The Washington times., 1937-06-17

II was lust Edwin c. Hill
five years ago, as unknown and
as obscure as Lindbergh before his
solo flight from New York to
Paris scared him to fame and for
tune, that Miss Earhart stirred
the imagination Of the world by
her lone flight from over the At
lantic. On May 81, 1882, the gos-
soon in Farmer Gallagher's velvet
smooth pasture in Londonderry,
at the very northern tip Of the
Old Sod, stopped in his tracks
like a lad bewitched. Heads down
and tails up, Farmer Gallagher's
cows were scattering to all points
of the compass. Overhead was
a rending roar whose echoes re-
verberated louder and louder
against the pleasant hills.
Danny McCallon muttered
charm as old as Ireland, and then,
with a thought Of the church,
crossed himself as he lifted his
gaze. Shooting straight toward
him and the green pasture was a
gigantic bird, coming at comets
speed, leveling down toward long
and easy stretch Of turf. Danny
legged It to the hedge and stared
with his heart in his mouth.
Suddenly the great bird hushed
its savage scream. Gently it came
to earth. It's claws took hold. It
stopped, with q lingering culver
of vast wings. From the creature
came q being such as Danny Nc
Gallon had never beheld in all
his days. The creature was talliSh
and as slim as a reed of Tough
Foyle. It's head was crowned with
a mop of flaxen hair, as disordered
as the mop of a Zulu medicine
man. Its face seemed to have no
features at all, at all; just q
Smudge Of sooted oil-smear.
Danny's heels telegraphed a
message to his thinking machine
to 20 away from that place In
haste. but there was something
human about the strange being.
and Danny held his ground, firmly
holding his mind on Father Reilly
and the Heavenly Father above.
walking with stiff knees, in odd,
jerky strides, the creature came
near to Danny McCallon. It opened
its mouths mere slit in a waste
of black engineoil-and spoke
three words Of the English:
where am II"
Sure, you're in Derry, sir"
"Oh, thank you 50 much" The
deathIess curiosity Of the Irish
wagged Dsnny'S tongue. Google
eyed, he piped up: Have You
come far. sir?"
With q thrill Of laughter the
slim dim Of the air replied, one
word:
"America!"
"And believe me, Father"
gasped Danny to Father Reilly
thirty minutes later, II said to
myself: what a liar it is nOw!'
But looked again and I say
that the fellow spoke the Gods
own truth. He had come clear
across the windy, wide ocean,
from q distant place, as sure as
the good st. Patrick drove the
snakes out Of Ireland. And /
was off to spread the news"
But it was not a fellow who
spoke the Gods own truth. It was
a woman, a mere girl, the Quickest
product Of aviation in 1932-the
plucEiest and most entirely charm
ing. Upon that stretch of emerald
sod, Amelia Earhart had brought
to q successful end the greatest
adventure ever undertaken by a
daughter Of Eve-the solo flight,
through fog and cold, from Harbor
Grace, Newfoundland, to the
fringe Of Londonderry City.
Two thousand and twenty-SiX
miles over the tumbling Atlantic.
most Of it in the black night.
Flames shooting every anxious
second from broken exhaust pipe
and threatening the leaky fuel
line. Death riding in the cockpit
all the way. This girl, who is a
born fler, who has In her the
daring spirit Of Lndbergh, had
once before scared across the At
lantic. but only as passenger.
True enough, she took her life
in her slim hands in 1928 when
she made the flight in the Friend
ship, Adm. Dick Byrd's old flying
ship, with Pilot Wilmer Stultz and
Flight Mechanic Lou Gordon
They had landed safely in the
ocean Just off Burryport, Wales
and that adventure gave Amelia
Earhart the inspiration and the
resolution to make q solo flight
to do as a woman what Charles A
Lindbergh had done as a man.
She planned the flight and EN-
barked upon it for the fun of the
thing. She knew and had tolc
this writer that the chances were
at least ten to one that she woulc
never be heard of again-that she
would join the company Of thu
lost. But do it she had to.
Wise Berndt Balchen, knowing
Miss Earhart and aware Of a fly
ing skill and careful competence
approached by no other woman
flyer and virtually equal to Lind
bergh's own, w6S confident from
the first that she could win. From
the first he aided her with his in
valuable experience.
Her young husband, always q
good sport when it comes to my
flying" nodded a more or less re
signed Eyes," Proud Of her to hi!
Iingertips, sympathizing with hel