yesterday by the steam
ship Pennland, about S95 miles from
Halifax.
Due at 2 AM. Today.
At that point. the plane had COM
pleted about $500 miles Of its 3,700-
mile flight. To reach New York it had
to go LOO miles farther. Under IA
vorable conditions the plane could have
arrived at 2 am. standard time, today.
Weather conditions during the first
part of the journey were good. AS the
flyers approached the Western Henri
sphere, overcast skies and electrical
storms faced them. Around Halifax a
heavy fog lifted as the night wore on,
but it was dark and starlesS. The plane
had no radio.
The mystery of the fight caused no
end of trouble and worry for dozen
various officials. None of the metro
politan airports had received word from
q a
were kept on duty at five places.
Airports Prepared.
Field lights were on through the night
at Roosevelt Field, which is the best
known to European flyers. Prepara-
lions for a possible landing were made
at Floyd Bennett Field the Municipal
Airport in Brooklyn; at Newark Air
port; the Glenn Curtiss Airport at
North Beach and at Mitchell Field, the
Army station on Long Island.
Police reserves. called to handle
crowds at Roosevelt, Newark and Floyd
Bennett fields, were sent home as the
hours passed without sign of the flyers.
Mai. William Deegan. chairman Of
the Mayors Welcoming Committee, was
up all night at hotel with staff and
a police escort.
In a nearby hotel the consuls from
Germany, Portugal and Denmark
awaited hopeful news so they might
rush to one of the airports and greet
the aerial adventures.
Eleven Eie in Attempts.
Rody bought the plane with some
money he inherited
Johanssen. Al. has made several long
distance hops, including one to the Far
East. He has been flying the past few
years in Denmark.
Eleven persons have persisted attempt
ing east-to-weSt transatlantic flights
Three planes have made such flights.