The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-10-27
RODGERS FLYING
OVER DANGEROUS
TEXAS CANYONS
COaSt-tO-C Coast Aviator Reaches
Rough Country
CROSSES MEXICAN BORDER
Easily Beats His Special Train in
16s-MiIe Trip Ending at
Sanderson
MEXICAN BORDER

Calbraith p. Rodgers, the coast-to
coast aviator telegraphed the New
York zines yesterday as follows:
"Sanderson, Tex, Oct. 26.-I finally
got my machine repaired and in good
shape this morning, and after looking
around found better flying field. |
had to cut down few bushes and
clear the field of stumps and debris.
when / started the motor / found
her pulling very well, which was a
great satisfaction to me, considering
what a bad country had before me.
Il got into the air in good shape
and worked up to an altitude of 5000
feet. The train pulled out at 1903
O'Clock and | circled and passed the
station behind the special at 1908.
Soon overlook my special and passed
it, making Del Rio at 134, doing the
thirty-seven miles in thirty-one
minutes.
Il got purse here for landing:
otherwise | should have gone right
on, as | always fly as far as | can be-
fore making a landing. | had a lead
ing beam wind today and made good
time all the way.
Il halted at Del Rio half an hour
for the special and then went on
board and had lunch. returning to the
field and getting started again at
$3.50. After clearing the crowd / got
away bound for Sanderson, my sche-
dule stop tonight. AS met the
worst flying country in the West,
determined to get through It as soon
as possible.
After working TO an altitude Of
1000 feet / started for Sanderson.
The railroad twisted and wound in
and out, but | laid the most direct
course possible, having the railroad
on one side and the Rio Grande River
on the other
THE scenery was wonderful, es-
peciaiiy the Pecos Canyon, over
which the next to the highest bridge
in the world is built flew as near
an air line as possible, and the mail
that | carried reached its destination
sooner by couple of hours than if
II had been on the special train.
when | left Del Rio | few over
the border into Mexico at the sane
time the train left Del Rio. | soon
left the train behind and crossed back
into the United States, and then few
across into Old Mexico again. | did
this three different times during the
trip.
This is a most dangerous flying
country, as there are no landing
places available whatever. There are
nothing but mountains. cliffs, and
precipices. | could have landed at
Langtry, but as | was flying well, |
decided to keep on, as | was anxious
to get through this country as soon
as possible.
My motor was running easy and
smoothly and was making good time
doing the 26 miles between Langtry
and Pumpville. in 10 minutes. Ny oil
was running low and as | needed to
replenish 1t l landed at Dryden at
APO. Finding the train would not ar.
rive here until o'clock | hunted
around and got some poor cylinder
oil and with the assistance OF the ma.
tives / took to the air again at $40
and away to Sanderson. 21 miles of
| made the 81 miles in Is minutes.
After landing ! found | had to
wait until 1880 for my special, which
was very tedious, as / had to guard
my machine and go hungry till II
came. hope to get an early start
tomorrow and with good luck will try
TO make FL Paso, Sl2 miles tomorrow.