The Washington times., 1933-12-06
Continued from Page ~

colony capital flocked to the river
bank to watch Lindbergh take the
plane off as cleanly as though
the flight were being made with
oil the advantage Of daylight.
The plane rose sharply from
the water after but a short run,
In contrast to the score of futile
attempts previously made. Hith-
erto start Of the flight had failed
because the dead calm provided
no wing lift for the heavily loaded
plane and the unruffled water
placed too great suction on its
pontoons.
A strong breeze springing up
shortly before the take-off gave
the wings something to bite into
and ruffled the water in the river
sufficiently to release the sue
ton.
Adjusts POntOOns
Colonel Lindbergh made a few
minor adjustments on the pom
toons as the last part Of a thor
ough examination of the plane
Just before he climbed into the
cockpit and sent it roaring across
the river port and lifted it into
the brilliant night over the At
lantic.
One small ship, en- route to her
port in mid-Atlantic, one forbid
ding promontory of rock jutting
out of the sea, and wild, desolate
island 400 miles off the South
American coast are all that may
meet the Lindberghs' eyes before
they reach Natal unless passenger
or cargo vessels wander across
their path Of flight.
The ship is the Westfalen, air
plane mothercraft posted by the
Deutsche Lufthansa, German COM
mercial flying organization. to re-
fuel German mail planes bridging
the ocean eXpanse between the
two southern continents.
10 Fly OVer Fenal Isle
The granite spearhead is st.
Pauls Rock, grim, silent marine
mountain, whose head and shoul-
ders protrude above the surface Of
the sea.
The island is Fernando De Nor
onha, Brazilian penal colony 400
miles off the coast, whose prison
ers have been the first to welcome
the Graf Zeppelin and other air.
liners near the end Of their flights
across the ocean.
A flight over the route chosen
by Col. and Mrs. Lindbergh was
made a few weeks ago by a Ger.
man pilot carrying a crew of three,
o passenger, and large quantity
Of mail. The plane left Bathurst
one day, paused by the side Of the
T'estfalen in mid-ocean overnight,
and continued on to its destination
early the next morning after re-
fueling.
But despite the growing popu-
larity of this route as a con-
Meeting link between South Africa
and South America, comparatively
few private" flights have been
made over the uncharted ex-
panse of whitecapped waves.
Held Logical Route
Dieudonne Coste and Maurice
lie Brix, French fliers, mapped
out the route as part of a round
the-world flight in 1929, and
the late Commander Francisco de
Pinedo. killed in the crash of his
plane in leaving Floyd Bennett
Airport, New York, last summer
on an attempted long-distance
hop. flew it with a detour to the
Cape Verde Islands as one leg of
a 10000 mile flight in 1925.
Aviation authorities have long
maintained that the Bathurst or
Senegal to Natal route is the
most logical course for quick ship
ment of mails, passengers, and
general cargo from Europe to
South America.
Frequent flights are made to
the west coast of Africa from
various European points, and
when the ocean traffic is fully
developed. transportation of pas
Eengers and cargo across the At