Into the Night

It was a pleasant evening when he set sail soaring up from Long Island, headed across to Jersey and westward toward Pennsylvania. Then there was a hiatus in the record. At midnight Bellefonte, Pa., (where there is the first relay field of the transcontinental air mail) began to look for him. Charles H. Ames was a veteran pilot, he was seldom late. An hour passed and the officials became a little anxious for the schedule of the mail. Clouds were lowering. Periodically there was rain. The telephone rang in a little hut at the emergency landing field at Hartleton, a few miles away. The watchman answered. "Has Ames landed there?" "No, he passed over about 11:35."

That was all. The night wore on and the dawn came. Inquiries were made. A farmer had seen a plane following the regular mail route about ten miles farther on. The next day wore on. Searching planes were brought up to Bellefonte from Cleveland. The clouds still hung low and little searching could be done from the air. Inquiries were made on the ground. Two men reported seeing a plane at Punxsutawney, a few miles beyond Bellefonte after midnight. The plane switched on its landing light, appeared to sight the town, circled for height and appeared to return on its course. Ames had flown beyond his destination.

Two raccoon hunters reported hearing a crash like that of a falling building during the night near Stone Mountain. Searching parties went out. Seven mail planes and three Army planes scoured the landscape. Three, four days passed and Ames was not yet found.