davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1944-04-16
How Our Planes Got Folding Wings

He carefully severed the eraser across
the middle. Then he whitfield one of
the halves to the bevel of a plane wing.
This half he put into the clip, like q
wing. When the beveled object was
swung backward, 1t also turned slightly
sidewise like the slant of birds wing
He did little figuring, and then went
to the design room, to the chief aero
nautical engineer, Bill Schwendlear, and
L. A. (Jake) Swirbul, Grumman vice
president and general manager.
Il think" he said, I'VE have the an
sWer for the folding wing. Have this
engineering design worked out on paper.
If it looks good, make it in small
model plane"
The model was a success.
These Grumman wings fold fiat along
side the fuselage, so that the plane is
no wider than the tail. Five planes
with wings folded can be put in the
space of two without folded wings
The bird wings were placed on Wild
cats, the Avenger torpedo plane and the
Hellcats. In the Pacific this bird-wing
design has advanced naval air striking
power about year ahead of where it
would have been with the rigid wings 1t
Is not always possible exactly to double
the number of planes on carrier. since
some types are carried without folding
wings. But the increases run up to 80
per cent.
The release which unlocks the wings
to fold is button in the pilots panel.
In fight, even If the wing is unlocked
by mistake 1t does not fold, because air
pressure keeps the structure rigidly ex-
tended.
Aboard ship the wings are folded or
unfolded in 8 to Is seconds.
Evening star., 1944-04-16

The men who laid out this subdivi-
sion were among Washingtons most
energetic citizens, and it did not take
them long to transform it into a very
attractive place, with cement sidewalks
and cutters and trees, and several mag
nificent homes were soon erected, and
today its population must be consider
able.
Soldiers Home School
In connection with the story in these
columns, of March IL, last, dealing with
the old Soldiers Home Public School,
the writer received a letter from his
long time friend, Henry w. Draper, su-
pervising principal of the first division
and in charge Of elementary schools in
the Georgetown area, in which he states
that his first assignment. as q teacher
in the public schools in 1895 was to this
building, where he taught mixed third
and fourth grade, sharing the room
with Miss Minnie Compton, now Mrs.
Squire, a teacher in the Western High
School, who at that early date taught
the first and second grades. Miss Hen
rietta King was then the principal, and
her salary, and that Of Miss Compton
and Mr.. Draper, was $400 a year, made
in 10 monthly payments.
OF the pupils who attended the school,
MIR. Draper recalls Mildred and Amy
Langley, children of the late Charles A.
Langley; Alice Murphy and Charles
D'Andelet. Joseph r. Keene," he says,
was then supervising principal of the
seventh division and a grand old man
He was one of the first officers to have
this title and filled it until he was in his
late 70s. Those were happy days to
remember OF course, there may have
been juvenile delinquents then, but none
came to my attention. We used meas
ures that had a tendency to correct
juvenile faults, and mothers who kept
house co-operated with us, and children
Evening star., 1944-04-16

The Redter71 Cottage, which
formerly stood on Rock Creek
Church road, UeSt of Rock
Creek Cemetery. One of the
Oldest hcuses in this section of
the District.
replaced the original log house, and at
q more recent date an addition was
made, giving it its present lines and
appearance.
Some few years ago when it was
found necessary to repair the sills of
the house, the carpenter found that
they had been put together with large
wooden pegs, and some of these were
turned over to the family, who still
retain them as relics of the old home.
Nearby were encamped soldiers during
the Civil War, and in the house itself
the officers Of Massachusetts, regiment
made their headquarters during the
battle OF Fort Stevens.
Col. John Tayloe
However, in time, James White and
his heirs found it advantageous to dis
pose Of their large property holdings,
and what is now known as Petworh
was later transferred to a Capt. Balch.
When this titled gentleman died, about
1903 his country property was sold to
Col. John Tayloe OF Mount Avry, Va.
1t is believed that during Col. Tayloe's
lifetime this estate extended from Rock
Greek Cemetery to about where was
formerly Piney Branch road, a portion
OF which still remains. 1t did extend
from Rock Creek Church road on the
south. to quite distance on the north,
and likely included Piney Branch Park,
originally known as Saul's subdivision,
and the Marshall Brown Richard Wal
ZACH estate, opposite, On the east side
OF Georgia avenue, once the golf course
OF the Columbia Country Club, but now
all densely built up.
When Col Tayloe bought the Pet
worth property he improved it by erect
ing line Of posts and q rail fence of
cedar along Rock Creek Church road
for about three-fourths of a mile, the
rails, according to an old item, after
being hewn. were planed, the work being
done by slave labor, and they are said
to have been in good state of preserva-
ton In 1865.
At the time the fence was built there
was no road up old Seventh street
which now means Georgia avenue, and
read was not laid out here until 1919,
Evening star., 1944-04-16

The old White Homestead,
still standing on the north
side of LongtelloD street be-
tWeen Georgia Avenue and
Thirteenth street NV.
ber of the Association of the Oldest In
habitants and died in June, 1916 His
funeral took place from the Church of
the Sacred Heart, then at Fourteenth
street and Park road.
Christopher Cammack was another
early resident of this city and whose
descendants, no doubt, still reside here
He was merchant tailor at 1923 F.
street, and here his widow, Elizabeth
Cammack, continued to reside after her
husbands death.
Christopher Cammack was born at
Long Sutton, in Lincolnshire, England,
November 3, 1897, and came to Wash
ington November 1s, 1915.
Evening star., 1944-04-16

Not far from the Scottish coast rises
out Of the ocean a 2,400-foot peak. Air
craft have crashed on this peak, with
loss Of all personnel
In little more than year Of opera
ton the European wing of Air Trans
port Command has received, modified
for combat and delivered many thou
sands OF planes, including bombers of
many types, pursuit ships and trans
ports. Even the high-fying P-3Ss,
the ocean, stunt which has been
okayed for publication by the War
Department. In way their flight has
been tactical, for equipped with the
same tanks they fly deep into Germany
nowadays, escorting bomber flights on
combat missions. The experience gained
Evening star., 1944-04-16

were permitted to make use of it, the
heavier teams. including farm wagons,
being forced to wallow in the mud on
the higher part of the road, the plank
road being depressed several inches be-
low the other part of the pike.
Col. Tayloe was very fond Of horse
racing and always kept a stable of fine
thoroughbred animals and he had
track laid out on his Petworth farm.
Just where Col. Tayloe had his coun-
try home, If he ever had one, is not
known. Undoubtedly the Redfern house,
which once stood on Rock Creek Church
road just west of the cemetery, was one
Of the earliest in this section, and 1t is
possible The colonel may have resided
here. Another early home was the old
octagon house which stood on the west
side of Georgia avenue, about a block
north of Rock Creek Church road. It
was built by Benjamin Sunny some
time shortly after 1855, and taken down
In 1922.
The Redfern House
Mr. SUNNY, according to Frank j.
Metcalf. came to the District in 1852,
when company of IL families includ-
ing his own came to the District from
Buffalo, N. Y, and purchased 1877 acres
Of farm and woodland of that part of
Petworth lying west of Seventh street
road and reaching westward to Piney
Branch road, and from Rock Greek
Church road, or thereabout, north to
the old Saul property These families,
which included among others, Mr.. Sum-
my, William c. Avery, William Little,
E. G. Hubbard, Mr.. Long, William Hor-
ner, J. P. Dickinson, j. M. Taylor and
Daniel Strickler, divided between them
the tract, each being given a site for
his house and about four acres of wood
land on the back, toward Piney Branch.
The first house built by Mr.. Sunny,
in 1858, was burned two years later. The
next was the Octagon house, said to be
Evening star., 1944-04-16

in the ocean flight helps them In COM
bat.
Volume Is Great.
The volume compared with like
period year ago, was about IS times
as great. The flow steadily has in
creased until it is now immense. More
than $4,000 persons, including the high
est dignitaries of all United States mill
tary, diplomatic and governmental,
travel on ATC planes. Such distin-
guished personages as Queen Wilhel-
nina of the Netherlands, Secretary of
War Stimson, United States Senate
committee. Wendell Willkie, French
Gen. Giraud, the Hartman mission to
Evening star., 1944-04-16
BY John Clagett Proctor.

After all, it is fascinating to look back
ward for threescore years and more and
visualize in your minds eye the sur
roundings Of your youth, be they ever
80 humble. But if your young life was
spent in city like Washington, and
you have seen it grow from less than
10000 to something like $4,000, then
the Transformation will seem all the
more marvellous. Indeed, if we go back
to 1875, we will find many vacant
squares Of ground north of street and
many sidewalks still unimproved, paths
across the commons being generally
used as route to your destination.
At this time one of the earliest sub
divisions outside of the city proper
not including the earlier subdivisions of
Meridian Hill and Mount Pleasant, in
what was then known as the County of
Washington-waS LIE Droit Park then
just coming into being, and for years
later it was very exclusive place in
which to reside.
Today only the early Washingtonian
could locate its boundaries, since in
more recent years it has been so thor
oughly merged with the rest of the
city. Later came the laying out of
Columbia Heights in 1881, followed by
such well-known places as Columbia
College, Takoma Park, Washington
Heights, Kalorama, Whitney Close, Park
View, Chevy Chase and others, of
course. OF interest at this time, how
ever, is Petworth, one Of the largest
subdivisions in the District.
Part of Vast Estate
1t Is quite likely that this property
was once part OF the vast estate of
James White, who was born in IT'S and
died March 8, 1901. It may also have
been left to him by his forebears. This
early Marylander, in 1735 married
lady, whose grave is in Rock Creek
Cemetery beside that of her husband.
After he married he is believed to have
taken UP his residence in the White
homestead. then log house which oc-
cupied the identical spot where later
was placed the present dwelling which
faces the city, and occupies the south
half Of the block between Georgia ave-
nue. and Thirteenth street and Long
fellow and Madison streets.
Tradition has it that this old log
house was equipped with portfolios for
defense in case of attack by Indians or
wild animals, such as wolves and bears,
which were still to be feared when the
original house was built. Indeed, the
story even goes 50 far as to include the
burying Of an Indian chief in the cellar,
where he might sleep until called upon
to take up his abode in the happy hunt
ing grounds.
Pleasant Hills Tract
Though James White was unquestion-
ably Of patriotic impulses, yet just four
years before the signing of the Declasa-
ton Of Independence he received
direct grant Of 536 acres, the tract being
known as Pleasant Hills, and lying close
to Turkey Thicket and Mount Pleasant.
Both Of these tracks, the writer is told,
are included in the Soldiers Home
grounds, which contains just q few
more acres than the number mentioned
in the grant.
The old White mansion on Longfellow
street, like many old District homes, has
been remodeled perhaps upon more
than one occasion. At q very early
period q part of the present structure
Evening star., 1944-04-16

larly, the skeptics said, because Of
weather and other conditions. Today
it is practically milk run in which
weather, to coin pun, cuts little ice.
The planes simply get above or below
icing conditions over the ocean.
One of the runways here is 1900 yards
long, enough for even the heaviest
known aircraft, but the people here are
thinking of extending it for 8 miles and
plan also seaplane base. I saw a
model of six engine, twin-fuselaged
airplane which may be the passenger
craft of the future. These people are
on their toes, looking to the future air
travel
Evening star., 1944-04-16

Great Britain safely 10 hours later. It
was at critical time Of the battle of
Britain, not long after Dunkirk, when
every airplane that could be used was
needed here. There was an enormous
demand for shipping space and ships
loaded with airplanes were being sunk
almost daily along the Atlantic sea-
lanes. 1t was then decision was reached
to ferry aircraft from Canada to Brit
ain. The transatlantic bomber ferry
started that way.
First of Many
Marshall Bennett was asked when he
landed If he was the first of the few.
mo-" he said. "The first of the many"
Service couldn't be maintained regu-
Evening star., 1944-04-16

and communication the bomber crews
were delayed only matter Of hours
This is one minor example Of the way
Prestwick air terminus, one of several
operated by the United States Army Air
Transport Command, with the utmost
cooperation Of the Royal Air Force, is
doing a war Job.
Here are delivered in undreamed- of
quantities, aircraft destined, after a
period Of modification in the shops
here, to carry the air battle to Germany.
Here perhaps the battle is being won,
for without the facilities established
here in Western Scotland, and carried
out with the utmost efficiency and push,
the air war might falter and lag. Guam
titles OF material. aircraft, armament
and such are military secrets, but any
American would be thrilled to his toes
to see the amounts Of war material
rushed here across the Atlantic to toss
Jerry back on his heels with minimum
loss Of time
A Shuttle Operation.
Here center the meteorological and
communication services which shepherd
great fleets OF fighting and transport
aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean in a
run which has become virtually shut
tie operation. Here on the edge Of the
Irish Sea, not far from an information
ally famed. golf course where Bobby
Jones and Lawson Little of the United
States won championships, Is centered
SO much of the air operations from over
seas, vital to the war effort that i'm
portance Of the terminus cannot be over
emphasized.
In charge of the American phase of
this operation is Air Transport Com
mand. This wing Of ATC is little more
than year old. In that short time it
has built up, maintained and expanded
in a way that would warm the cookies Of
any Americans heart. Almost nothing
manufactured for the war or vital to the
war cannot be shipped here by air with
minimum loss of time.
Air Crossroads of the World.
Through the portals OF the operations
lounge have passed more important per-
sonages in the international sense than
through any airways Office anywhere in
the world. 1t is truly an air crossroads
OF the world, and it will play a major
part in air traffic between the United
States and Great Britain after the war.
And here is warning to American air.
lines operators: You'd better get on the
ball, and think internationally in terms
Of air travel. Two years from now may
be too late.
Air Transport Command pilots, look
ing somewhat bored but efficient, step
down from their big C-54 four-engined
aircraft They've just come in from the
United States, night of flying an un-
seen ocean, high above the cloud layers
which blanketed the angry waves of the
Atlantic. But they weren't scared.
transatlantic travel by air has become
Evening star., 1944-04-16

to vertical position. That double mo-
ton was what Grumman couldn't figure
One afternoon he absently picked up
the paper clip and the eraser, one of
the long, flat variety, and fiddled with
them as he thought When he looked
down, he saw that he had thrust the
eraser through the paper clip, the two
forming the semblance of plane, the
eraser the wings. the clip the fuselage.
Grumman noticed that he was twist
ing the eraser back and forth, and that
the side which went back was sug-
gestive of a folding birds wing
He moved the eraser and laid 1t on
his desk. From his pocket he drew a
penknife.
Evening star., 1944-12-25
District Soldier Helps Lead
Patrol in Rescue of 81 Men

Last night the 8-year-old son of
Pvt. and Mrs. Joseph Long of 1860
B street Sc, remarked it didn't
seem like Christmas without daddy"
who was somewhere with the Ameri-
can forces on the German border.
Today it was happier Christmas
because Mrs Long and her three
sons learned through The Star that
Pvt. Long not only is well but that
he was one of four men who led
patrol which rescued 80 men of the
7th Army from the Siegfried Line
town of Bundenthal, where they had
been trapped for seven days.
Pvt. Longs wife, Mrs. Margaret
Walker Long, was told of an As
sociated Press dispatch which said
that after the patrol had led the
trapped men to safety those who
were rescued gave thanks for 'the
biggest Christmas present we ever
got"
Pvt. Long has been in the Army
since last April Is. He is a native
of Washington and formerly was a
cab driver. The three Long sons are
8, and 3.
On the battle front the 70 infan-
trymen and officers were surround
ed in eight houses on the outskirts
OF Bundenthal on the night of De-
Evening star., 1944-12-25
New Year Dance Set
For 5000 in Service

What officials announced as one
OF the largest servicemen's dances
yet held in the United States will
take place New Years eve at Uline
Arena, Third and M streets NE.
Five thousand service men and
women are expected to attend the
huge party, sponsored by the city's
four Catholic USO groups.
Guest of honor will be Mrs.
Eleanor Roosevelt, who will address
the dancers at 1890 pm.
To assure a sufficient number
of young women as dancing part
ners, all hostesses who have beer
affiliated with the Catholic USC
groups of the National Catholic
Community Service womens units
as well as those who have served
the mems unit, will be on hand
Hundreds of servicewomen also will
attend to supplement the hostess
force.
All hostesses, whether service
women or civilians, are required to
register at any of the city's Cath
olic USO headquarters, where they
will receive tickets. Servicemen
need only to be in uniform to gain
admission.
Evening star., 1944-12-25
Liqhts Nazis Put Out
Being Rekind|ed,
British King Says
BY the Associated Press.

LONDON, Dec. 25.-In a Christ
mas message broadcast to the
world King George vi declared to-
day that 'the lamps which the Ger
mans put out all over Europe, first
in 1914 and then in 1899, are being
slowly rekindled."
Already we can see some of them
beginning to shine through the fog
OF war that still shrouds so many
lands" he said.
In message broadcast from q
Christmas flreside the King said,
THE Queen and I and our daugh-
ters are fortunate enough to be
spending a Christmas at home"
Anxiety Is giving way to conf
dence and let us hope that before
next Christmas, God willing, the
story of liberation and triumph will
be complete" he said.
Looking ahead to postwar prob
lens, the King said that labor and
devotion, patience and tolerance,
will still be needed for the expert
ment of living as nations in har-
mony."
The defeat of Germany and
Japan is only the first half of our
task. The second is to create a
world Of free men, untouched by
tyranny"
The King continued:
we have great allies in this
arduous enterprise of human spirit
mans 'unconquerable mind and
freedoms holy fame believe
most surely that We shall reach that
goal"
Evening star., 1944-12-25
Snowfall StaIemates
Operations in Italy
BY the Associated Press.

BY lne Assoelated Press.
ROME, Dec. 25.--A heavy snowfall
stalemated ground operations on the
Italian front yesterday, Allied head
quarters announced today, giving a
respite to American 5th Army troops
who spent the previous day battling
off German counterattacks on their
neWly-won positions east Of Monte
Belmonte.
Air activity also was sharply cur
tailed, but Allied fighter-bombers
attacked an enemy airdrome north
east of Vicenza, destroying Is air.
craft and damaging two others
aground. Other fighters also strafed
German transport, but heavy and
medium bombers were grounded.
Aerial operations over the Balkans
were limited to an attack on rail-
yard north of Mostar in Yugoslayia
Evening star., 1944-12-25

cember II. The Germans were SO
close they tossed hand grenades in
the windows and pounded the houses
with artillery, mortars and machine
guns. Some of the trapped men
lived most of the week on cold pota-
toes and shared one loaf of bread
among "a men.
Two men finally made break
back to the American lines to bring
the rescue party, of which Pvt. Long
was one of the leaders. With ma
chine-gun bullets whining overhead,
the rescuers picked their way
through trenches and pillboxes.
The dispatch said Pfc Lewis Cross,
also of Washington, a veteran of
Sicily, Salerno and Anzio, who was
one of the rescued men, commented:
Being cut off like that was worse
than any of those other shows"
Evening star., 1944-12-25
Five Killed, Two Injured
In Crash Of Navy Plane

BY the Associated Press.
INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 25.-At least
flve persons were killed and two
injured early today in the crash
OF a Navy cargo plane a mile
southwest of the Indianapolis
municipal airport.
Press relations officers at Stout
Field, headquarters of the lst Troop
Carrier Command, identified the
plane as ship from the naval re-
serve aviation base at Olathe, Kans.
They said the plane left Columbus,
Ohio, last night and had reached
st. Louis when it was ordered to
turn back because of weather con-
ditions. The cause of the crash
was not determined Immediately.
Stout Field officers said four of
the victims were the pilot, co-pilot,
the crew chief and a passenger,
The body of the fifth victim was
burned so badly in the fire that
followed the crash that identifi-
cation was impossible.
The two men injured were thrown
clear of the wreckage One suffered
severe lacerations on the head and
the other was burned critically.
Army officers said identification
of the dead and injured would be
announced at Olathe after the next
of kin had been notified.
Evening star., 1944-12-25

men, have been notified, the Navy
said. The number Of casualties was
not disclosed. The Mahan was built
In 1888 and had participated in many
landing actions throughout the Pa
cific.
1t. Comdr. E. G. Campbell, 80, Of
$500 Connecticut avenue, Chevy
Chase, commander of the Mahan,
returned home Wednesday.
A native Of Portland, Ore, Comdr
Campbell graduated in 1893 from
the Naval Academy. His service IN
cludes duty aboard the battleship
Oklahoma for q year. He was COM
mander Of the Mahan for q year.
His wife and a 5-year -old son live
at the Chevy Chase address.