Pelhamites Celebrated Lindbergh's Triumphal Flight Across the Atlantic in 1927
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It was virtually a flying fuel tank. Covered with a thin skin of linen fabric, Charles A. Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis monoplane weighed about 2,710 pounds at takeoff. Virtually all of that weight was the weight of the fuel.
At 7:52 a.m. on Friday, May 20, 1927, Lindbergh and his Spirit of St. Louis took off from a muddy Roosevelt Field on Long Island. The plane barely cleared telephone lines at the end of the field, then swung out over the Atlantic where, for the next 33-1/2 hours it flew as low as ten feet above the ocean waves and as high as 10,000 feet, barely above storm clouds. Lindbergh navigated the monoplane by dead reckoning and, at night, by the stars. He was headed for Le Bourget Aerodrome, about seven miles northeast of Paris in a bid to be the first to cross the Atlantic by airplane.
To make matters even more difficult, Lindbergh had a map of the Paris region, but it did not show Le Bourget Aerodrome. On the evening of Saturday, May 21, as he flew over the Paris region he was puzzled to see what he thought was a large, well-lit industrial complex near where he thought the airfield was supposed to be. Soon his confusion dissipated. He realized that what he saw was not a lighted industrial complex but, instead, were the lights of thousands of spectators' automobiles caught in "the largest traffic jam in Paris history" as Parisians fought their way to the airfield to witness Lindbergh's triumphal landing.
At 10:22 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, 1927, an exhausted Charles Lindbergh and his Spirit of St. Louis bounced to a stop on the airfield at Le Bourget Aerodrome. A crowd of 150,000 spectators rushed the airplane. They lifted Lindbergh from the aircraft and carried him above their heads for more than thirty minutes. Souvenir hunters began tearing at the silver-painted linen fabric of the plane before police, soldiers, and military fliers were able to take control of the plane and move it into a secure hangar. See "Charles Lindbergh" in Wikipedia -- The Free Encyclopedia (visited Jan. 20, 2018).
Charles A. Lindbergh in Front of the Spirit of St. Louis.
NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.
Two Pelhamites were on the airfield of Le Bourget Aerodrome when Charles Lindbergh landed the Spirit of St. Louis that fateful evening. They were Mr. and Mrs. Ubald Landry of Fourth Avenue in the Village of North Pelham. Mr. Landry was a well-known contractor and builder, who did "considerable development work in Pelham Manor." The couple later described the scene at the airfield to The Pelham Sun as follows:
"When Lindbergh landed, the crowd swarmed over the field and began to take portions of the plane for souvenirs. The crush was so great that our aviator would have been overwhelmed but the Paris police rushed into the crowd with a dummy which was pushed into an auto and proclaimed as Lindbergh. It fooled the people and Lindbergh got safely away.'"
The following day, all of Paris turned out for a massive and grand parade in honor of Lindbergh and his heroic exploit. Once again, Mr. and Mrs. Ubald Landry were present. The Pelham Sun later reported: "'All Paris was there,' said Mr. Landry, 'they broke through the lines and surrounded the auto in which Lindbergh and Ambassador Herrick were riding. The parade was halted for fifteen minutes before the gendarmes could restore order."
Pelham -- and all of America, of course -- were justly proud of their newest national hero. Back in the United States newspapers trumpeted the triumphal exploit of the young aviator named Charles Lindbergh. Pelhamite Walter P. McTiegue of Corlies Avenue decided to do something special for the young pilot. McTeigue was the president of Walter P. McTeigue, Inc., dealers in fine cut gem stones. He had his firm create a magnificent diamond scarf pin that was a miniature replica of the Spirit of St. Louis made entirely of the "finest quality" baguette diamonds. Upon Lindbergh's return to the States, McTiegue personally presented the diamond scarf pin to Lindbergh.
For weeks Lindbergh's trans-Atlantic flight was the talk of Pelham (and the nation). Indeed, on June 17 and June 18, nearly a month after the flight, Pelhamites crowded into the Pelham Picture House to see "the latest pictures of the national hero, Colonel Lindbergh."
Pelham, it seems, was enthralled with its newest hero, Charles Lindbergh.
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"AMERICA WELCOMES COL. LINDBERGH AT PELHAM PICTURE HOUSE TO-MORROW
The Pelham Picture House is showing today and tomorrow the latest pictures of the national hero, Colonel Lindbergh. The entire nation is represented at the stupendous greeting to the young aviator hero at Washington and the greeting in Brooklyn on Thursday.
On Saturday -- pictures of Chamberlain and Levine's arrival in Berlin, Germany."
Source: AMERICA WELCOMES COL. LINDBERGH AT PELHAM PICTURE HOUSE TO-MORROW, The Pelham Sun, Jun. 17, 1927, Vol. 18, No. 17, p. 8, col. 5.
"Saw Lindbergh In Paris After Flight
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Mr. and Mrs. Landry Arrive Home After Visit to Paris Where They Saw Lindy's Great Reception
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Two Pelhamites who saw Col. Lindbergh in Paris and were witnesses of the great reception accorded to him there, returned home on the S. S. La Rochambeau which docked on Monday. They are Mr. and Mrs. Ubald Landry of Fourth avenue. Mr. Landry is a well-known contractor and builder, who has done considerable development work in Pelham Manor.
They departed for France two months ago, there to visit the old home of Mrs. Landry, at Sauze Vaussais. During the two weeks in which they were in Paris they saw the Lindbergh parade the Sunday following his arrival in Paris. 'All Paris was there,' said Mr. Landry, 'they broke through the lines and surrounded the auto in which Lindbergh and Ambassador Herrick were riding. The parade was halted for fifteen minutes before the gendarmes could restore order. When Lindbergh landed, the crowd swarmed over the field and began to take portions of the plane for souvenirs. The crush was so great that our aviator would have been overwhelmed but the Paris police rushed into the crowd with a dummy which was pushed into an auto and proclaimed as Lindbergh. It fooled the people and Lindbergh got safely away.'
Mr. Landry expressed the opinion that Lindbergh's flight and subsequent reception has done much to create a better understanding between France and the United States."
Source: Saw Lindbergh In Paris After Flight -- Mr. and Mrs. Landry Arrive Home After Visit to Paris Where They Saw Lindy's Great Reception, The Pelham Sun, Jun. 17, 1927, Vol. 18, No. 17, p. 1, col. 1.
"LINDBERGH PRESENTED WITH DIAMOND AIRPLANE BY W. P. McTEIGUE
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Walter P. McTiegue, of Corlies Avenue, had the honor of presenting to Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, a diamond scarf pin, a replica of his famous trans-Atlantic airplane the 'Spirit of St. Louis.' Mr. McTeigue, who is president of Walter P. McTeigue, Inc., dealers in cut stones, visited the flier's headquarters and personally presented the token. Col. Lindbergh was highly pleased with the gift.
The pin is made entirely of diamonds. It is composed of four baguette diamonds and one-half moon diamond, all of the finest quality fashioned into a miniature airplane."
Source: LINDBERGH PRESENTED WITH DIAMOND AIRPLANE BY W. P. McTEIGUE, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 1, 1927, p. 5, col. 5.
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Labels: 1927, Airplane, Charles A. Lindbergh, Spirit of St. Louis, Transportation, Ubald Landry, Walter P. McTiegue
posted by Blake A. Bell @ 4:27 AM
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