"Wingless Victory"

"The nation will hope that Ruth Elder and other girls will stay on the ground hereafter, or do their flying over land and let men like Lindbergh, if there are any like him, do the ocean flying."--Arthur Brisbane.

". . . Overwhelming presumptuousness . . . crazy sensationalism. . . . She has done her share to confirm her countrymen in the idea--if that were possible--that the American girl is the supreme effort of creation"--Zwoelf Uhr Blatt (Berlin).

"A woman had no business to attempt such a flight. It was perfectly ridiculous to read of this young person's chatter, of her preparations for the event--her vanity bag, Chinese ring, knickers, black and red four-in-hand tie and pastel-shaded band over dark brown hair--and to remember that she was going to risk her life just to gratify her stupid vanity.

"She is a married woman. Her husband wisely remained att home. If Ruth has any sense left, she will join him now and keep house for him."--The Irish News (Belfast).

"Miss Elder's backers are reported to have ordered her to reveal nothing regarding the flight in order not to rob the story of its commercial and journalistic value --which is typically American and businesslike. "--Echo de Paris.

"This afternoon I am having as my guests at tea a number of high school girls who have won prizes for fast typing. Any one of them, in learning to be a fast, accurate typist, does far more for the community than a dozen Gertrude Ederles or Ruth Elders."--Winifred Sackville Stoner (founder of the League for Fostering Genius).

"Even if she had succeeded, what would she have accomplished for the common good?"--Katherine B. Davis, famed sociologist.

"I said six months ago that I would put the first woman across the Atlantic in a plane. I've promoted projects in Canada and I've promoted oil wells, and I have been promoting operations in Florida, and now I've promoted the first girl across the Atlantic. That's what she means when she wires 'You done it'"--Thomas Henry McArdle, Miss Elder's manager.

And Rollin Kirby, famed cartoonist of the New York World, drew a picture. In the center he had the majestic figure of "The Winged Victory" striding forward against the wind, her loose draped garment blown against strong limbs and matronly bosom. Way off in the margin of the carton stood a roly-poly figure of a girl, marked "Ruth Elder." Her knickers hung in characterless lines. Her kollege kut sweater with checks accentuated the dumpiness. From that ignominious, crowded-out position, she contemplated the noble figure on the pedestal above her. The picture was entitled by Cartoonist Kirby, "The Sisters."

The weather persistently spat drizzle and squall in the face of the proposed flight, holding the aviatrix and her copilot, George Haldeman, at Roosevelt field, L. I. Another aviatrix, Mrs. Francis Grayson, appeared on the scene, ready to snatch the honor of being first woman over by hopping from Old Orchard, Maine. Then, Miss Elder took off--weather or no weather.

They started at dawn, electing a direct course instead of the great circle over New Foundland and Ireland. Storms battered them southward from the start. 500 miles out they were sighted by a passenger ship. They were seen no more that day, that night. Crowds waiting at Le Bourget field, Paris, turned away, glum, morose.

Meanwhile, The American Girl bucked storms. Flying high, flying low, sleet and wind cut into her. Once Miss Elder, unafraid, climber out onto the tail of the ship to balance it. In perilous spells she relieved her co-pilot at the levers. Two thirds of the way across, they veered still further south of their course to avoid a low pressure storm area. Then the oil presure fell. Part of the gasoline supply had been dumped to lighten the ship in its fight against the storm. They knew that their time was short.

After five hours of scouring the sea for help, they sighted the Dutch tanker, S. S. Barendrecht, bound from the Azores to Rotterdam. Circling low they dropped a message on the ship's deck. "How FAR ARE WE FROM LAND AND WHICH WAY?"--Ruth Elder.

On the deck, in large letters, Capt. Goos painted the answer: "true south, 40 west, 360 miles, Terceira, Azores."

Only 520 miles from the Portugese coast the American Girl came down close to the tanker Barendrecht. Even if the oil system had functioned, the gasoline supply was too low to negotiate the distance. The pilots crawled on to the wings of the plane, bobbing precariously on a choppy, fresh-blown sea. Soon both were hauled to the deck of the tanker. . . .

Captain Goos tried to haul up the American Girl, too, but gasoline ran over her hot engine, took fire. The flames shot into a towering pyramid, higher than the rescuing ship. An oil tanker avoids flames. The American Girl was abandoned. Said Miss Elder: "It was like watching an old friend drown."

At Horta, island harbor of the Azores, pilots Elder & Haldeman were welcomed by the entire population (about 3,000). Mrs. George W. Mackey, wife of Western Union Traffic Manager Mackey, lent Miss Elder an evening gown for a reception in her honor. Said the guest: "I have nothing to wear but the clothes on my back but I hope some kind friend will rig me out." Later, she replied "indeed not" when asked if she were too tired to dance. She declined, however, to accompany Friederich Loose, Karl Loewe & Fraulein Dillenz (Viennese actress) on their flight by easy stages from the Azores to the U. S. She wanted to go to Paris first. There, no official welcome was planned. But Miss Elder's coming was known to a gallant populace.