Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-04-12
SIX AIR MEN PLAN
OCEANIC FLIGHTS
To Try For $4,000 Prize Of
London Paper.
EARLY SUCCESS PREDICTED

""fE"~ y
Feat Possible With Course IN Rare
fled Atmosphere.
SIX air men OF leading Importance In
the profession have undertaken prep
arations 10 cross the Atlantic ocean In
hydroaersplanes TO wW the $4,000
offered as a prize by the London Daily
Mail. The men are Henry Brown and
Rodman LAW. Americans, forming a
team. Gordon England. a British air
man. Herr Rumpler. a German inyen.
tor; Bleriot. inventor Of the monopiano
Of his name, and Colonel Cody, former
" an American, but now d British sub
ject.
The Mail offers its great prize on the
condition that the flight shall be ac-
compllshed inside of se~ycnty-two hours
of continuous flying, There Is no re-
striction against the machine alIghting
on water and replenishIng its fuel from
ships.
All those who contemplate making
the attempt declare they win do so
within a few months. They see no
great obstacle to the feat. The Ger
nan aeronautical experts. however.
whose attention has been mostly con
cerned with rigid ~dirigibles. say the
typ will NOT be made for several years:
that 1t will cost $4,000 and will re-
quire a vastly far advanced machine.
Or. Bell Enthusiastic.
DR.. A. Graham Bell. inventor af the
telephone and a pioneer IN the Use Of
heavier than air flying achlnes, en-.
Enthusiastically discussed recently Lord
NorthclifTe's offer OF $4,000 for the
first Digit across the Atlantic in Il hy-
droacroplane within seventy.two con-
secutive hours. While certain modlfca
lions In existing machines ought to be
effected. Or. Bell repeatedly said that
as aerial science stood today the Eng.
lish publishers offer II, a good sport
ing chance for air men.
"There are machines existing today"
said Dir. Bell. (which. IL they can con.
tinue doing for twenty hours what
they have done already for shorter
periods. will make the flight possible
In a single day.. The sc~venty~two
hours Is a much longer time than will
be needed. If the ocean Ii 10 be trav-
ersed In an airship at all ii will be In
far less time than Lord Northcllffc
allows Asew
"fffI we're to make the flight" went
on the veteran inventor with boyish
enthusiasm. ~ wouldn't make any III.
%lownnces for alighting at sea and re-
pIeniShlng my fuel. To make the trip
at all 1t ought to be done In a single
squirt. While hydroaeroplones can
take to the water and arise again into
the air, their chances are against their
doing anything OF the sort. There is
also very little likelihood Of their find
ing the supply ship from which to re-
plenish their tanks. Even II the wings
of the airship are not injured by the
descent the chances are that once on
the water " would remain there until
picked up or until. under the buffet
ings OF the sea. 1t went lower still and
disappeared"
Would Fly In Rarefied Air.
DIR. Bells idea, based on his investi-
cations then made with Mr.. Baldwin,
is that the greatest service viii be got
from the aeroplanes flying at great
heights. Mr.. Baldwin advanced tho
idea, which DR.. Bell at once accepted.
that the resistance to the forward rush
of an airship diminished in exact ratio
with the density OF the air. He found
that life could be sustained at a height
Of five miles aud that at that height
the density of the air was one-third
the normal density at sea level.
Therefore at that height a machine
capable, with sufficient propeller revo.
buttons, OF driving forty miles an hour
at sea level-and much greater speeds
had actually been attained-would go
Mt n rate Of 100 miles an hour.
"Mr. Baldwin saw In his plan said
Or. Bell. 'the objection that the suffer-
ing Of the aviator for want Of air
would be too great ut this altitude for
any prolonged effort, But DR.. Bell Mt
nee met the objection By saying that
obviously. even IL the atmosphere
were thinDcd 10 one.third its normal
density, a speed OF three times the
normal rate would project the avi-
ator against exactly the same number
Of particles of oxygen as II he went
forty miles an hour on sen level. In
other words, the onward rush of the
machine. increasing IN precise ratio
with the diminishing density Of the
air, would automatically condense the
air and preserve q normal atmosphere.
At the same time the higher speed
would give the lighter mir precisely the
supporting power OF heavier air at sea
level with the lower speed Tint would
be the best a~ttaInabIe in TINT density.
600 UP as high as you like said DIR.
Bell. ''and your speed VIII 20 up with
you. We used 10 think a balloon or
dirigible the best for high flying. But
now we know that il not true. A bali
loon In the rare atmosphere Of the high
skies would need to be expanded 10
frinle its size 10 carry the weight with