The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1914-06-23
THE COLUMBUS OF THE AIR

This voyage will be from west to east
From America back to Spain. The
modern explorer will scorn wave and
wind, laying a pioneer route through
the uncharted air. His historic pro
totype took ten weeks for the cross
ing; he will link continent to CONT
nent in less than two days-if he ar
Tives.
The attempt TO be made early in Jul
ly by Lieut.. John c. Porte of the
Rodman Wanamakar aeroplane expe-
dltlon will be a world event, whether
IL succeeds or fails. A crossing of
the ocean by air will rank in interest
with the discovery of the north pole,
and will be vastly more important in
practical results. 1t is difficult to
think of anything in the whole realm
Of exploration or sport that so stirs
the imagination.
1t is only ten years since Wilbur
Wright first raised himself from the
earth and few, realizing the dreams
and efforts Of 5000 years. With his
early cautious experiments still fresh
in mind, we turn in amazement to
the bold enterprise which looks al
most an attempt to realize Kiplings
story, with the Night Mail"
Lieut.. Portes aeroplane is now
ready for experimental flights at
Lake Keuka, N. Y. After a thorough
tuning up she will be sent to New
York City and shipped to st. Johns
New Foundland. A few trials there,
and then eFly some morning she
VIII rise clear of the brooding mists
head east by south east and roar off
beyond the horizon while the whole
world waits in suspense for the is
sue.
The craft is new model of Glenn
Curtiss' flying boat, with a body shap-
ed like a whale and a spread of mon.
oplane wings " feet from tip to tip
She can alight on the water and rise
again in any but heavy sea. She
carries 800 gallons of gasoline and
20 gallons of lubricating oil. Her
two engines are of a model, each
100 horse power, operating separate
propellers. In a preliminary test
they ran 80 hours without miss.
Lieut.. Porte with an assistant viii
occupy the tiny cabin with provision
Tor comfort, food and sleep There
is double control SO that il either
aviator mods or has to leave lis post
the other can hold the air-boat to her
course without interruption.
The lieutenant was disposed to
choose the direct route from New
Foundland to Ireland. That is the
shortest way, and there is said to be
"a steady west-to-east wind growing
In velocity with the height. He fin
ally relinquished the plan because of
the prevalence of fogs between New
FoHndland and Ireland. While he
could rise above them, he would find
the horizon obscured, would be barr.
ed from exchange of intelligence with
passing ships and would find it diff
iieult to alight on the hidden water
in case of emergency. lie has there
for decided to make the Azores his
first objective, flying thence direct
ly eastward to Vigo, Spain then north
over the Bay of Biscay to Plymouth.
England. On that route he may rea-
sonably expect fair weather and will
be nearly all the way ON freQuented
steamship routes.
At his estimated speed OF 60 miles
an hour he can reach the Azores in
20 hours; il will be hours then to
Vigo and nine hours more TO Ply
mouth making 40 hours of actual
flight. "Coaling mp" at the. Azores
and Vigo may reqaire ten hours, rails
ing the total time from st. Johns
to Plymouth TO 80 hours.
Lieutenant Porte regards this as
the NEST practical course for gen.
eral travel between Europe and
America and hopes to blaze route
for the thronging air traffic of the
future,
The venture viii be made under
the e1uilibility rules of the Lore
Northeliffe $4,000 prize contest for
crossing the Atlantic by aeroplane in
a. hours or less, Competition for this
money, however, is a mere incident
The enterprise is not mercenary IN