The San Francisco call., 1913-07-27

Speeding across Russia and nearing
York newspaper man, who is trying to
go around the world in 35 days, II
hours and s5 minutes. The record Is
held by Andre Jaeger Schmidt. French
newspaper man, whose time two years
ago was 80 days 21 hours and 35 min
utes, says the Boston Globe.
Predictions come from Europe that
Mears is attempting the impossible and
that he will not make the journey In
a few hours less than So days. Jaeger
Schmidt did it under 40 days by the
skin of his teeth. At one time he was
Obliged to hire a fast little steamer in
order to catch a liner which had left
her berth and was steaming away.
Thirty-six days and fours hours is
now certainly possible. More of that
| later.
The French journalist took 13 days
off the record. which was previously
held by Henry Frederick. who en-
circled the globe in 50 days 7 hours
and 90 minutes in 1903 Nellie Bly,
/ took 72 days hours and IL minutes
| in 1889 when she made her record
breaking trip.
These figures show strikingly what
has been accomplished in the last 80
years in improving transportation and
decreasing the size of the GLOBE Jules
! Verne wrote a thrilling book on the
subject, but Phineas Fogg of London
and his valet We're allowed so days to
take the trip. Fact, therefore, has
proven twice as wonderful as fiction.
In taking a record trip around the
| world the trick Is TO catch fast
steamer across the Pacific and also a
| fast steamer across the Atlantic.
1t takes 25 days to go from Vancou-
yer to Paris. The person planning the
| trip, therefore. should make sure, hav-
| ing found when a fast steamer leaves
| from Vancouver. that 26 days later a
fast steamer leaves Cherbourg or
Havre Strange to say. that combina-
tion is a very hard one to find and
takes place only about once or twice a
year.
The rest is plain sailing. Delays only
will cause defeat.
OUR POPULAR FALLACY
Many persons have wondered why
both Jaeger Schmidt and MearS have
taken the eastward way. crossing
Europe and Asia before America, in
stead of travelling with the sun and
thus having a longer time.
The point is that barring the ar
rangement of itinerary and looking up
time tables, the time does not vary for
the record. 1t is the time the traveller
leaves New York and the time which
he returns to that city that counts.
Time does not vary in New York, no
matter how much 1t does along the
route.
Fogg found he was a day ahead of
his schedule or, rather. his valet did,
and won victory after he had thought
he was beaten; but that was mistake
on Fogg's part. The earth goes around
itself. The sun does not go around the
earth.
Tt would seem that any traveller who
was going with the sun would travel
farther than a man going in the op-
posite direction. and so he would If
he was going only part way around the
globe.
1t takes the Pacific steamers longer
to cross when they go toward the east
than when they go toward the west
according to the time tables.
That Is because If an eastbound
steamer crosses line established near
$50 degrees longitude, say on July 49,
today, tomorrow will be called July l3,
also. 1t would be a case of two Sun
days coming together.
On the other hand, were the steamer
going west, Sunday would be skipped
altogether.
AND NOW WE'RE OFF
Enough of these abstract subjects
let's pack small bag and be off on a
trip around the world to beat the
record. small grip which will not