Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-03-31
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go MAJORITY of experienced aviators be-
! !" ; J J
N lieve the proposed aeroplane flight
MA around the world this summer, while it
IkN% will be a marvellous demonstration Of
uAHSA human progress and efficiency, is never
AHkAS theless feasible The directors of the
VIZ Panama-Paciic exposition at San Fran
NSS.Y cisco are assured of the cooperation of
ANla all the great nations over whose terri
93A3 tory the monoplanes and aeroplanes
OK will whirl
SS& Feat after feat of endurance must be
I'D performed by the aviator who traverses
the broad American continent, makes
the great jumps from island to island
of the North Atlantic pursues the well-traveled
air lanes of Europe, safely passes over the bleak
and forbidding 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 great air journey after
other means luck enormous luck to greater de-
gree than in almost any sporting contest ever
organized
Several aviators have sgnified their intention OF
entering. They willing to take the risks.
They not actuated by the desire for gold for
even the successful contender, who will win the
$4,000 first prize and also the $4,000 offered by
Lord Northcfe for the first crossing of the At
eaten up by the expenses of his undertaking.
1t ia quite certain however that plenty of men
of large fortunes and sporting procivites 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 Slerras, 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
flight across the Atlantic will begin. The flyers
will probably head for Cape Farewell Greenland,
$40 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, go and $40 miles.
None of them insurmountable in itself But to hit
the bulrseye three times in succession-there's
the rub.
Then these seas not always as hospitable as
the Mediterranean, which Roland Garros has now
crossed twice. There fog and wind and rocky
landing places.
But IL 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 flor nstance) tnan that taken by the late
John B. Moissant when he set off in an untried
machine with 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 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 the Japan 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 so to 200 miles. From Alaska
the course will be southwark to Vancouver, Seat
tie, and home to San Francisco.
The aviators who hesitate about pronouncng
the journey possible in the present stage of their
calling attention to the distances 900 miles
The successful flyer must travel an average OF
more than 200 miles day for four months. Will
# 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 an average of only 100
miles daily.
This explains clearly how greatly the proposed
journey would Guido anything yet accomplished.
Besides the notable flights already mentioned,
Oscar Bider has flown over practically every high
mountain in Europe, Garros has made flight
from Marseilles to Paris without stopping; Brinde
jonc des Moulinais has toured the capitals of
Europe and two besides Vedrines have reached
Egypt from France Yet these journeys pale be-
fore the difficulties of the race 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 hestates TO doubt
their ability to do anything
Special aeroplanes will be constructed for the
race. These will probably be swift but not built
Cor the maximum speed. They will make saw. go
miles hour. Reliability will be the object