The Clio messenger., 1914-04-10
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the great jumps from Island TO Island
OF the North Atlantic. pursues the well-traveled
air lanes of Europe, safely passes the bleak
and forbiddng wastes of Siberia and fringes the
almost uninhabited coast line of northern Asia
and Alaska.
But each Of these feats has been exceeded al
ready in the air records the books. Now
all that is needed is the combination of them. The
performance of one great air journey after
other means luck. enormous luck, to greater de-
gree than In almost any sporting contest ever
organized.
Several aviators have signifed their intention of
entering. They willing to take the risks.
They are not actuated by the desire for gold for
even the successful contender, who will win the
$150,000 first prize and also the $4,000 offered by
Lord Northcliffe for the first crossing of the At
lantic, will find his 100000 and perhaps more
eaten up by the expenses of his undertaking
It is quite certain, however, that plenty of men
OF large fortunes and sporting proclvties will be
found to finance this peerless air event
The eyes OF the world will be upon the brave
contenders, even more than they were upon the
pioneer aviation racers in that first meet at
Rheims in 1908.
The attention of the close students of the race
is centered upon the problem of the Atlantic
After passing due east from San Francisco across
the Sierras, through Reno, New; Cheyenne Wyo
Kansas City, ST. Louis and New York. the avia-
tors will coast along the seaboard to Belle Isle,
between Newfoundland and Labrador Here the
will probably head for Cape Farewell, Greenland,
61O miles away. From Cape Farewell to Iceland
the distance is $40 miles, and from Iceland to
Stornaway. in the Hebrides. is $40 miles.
Three enormous leaps-610 $40 and $40 miles
None OF them insurmountable in itself. But to hit
the bullseye three times in succession-theres
the rub.
Then these seas are not always as hospitable as
the Mediterranean. which Roland Garros has now
crossed twice. There fog and wind and rocky
landing places
But If row of warships patrol the course,
lent by their governments in the interests of sci
ence and human progress, the risk will not be
greater (for instance) than that taken by the late
John b. Moissant when he set off in untried
machine with fog in his face to fly from Paris
to London at time when the channel crossing
alone was considered almost miracle.
Compared with the Atlantic crossing too, the
rest OF the journey seems fairly simple.
The proposed route is by way of Edinburgh.
London, Paris, Berlin Warsaw, st. Petersburg,
Moscow and the Trans-Siberian railway to Man
churia and then south to Vladivostok The next
lap takes the aviator across the sea to Corea.
He must then cross the Japan sea to Kobe and
Tokyo turn north to Kamchatka and travel along
the coast either to East cape or to the Aleutian
islands The distance between the two continents
here varies from 80 to 200 miles. From Alaska
the will be southwark to Vancouver, Seat.
tie, and home to San Francisco.
The aviators who hesitate about pronouncing
the journey possible in the present stage of their
calling attention to the dstance-2S 900 miles.
The successful flyer must travel an average of
more than 200 miles day for four months Will
II be possible to accomplish the trip in the few
months of of the Northern regions
through parts of which the course lies? Vedrines
five weeks in doing the $500 miles from Paris
TO the pyramids, flying at average of only 100
miles daily.
This explains clearly how greatly the proposed
journey would outdo anything yet accomplished.
Besides the notable flights already mentioned,
Oscar Bider has flown practically every high
mountain in Europe Garros has made flight
from Marseles to Paris without stopping; Brinde-
jonc des Moulinais has toured the capitals OF
Europe and two besides Vedrnes have reached
Egypt from France. Yet these journeys pale be-
fore the difficulties of the race around the globe.
II Is to be noted. however. that the history Of
aviation is one succession of surprises. Scarcely
anything of importance accomplished has not
been called impossible beforehand. Aviators
have done so much that hesitates to doubt
their ability to do anything.
Special aeroplanes will be constructed for the
race. These will probably be swift, but not built
for the maximum speed. They will make say, &C
miles an hour. Reliability wiz be tho object