Arrival of the snow cruiser in LaPorte county was awaited by several thousand persons this afternoon. It crossed the Porter- LaPorte county line about 1 o'clock and the first stop in the county was at the intersection of U. S. Roads 2 and 6 at Westville.
The cruiser stopped at the intersection for about 15 minutes to permit cars and trucks to pass. Several hundred curious spectators thronged around the huge vehicle before it continued on Road 6.
Contrary to advance reports, the cruiser sped along at a brisk clip for its size. It picked up speed rapidly after the stop-over at Westville, travelling about 25 miles per hour.
The highway was lined with automobiles and spectators through the entire county. The fact that schools are closed today because of a teachers institute at South Bend made it possible for many school children to view the cruiser.
Traffic was tied up along the route and a traffic jam between Roads 2 and 43 at Westville slowed the vehicle. Several westbound automobiles went through the blockade at Roads 6 and 43 and had to back up as the cruiser approached.
The huge red machine took up most of the highway. It was followed by a sound truck with blaring music and with the large crowds gave an atmosphere of holiday festivities.
To date, Admiral Byrd's monstrous, Martian-like snow cruiser, for use in the antarctic, has been a land-locked thing, but finally shoved its blunt nose, eastward bound toward Boston, into Indiana today on State Road 6.
More than the cruiser itself, the hundreds of carloads of persons who took up vantage points along Road 6 to see it found themselves landlocked by the crush of parked cars.
So Jerry DeMunck, skilled LaPorte flyer and manager of the city airport, saved a Herald-Argus reporter, Chief of Police Carl R. Baumgartner and another passenger from these difficulties of earthbound travel and took them aloft in his Stinson cabin ship for thrilling views of the big red bus.
Mr. DeMunck piloted his plane westward along Road 6. It was about noon when the cruiser was spotted, rolling along at what seemed a merry clip for this giant, on Road 6 toward the intersection with State Road 49, in Porter county.
As the plane cruised west at a comfortable speed of 110 miles per hour, cross roads intersecting Road 6 could be seen jammed with cars.
Behind the cruiser, as it headed toward the Road 49 intersection, was a long line of cars and trucks. The omnibus pulled partially off the pavement at the intersection and remained there about 20 minutes, allowing the traffic behind it to pass.
State police controlled traffic and stood guard. Their blue uniforms were distinguishable through the blue ground haze. Jerry circled the plane over the cruiser about a dozen times from a height of 300 feet before heading back to the local field, ending a trip of 55 miles in 30 minutes.
This polar omnibus, which has had northern Indiana waiting and watching for four days, was passing eastward across LaPorte county this afternoon, using U. S. Road 6. Constructed by the Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago, the huge craft is being moved to Boston, taking-off point for the latest Byrd Antarctic expedition. The trip eastward is serving as sort of a test run for the giant snow cruiser.
