Evening star., 1938-05-15
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.
TN A small room at Hazelhurst Field
Long Island. small group of Army
officers assembled from all sections of
the country, met on the morning of
May IA, 1918. to null over a problem in
democratic American fashion. Their prob
lem had nothing to do with the war,
then raging into the spring inferno of
1918. InTIthe sequel it proved more
important, for they were building, more
than any of them realized, for peace
In command was Maj. Rueben H. Fleet.
Others in the group were Capts Torrey
Webb and Paul Culver and Its Stephen
Bonsal, Walter Miller and James c. Edger-
ton. all pilots.
Maj. Fleet notified his peace-drafted war
birds that, due to unavoidable delays, the
airplanes with which they were expected
to inaugurate airmail service on the NOR
row between New York and Washington
had just been delivered from the factory
and still were in their crates.
These airplanes, he reminded his wor-
ried looking young pilots. required to be
assembled, serviced f1ight-tested and flown
to Philadelphia and Washington before IL
o'clock the next morning-or no airnail
service! Dismiss.
Beheld Good Old "Jennies"
There was a concerted rush to the stor-
age hangar, where a mountain of crates
confronted the pilots. Each officer Sc
lected crew and the necessary number
of fuselage and wing crates Crash of
wood and scream of tortured nails Un-
Grated, the pilots beheld remodeled JN-4Hs,
the good old "Jennies" They differed
from the Army versions in that each had
mail compartment.
Assembly developed into a race between
Capt. Culver and 1t. Edgerton and their
hard-pressed crews. They finished simul-
taneously at 3 pm, the ships serviced
and ready for flight test. The pilots climbed
into their cockpits. Contact! Contact!
One engine took hold, few puffs and the
second airplane roared into life. A scant
Is minutes was allowed for warming up
and mechanics kicked away the blocks.
After brief, strenuous flight tests, both
pilots landed. No other ships were ready.
There was another brief council of
war, the outcome of which was the de-
parture of Maj. Fleet, Capt Culver and
1t. Edgerton from Hazelhurst to Belmont
Park race track, the future airmail ter
minal, the major flying regular Army
Jenny" The flight was made under
gathering clouds.
There was a critical council of war at
Belmont. The ceiling was dropping and
clouds closing in. About an hour and
half of daylight remained. It was de-
cided to push on and the three pilots took
off to meet at Bustleton Field, of which
they knew nothing except that it lay II
miles north of Philadelphia.
Fleet Is Forced Down.
Capt Culver and It. Edgerton landed
at BustAeton about dusk, but there was
not trace Of Maj. Fleet. With darkness
moment, the hangar telephone finally rang
and the missing major reported that he
had been forced to land on a golf course
about miles away, with minor damage
to landing gear. The two pilots dumped
spares into truck and charged of across
country. Repairs were made and Maj.
Fleet landed at Bustleton by the lights Of
commandeered feet Of automobiles
Early the next morning Maj. Fleet con-
tinued on to Washington, leaving the two
younger pilots at Bustleton as relay men,
it having been decided to split the New
Washington run into two legs. Maj.
Fleet arrived at the polo field in West
Potomac Park, washington terminus in
time for the return fight, but found that
through some oversight no aviation gaso-
line was available. Under the critical eyes
Of President Wilson and many dignitaries,
the starting hour, II am, came and went
to the accompaniment Of wild scramble
Tor tusl