The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1914-07-21
Flying Boat Ready
For Sea Voyage
Trip From Coast To Coast Not. I'M
probable With Perfected Craft
Now Ready
Air Boat Equipped For Continuous
Journey of Day And Night And
Will Carry Two Men
Can Alight On Waters Surface
While Repairs Are Made At
Any Time

Early last February Mr.. Rodman
Wanamaker unfolded his audacious
scheme, long ruminated and now ma
ture, to bridge the Atlantic by aero
plane. He had closed with Mr. Cur
tiss, the hydro master, for a craft to
win the Lord Northcliffe prize for
the first flight from the New World
to the Old within ~ hours. Prefera-
bly, two men should drive her from
Newfoundland to Ireland between
dawn and dark on summers day.
But ON this condition he would not
insist; for even with no restriction
the enterprise seemed sufficiently diff
ficult, if not hazardous. The details
he would leave to Mr.. Curtiss and
his technical associates.
Would Shrink Globe
Once taught the air lane, whole
fleets of ocean fiers would promptly
follow. Live fellows in New York
would fit to London Friday nights,
and, after Sundays dinner, fit back
to business. This metropolitan pro-
pinquity should assimilate and unity
all peoples War should be forgot
ten. The globe so shrunk should at
length crib but a single homogeneous
family, forever tranquil and prosper
Gus. So figured Mr.. Wanamaker. The
generous optimist would hasten the
millennium.
The idea of soaring meteorlike from
continent to continent, without stop
and in single summers day, had
Mr.. Wanamaker's approval and the
worlds applause The project was
magnificent if somewhat venturesome.
Impossible it could not truly be called;
for had German recently flown 10
out of. the IL or Is hours required
for favorable voyage? The chances
seemed fair for the voyage, fair for
rescue in case of premature descent.
From Azores to Europe
But a less dramatic, less difficult
program was presently proposed and
soon adopted. A stanch flying boat
with two men and gasoline for con-
tinuous voyage of day and night
should sail for the Azores, and thence,
with replenished tanks, sweep straight
to Europe. The longest stage would
thus be under 1,200 miles, or very
little more than the worlds record
for nonstop flight Of one man in
land aeroplane. 1t would be feast
bic to alight at any moment on the
sea, except in a considerable storm,
make adjustments of the propelling
system, and proceed without impedi-
ment. So, after mature counsel with
their confidential associates, Mr.. Wan
amaker and Mr.. Curtiss agreed upon
this second plan, and determined to
push the work to finish as early
in the summer as practicable.
Mechanism Is Perfect
The sea fiier as finally built looks
ike a respondent red whale with BIZ
plane wings jutting out from its
sides. The forepart of the hull is
the cabin with closed turretlike hood,
having celluloid windows around and
above it to give clear view of the
world, the sky, and the craft itself.
The rear tapering part Of the hull
carries the tail plane and rudders ex-
teriorly, and interiorily il composed
Of water-tight compartments. The
central part of the hull contains the
gasoline tanks from which the fuel
is pumped up to the smaller supply