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In 1924, air mail linked the coasts with 32 hour service. Here's preparation for the first hop from Hazelhurst Field, L. I., June 30, 1924 

Along either a fire extinguisher or their lunch.

Nothing to do...but Worry

Meanwhile, I was in Chicago, anxiously pacing up and down in front of the telephone. I had the report of the take-offs, and there was nothing to do after that but worry and wait for the boys to report to whenever they could. There is some question in my mind as to who suffered the most. At least the boys had something to keep them busy, while all I could do was stare at the phone. 

For two long hours Miller struggled at an altitude of over 5000ft., with fog below and clouds above. When he thought he should have been in the vicinity of Lock Haven, Pa., the first stop, he began to feel his way down, foot by foot, expecting to see the looming crest of a mountain at any moment. He didn't recognize the area when he broke through, and so landed for directions. Then he took off again and spied Lock Haven forty-five minutes later. Lock Haven is set down between two mountains, with a difficult approach, and he said later "The only reason I tried to dive through that slice in the mountains was that my motor was missing, and I needed gas and oil. Otherwise I would have gone right on."

Max called me from Lock Haven, and his first words were "Say Cap, Where's Eddie?"

I told him I didn't know and reminded him that this wasn't entirely a race, but also a trailblazing flight. Then he reported that he would need a can opener to get of Lock Haven. An hour later, after some radiator repairs, he took off. 

Drifts Off Course

Meanwhile, out over the "Hell Stretch" Gardner bucked and battled a terrific storm, drifting 30 miles off course while in it. He landed at Wilkes-Barre and called me 20 minutes after Max called. "Where's Max?" were his first words. Our conversation pretty much the same as the first had been, expect I finally told him where Max was. He took off from Wilkes-Barre just 17 minutes after Miller left Lock Haven. Because of bad weather and gas line trouble, he had to more emergency landings before reaching Lock Haven. 

Then the second lap of the race was under way, with Miller holding a good lead but unaware of the fact. He was sure that Gardner had passed him while he was down at Lock Haven. Now it was Miller's turn to battle a storm. He climbed to 6000 feet, trying to get over the clouds, but he couldn't and the plane wouldn't go any higher. Then he dropped below the clouds, but even before he broke into the clear he found himself flying pas tree tops on a mountain side. And then his engine began to overheat and he had to land. 

An Angry Farmer

He made for a farmer's field and was filling his radiator from a stream, when the farmer up behind him with a shot gun and ordered him off. He must have thought Max something supernatural. Max took off in a hurry and landed a littler later at another farm to complete the watering. The farmer here told him he was in Jefferson County. Max thought he meant Jefferson County, Ohio. Actually, he was still in Pennsylvania. He adjusted his course accordingly, and at 4:25 P.M. called me on the phone, from Cambridge, Ohio. 

"you're way off your course," I cried "and still 100 miles from Cleveland. What happened?"

He told me the story and I have him the last information I had on Gardner. Then a few moments later Gardner called to stay he was still in Lock Haven with gas line trouble. I instructed him to spend the night there. Miller made Cleveland that night after serval more forced landings. The next morning, before leaving, he had his leaky radiator repaired at the Glenn Martin factory. 

Gardner got out of Lock Haven early the next morning and stayed right on course. If he had flown over the Martin Factory he might have seen Miller taking off. As it was, he searched for some time before finding a suitable landing place. He set down at 3:00 P.M. Fifty-nine minutes later he was on his way again, less than three-quarters of an hour behind Miller. It was developing into a real race. Gardner arrived at Bryan, Ohio, just six minutes after Miller took off. 


Last Lap Takes Two Hours 

Miller's last lap to Chicago consumed exactly two hours, and at 6:55 P.M. he landed in Grant Park on the lake front. 

"Where's Eddie?" Max yelled even before his safety belt was unbuckled. 

I told him that he was the first to land, and that I hadn't heard from Gardner since he landed at Bryan. As it grew darker, bonfires were lit around Grant Park to guide Eddie in. Everyone became worried, fearing Eddie had 

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In 1938, autogyros were tested for mail-field-post office shuttle. Today, helicopters are used for this job extensively.

Page 20     The Air Line Pilot