The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1914-03-28

the great jumps from island to island
of the North Atlantic, pursues the wel-traveled
lanes Of Europe. safely passes the bleak
and fOrbiddiug wastes of Siberia. and fringes the
almost uHnhabited line of northern Asia
and Alaska.
Ilut 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 great air Journey after
other means luck. enormous luck, to greater de
gree than in almost any sporting contest ever
organized.
Several avators have slgnined 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
Sl3ooO0 first prize and also the s50.o 600 offered by
Lord Northcltne for the first crossing of the Al
lantic. viii find his s20o0oO and perhaps more
eaten up by the expenses OF his undertaking.
1t is quite certain, however that plenty of men
OF large fortunes and sporting proclivities 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 1905.
The attention OF thu close students OF the race
IS conferred uron the problem of the Atlantic
After passing due east from San Francisco across
the Sierras, through Reno New. Cheyenne W,o
hahaas City, st Louis ana New York the avia.
tors VIII coast along the seaboard to Belle Isle
between Newfoundland and Labrador Here the
Hight across the Atlantic will begin The flyers
will probably head for Cape Farewell Greenland
hl" miles away From Cape Farewell to Iceland
the distance is go miles. and from Iceland to
Storuaway. In the Hebrides is SO miles
hree enormous leaps-6l0 $40 and 80 miles
Non" OF them insurmountabe in itself But to hit
the bulIseye three times in succession-there's
the rub.
Then these seas are not always as spltable as
the Mediterranean. which Roland Garros has now
crossed twice. There are fog and wind and rocky
landing places
But If a row OF warshps patrol the course
lent by their governments in the interests of sci
ehce and human progress. the risk will not be
greater for instanceD than that taken by the late
John b Moissant when he set off In an untred
machine with Il fog in his face to fly from Paris
to London at a time when the channel crossing
alone was considered almost miracle.
compared with the Atlantic crossing too, the
rest of the journey seems fairly simple.
Ihe 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 Nladivostok The next
lap takes the aviator across the to Corea.
lie must then cross the Japan to Kobe and
Tokyo. turn north to kamchatka and travel along
the coast either to East cape to the Aleutian
islands. The distance between the two continents
here varies from 80 to 200 miles, From Alaska
the course 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
are calling attention to the distance-2S 900 miles
The successful flyer must travel average OF
more than 200 miles day for four months. VIII
1t be possible to accomplish the trip in the few
months Of summer OF the Northern regions
through parts of which the course lies! Vedrines
was 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 a flight
from, 70 pario
jonc des Moulinais toured the capitals Of
Europe. and two besides Vedrines have reached
Egypt from France. Yet these journeys rale be-
fore the difficulties OF the around the globe.
1t 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 one hesitates to doubt
their ability to do anything.
Special aeroplanes will be constructed for the
These will probably be swift, but not built
for the maximum speed. They will make say. 60
miles an hour. Reliability will be the object