Evening star., 1938-07-15
FLIGHT SCENES
HAN TO FLYERS
Hughes Says He Saw Only
Splash of Waves Off
Boston.
By IRA WOLFERT.

NEW YORK, July is (N.A.N.A).-
Around the world in 81 hours, II
minutes!
Howard Hughes, diffdent and tall,
dark, thin, 33-year-old Texas Million
aire, and his four aides took long
week end off and spent it in circling
the globe. They started 7:20 o'clock
Sunday evening from Floyd Bennett
Field here in Mr. Hughes big silvered
monoplane, New York World Fair 1889.
It was rugged out with almost 100000
worth of special instruments. Its
wheels touched Floyd Bennett Field
again at 1877 pm. E. S. T. yesterday.
That was 14,824 miles later. 3 days,
19 hours and II minutes later.
Mr.. Hughes and his companions
looked as if they needed baths and
shaves badly. They were pale and
their eyes were stained red. But they
did not seem excessively fatigued.
They walked little uncertainty. but
they stood genially and without even
leaning through three hours of ami
able chatter at a cocktail party at
Grover Whalen's home in downtown
New York before hustling off to rest.
10000 at Airport.
A crowd estimated to be about 80 ,OOG
stood for hours at the airport, waiting
to cheer the record breakers home.
Well over 100000 persons-a FORE
taste of the huge crowds expected at
the formal parade and reception up
Broadway today-stood blocking the
13 miles of streets through which the
cavalcade roared, police sirens blowing
them out of stores, restaurants and
homes. Women tumbled out of beauty
parlors with their hair in slings and
men poured out of lunchrooms with
their teeth still imbedded in sand
wiches. Auto horns blasted the men
on their way to Mr.. Whalen's private
little party.
But what made the mind blink was
the fact that peeping out OF the coat
pocket of Radio Engineer Richard
Stoddart when he stepped out OF the
Lockheed monoplane was Tuesdays
edition of the Paris Soir. And what
made it blink with extra violence was
the realization that he had carried it
home the long way. Record-cracking
liners carrying the same newspaper
over a route one-third as long cannot
get it here before Sunday.
Hughes Paid for Trip.
Around the world in 81 hours, II
minutes! Here were five men-Mr.
Hughes, Mr.. Stoddart, Flight Engineer
Edward Lund and 1t. Harry Connor
and 1t. Thomas Thurlow, navigators-
who had spent 100000 in globe
girdling tour. Mr.. Hughes had bought
two planes and had chosen for the
flight the one he thought most suit
able. He had planted thousands Of
gallons of oil and gasoline at airports
around the world because he did not
know exactly which course he would
take until he was on it. And he had
refused to defray his expenses with
advertising tie-ups or syndicated ar
ticles Only spare parts for emer-
gency use we're offered to him free by
manufacturers, who did not relish be-
ing blamed in thousands of newspa-
pers for spelling the flight, and these
he did not have to use. The rest of
the expense he bore himself, including
salaries for three of his aides who
are on his regular staff.
Saw Splash of Waves.
Travel is supposed to be very broad
ening What did the men get out Of
it? Mr.. Hughes said he saw a splash
Of waves off Boston and then only
fog and weather until just before Ire
land. That. he said, was about all
the sights he could take in.
Mr. Stoddart said he knows little
more about the world than before he
went around it. Il know" he said,
that Floyd Bennett Field is better
for lifting heavy loads than LIE Bour-
get. that the airport at Moscow is
pretty good. that the ones at Omsk
and Vakutsk are leveled-of cabbage
patches and that it felt mighty good
to get to Fairbanks and find people
talking English.
Listen" he said, II didn't know
until few moments ago that we
landed at Minneapolis this morning.
thought it was Indianapolis. When
we got in, looked at my watch and
1t said o'clock. was all tangled up
in that midnight sun over Siberia, and
90 thought it must be 8 o'clock at
night. felt awful disappointed be-
cause that meant we'd be getting home
very late at night. didn't want Mrs.
6toddart to miss 50 much sleep.
Not Recommended for Tourists.
II don't recommend this kind of
travelling for tourist. We knew We
were in France because there were a
lot Of people around talking French.
We knew we were in Russia because