Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-02-28
STEEL FILINGS PUT
IN MOTOR TO HALT
HOP, POST CLAIMS
Emery Found in Two Pounds
Of Erosive Substance,
He Charges.
SABOTAGE PLOT LAID
TO "ANOTHER PILOT"
Dangerous 0verheating of Engine
Necessitated Landing in Bed
of Dry Lake.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
KANSAS CITY, February %
Wiley Post charged today that nearly
two pounds Of steel filings and pow
dered emery were placed in the engine
Of his airplane, probably at the insti-
CATION of another pilot" to cause
the failure of his recent projected
substratosphere flight across the con-
tinent.
Post, here en- route to New York,
did not name the pilot, but said he
had enough evidence Of the alleged
sabotage to convince him the foreign
matter was placed in the engine Of
the Winnie Mae deliberately.
Engine Overheated.
The Oklahoman said the substances
caused the engine to overhead danger
ously after he had been in the air
less than so minutes. He made a
forced landing, with full load of
gasoline and without landing gear. in
the bed Of Mudoc Dry Lake in Cali
fornla.
Laboratory tests disclosed the
presence of the emery and filings in
the OIL" Post said. referring to an in
vestigation now under way in Los
Angeles.
II began to suspect something was
wrong soon after got of the ground
at Los Angeles, because the engine
was hotter than 1t ever had been be-
fore. At first / thought of an oil leak,
but found later the spewing oil was
coming from the breather pipes. due
to overheating."
Plight Described.
The round 1.-The world flyer graph
ically described his plight.
There was" he said. with hot
oil being spewed all over the wind
shield of the Winnie. In the special
suit I was wearins in order TO
maintain sea level pressure for my
body. there is only q narrow slit for
me to see out Of. have only one
eye to see with at any time
As you know, ! had dropped the
landing gear of the plane just after
I left Los Angeles. In the cabin be-
hind me at the moment were some
2,200 pounds, more than ton. OF
gasoline. The Winnie was not equip
ped with dump valves and I was
faced with the necessity Of landing
without q landing gear to absorb the
shock Of my heavily loaded machine
and almost unable to see where !
was going.
Couldn't Determine Wind.
ITO make things even worse" the
chunky and always hatless Post went
on with wry smile. Il had no means
of determining wind direction. !
chose Muroc dry lake for the landing
because it's as big as all outdoors.
When I got near the earth, found
I was in a side wind and was drifting
badly, but there was nothing else to
do. sat down."
Post said he believed the Govern
ment should investigate the matter,
pointing out this might be possible in
view Of the fact he had been sworn in
as an airmail pilot here several days
before the attempted experimental
flight.
The one-time plow-boy said he hoped
the engine of his plane would be over
hauled in time to permit a new flight
attempt within 10 days He said he
was convinced his hope of spanning
the continent in seven hours was en-
tirely feasible. and pointed out that he
had Travelled about $50 miles and
climbed to $4,000 feet in the so min
utes he was in the air
Reverting to his sabotage charge,
Post declared bitterly he regarded the
incident as the ''rottenest thing ever
met up with in flying"
when we get Winnie's engine back
together again, there won't be an OPP
portunity for any one to do any more
'monkeying' with it. you can bet on
that" he added. THAT ship will be
guarded"
Post said he planned to confer in
New York with Jack Frye, president Of
Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc,
one Of the sponsors of the flight, re-
garding q possible Federal investiga-
ton.