Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-28
.AEROPLANES MAY AID
TRAVELLERS IN MEXICO
Progressive Young Citizens Of
Republic Aim at Up-to-Date
Development Methods

At the precise moment when the de-
velopment of the modern aeroplane
reaches a stage enabling it to be driven
with reasonable safety by an amateur,
any producing factory can establish an
agency and sell its entire output in the
republic of Mexico.
Mexico-that is to say, the large
contingent of active young spOrtsmen
of means within its borders-is holding
it'll breath, awaiting the advent of the
practical aeroplane. This fact was
brought out during the trip through
President Diaz' domain by the Flanders
20, Under Three Flags car, which
traversed the region in the final lap of
its dash from Quebec, through Canada
and the United States. Hints of the
yearning for vehicle which could defy
the mountains, arroyos and thorns or
that roadless country were heard along
the line, but the travellers were partic-
ularly in a mood to appreciate the dag
nosis of the situation as given by
Frank Siebert, the pioneer motorist of
Saltillo.
CREW CLEARS HARD ROAD
Siebert's home city had been attained
after fight of six days with the rough
est country in Mexico. From Monterey
the distance is but 12O miles by trail,
which in many places had to be aban-
doned on account of the gullies over
which the only possible path was
railroad bridge. No motor car had ever
made the trip before, and 1t is doubtful
if one ever will again. For a goodly
share of those six days the crew of the
lar had swung a pick and rolled rocks
Siebert was on hand with other Amer1-
cans, when the tourists arrived at sal
tillo.
II didn't believe it possible for ar
automobile to make the trip" he said
"T don't know what it means. It's
too tough for me to try, even with the
benefit of your road making ahead OF
me, where 1t will stay till the first rain
washes it away.
"As a. matter of hard fact, this part
of Mexico will probably never have any
roads over which an automobile car
be driven with safety The nature OF
the people and the climatic conditions
fatty prevent. Should we build a good
road from here to Monterey, the first
heavy rain would cut 1t all to pieces
in the old arroyos, while the abso-
lutte necessities of the people would
make it necessary to pierce it for the
bitches which gather the water in the
depressions and maintain life in the
long dry spells.
AIRSHIP TRAVEL PROBABLE
1.-THE one hope of a man VINO wants
independent locomotion through this
country is the aeroplane. Do you see
that mountain over there? Well just
on the other side of that is Monterey
In a straight line, it's about thirty nine
miles away. The railroad travels more
than 100 kilometers to get there, and
there's a rise of more than 5000 feet
from there here. The return trip to
Saltillo takes four hours, and every
train is double-headed at that. You
had to travel farther than the railroad
and really ran four miles for one in the
direct line. With a plane, could slide
down over that mountain, laugh at
the arroyos and be there in an hour
And coming back I'd never need 10
touch those hills at all, though the re-
turn trip might take a bit longer
"The aeroplane is going to prove the
salvation of this country, and I could
name 100 men who are mining or 9TH
erwise interested in this country, who
have the money ready to lay down for
planes just as soon as they believe
them practical. And we're willing to
take quite a chance, too