Moundsville Journal
Lindbergh In Hop-Off For Dayton, O., At 10:30; Departure Unexpected
Famous Colonel Takes To Air In "Spirit Of St. Louis" Before Small Crowd.
Thousands Failed To See Hop-Off As "Ace of Aces" Took Air Early.
Was Affable Today And Waved Goodbye To Crowd.
August 5, 1927
"We" have come and gone. With a friendly wave to the thousand or so persons who chanced to be at Langin Field at the time, the famous Col. Charles A. Lindbergh took off at 10:30 o'clock this morning in his precious monoplane "The Spirit of St. Louis," and after circling over the city for about ten minutes headed north towards Wheeling.
A few minutes later the second Ryan monoplane, bearing Major Donald E.Keyhoe. Phillip R. Love and Charles Kinkaid. Lindy's advance men, took off and after going through a few maneuvers headed after the nation's pride.
Col. Lindberg and his aides flew over Wheeling circled the city a few times and then headed due west towards Dayton. They are slated to pass over several Ohio cities enroute to Dayton where a day of rest will be enjoyed. No reception has been arranged at Dayton and the party will escape for a day at least the plaudits which attend them at their every stop.
Col. Lindbergh's take-off from Langin Field was almost unexpected. He spent the night in Wheeling and this morning without any ado or confusion was whisked away to Langin Field, arriving here in company with his aides at 9:30 o'clock.
Moundsville's thousands were expecting the Colonel to hop-off about noon, as was announced yesterday, and for this reason only a small portion of the crowd that would otherwise have seen the hop-off was present at the field. The fortunate few seized the opportunity to lionize their hero however. He was given heavy rounds of applause on several occasions while his slightest movement was followed by countless eyes.
Lindy seemed not to notice the crowd however and went about inspecting his plane in a non- commit[t]al manner. He seemed rather affable however and frequently spoke to the men grouped around his plane.
While Colonel Lindbergh inspected the first plane to be built by the Moundsville Airplane Corporation. "The Spirit of St. Louis" was wheeled from the hanger, having previously been refueled and inspected. Lindy, supervising the work. After thoroughly inspecting the tiny ship. Lindy was escorted by six state troopers to his beloved airplane.
Almost ready to take the air again, Lindbergh seemed to be in his happiest mood. He smiled as he made another brief examination and as he donned his leather coat and helmet after shaking hands with several men grouped near by he entered the cockpit and after giving the motor a few preliminary whirls, waved to the crowd and took-off to the north.
The assembled spectators realizing that Lindy was about to leave them waved him goodbye and sent up a great farewell shout.
With Lindbergh gone some of the crowd slowly left the field while other's remained while Moundsville's airplane was dedicated by Lt. Doolittle and to see Doolittle perform some stunts in his plane.
It is estimated that twenty thousand people saw the ace during his brief stay at Langin Field, while at least fifteen thousand journeyed to Langin Field to get a glimpse of "The Spirit of St. Louis."
Crowds continued to flock to Langin Field until late this afternoon however, unaware that Lindy had gone. The picturesque youth who has stirred the imagination of millions endeared himself in the hearts of all who saw him at Langin Field or along the line of the parade. His simple unassuming manner, has stamped him as an American of the finest type and one whose memory can never be eradicated.
His visit to Moundsville will never be forgotten and in years to come thousands of people will be able to say "I saw Col. Lindbergh, the first man to make a non-stop flight from New York to Paris, when he visited Langin Field, at Moundsville.
No other young man every held the place in the hearts of so many people as Charles A. Lindbergh. He is America's Boy yet he was whisked through Moundsville yesterday at forty miles an hour.
Old people and little children who for days had doted on seeing this boy - the Lone Eagle, America's Boy, caught a glimpse of a speeding automobile, in which was seated, if we are correctly informed, the gentleman who at a committee meeting in Wheeling, not knowing that Moundsville men were present said: "To h---- with Moundsville, this is Wheeling's party."
Yes, it was Wheeling's party, from the start to the finish. Big Wheeling, Big Boy, Hard Boiled: and yet, we venture the assertion that more of the common every day people of Wheeling had an opportunity of seeing Lindbergh and The Spirit of St. Louis at Moundsville, than at Wheeling.
Forty miles an hour! The Generalissimo of The Wheeling party, clothed with a brief authority, went through Moundsville at Forty miles an hour! The distance covered was about one mile, which would take 90 seconds at 40 miles an hour. Covering the same distance at 15 miles an hour would have taken 240 seconds, so that the time saved was 160 seconds, or two minutes and 6 seconds. The hopes of the crowd along the streets, the old people and the little children, were sacrificed for the passing glory of those who say: "To h---- with Moundsville, this is Wheeling's party."
We feel sure that "Lindy" would have had it otherwise. Every act and word of his since he boarded the Spirit of St. Louis at the Roosevelt field and said "Let's go", and landed at Lebourget field, Paris, and said: "Here we are," has been that of a young man of the finest sensibility. Lindy's place in the heart of the world is secure for all time. He belongs to the world, to history, but especially to America, and, yet to gratify the spirit of a few men puffed with transient glory, a spirit that it is hard to understand, he was whisked through Moundsville at forty miles an hour.
Colonel Puts Stamp Of Approval On First Plane By New Corporation
Ship Christened By Doolittle Who Dedicated It To Lindy
"The Lone Eagle appears to be a fine little plane and I whish the Moundsville Airplane Corporation success". Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh commented this morning after making a thorough inspection of the first plane to be constructed by the new corporation. Lindy also expressed regret that he could not be there for the first flight which is to be conducted the next week or ten days.
The tiny ship was dedicated to Colonel Lindbergh this morning by Lt. James Doolittle who smashed a bottle of water over the nose of the plane after a brief talk. "The "Lone Eagle" is appropriately named" said Doolittle." For as Lindbergh was alone in this great achievement, so this plane is alone in a new field of commercial airplane construction."
A large crowd grouped on the field to witness Lindy's take-off massed near the new plane for the dedication. Previously Lindy had made a thorough examination of the ship, looking it over from stem to stem and appearing especially interested in the motor, especially constructed for the local corporation.
Lindbergh did not heed shouts from the crowd of "Say something Lindy" and "What do you think of it Slim?"
Fasig and Douglas who constructed the plane and both of whom are virtually interested in the furtherance of commercial aviation, participated, in the exercises today as did Rev. M. F. Compton, vice-president of the company. It was to Rev. Compton that Col. Lindbergh addressed his comment.