Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-16
BY GEORGE WELLS.


NEW YORK, May Is N-Ten
years ago next Thursday morning,
Capt. Charles A. Lindbergh walked
down the stairs OF a Garden City no.
tel into the lobby.
He was clean-shaven and wore a
spotless flying suit, but otherwise there
was nothing about his appearance to
indicate that he was about to start on
a history-making flight to Paris In
fact, he was bit sleepy. He rubbed
his drousy eyes.
Only couple Of hours earlier he
had gone to his room to retire, pausing
on his way to tell the desk clerk:
Call me at 2:l5"
Now as he walked out Of the hotel
to get into waiting car he felt an
occasional raindrop. The morning was
chilly. A mist hung over Long Island.
The car started for Curtiss Field,
where Lindbergh's plane, the Spirit Of
st. Louis, was housed in a closely
guarded hangar.
Reached Hangar at 3 Am.
1t was almost o'clock when Lind
bergh reached the hangar, around
which Nassau County police had
formed a Gordon to keep away small
crowd forsaking sleep to see the take
of in bid for the $4,000 prize posted
by Raymond Orteig, New York hotel
owner.
Soon after Lindbergh went into the
hangar the light rain turned to a
doWnpour. He listened to the drum
ming on the metal roof
If this keeps up, it's all of for
today, I guess" the slim 25-year- old
flyer muttered gloomily
Then a telephone call from the In
ternational Wireless Co. cheered him.
Over Nova Scotia the voice on the
phone said the skies had cleared.
Lindbergh grinned. His weather data
of the night before had been right.
He counted on fine weather and favor
able winds over Newfoundland and be-
You'd.
He watched mechanics go over the
plane carefully. Wrenches gave every
nut and bolt final twist. Guy wires
and struts were tapped and the mo-
tor examined thoroughly. Then a
truck drove up to the hangar and a
tow rope was attached to the plane.
lowed to Site of Takeoff.
Through a hard-driving rain the
truck rumbled slowly across Curtiss
Field to nearby Roosevelt Field. The
going was slow in the mud 1t was S
O'Clock before the plane was pulled
into place on a runway and pointed
toward the east. The crowd now
numbered hundreds.
Comdr. Richard E. Byrd, Lieut.
George Neville and Bert Acosta had
taken the huge F'okker, the America.
out Of the hangar They offered to
escort the daring young flyer short
distance on the way, and were warm
ing up their plane for a brief flight
to see how the weather was UP there
Lindbergh's ship was only halt
fueled, but eager mechanics and
hangers-on trundled gasoline. 24O gal
Ions Of it, in five-gallon cans, to the
tank. Soon gasoline flowed over the
Aiull, ulOlCdIlllS d Idllk 1ull 10 ltS 44o-
gallon capacity.
The America circled overhead and
landed.
Lindbergh ordered his motor started
It was 7:30
"How's the weather up there?'
somebody asked Neville.
Pretty muggy," he answered. II
don't think we'll follow the kid very
far"
Ate Sandwich for Breakfast.
Motor cycle policemen began to push
the crowd back from the runway
Lindbergh slowly munched his break
fast, a sandwich
He walked over toward the cabin
looked in and grinned.
When 1 get into that little cabin, u
he said. It'll be like getting into the
death chair at Sing Sing. If I get
out alive at Paris. it's going to be like
a pardon from the Governor"
He glanced toward Edward ]. Null