Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-01
AEROPLANE MAIL SERVICE
by FREDERIC j. HAskIN.

WASHINGTON. ID. c., May 31.-The
United States is soon going to have
an aerial mall service. Early In MAY
the Post-Onice Department advertised
Tor bids on an aeroplane service
throughout Alaska. in answer to which
the owner OF three powerful acroplanes
is now on his way from the Alaskan
gold fields to close contract This
mans bid which is for S49.5OO a year.
was accepted by the department for
the reason that II was the only one
submitted. The demand for aircraft
and skilled operators in Europe Ia SO
great that very few aeroplancs, aside
from the comparatively small number
in the army and navy. are allowed
to remain in this country. a bid was
also requested for a similar service
from New Bedford to Nantucket Mass
but so far no one has offered to UNI
dertake il.
The question OF an aerial mail ser
vice in this country has been in pro-
cess of agitation ever since 1910, when
mail pouch was carried by aeroplane
TO the New York post office from the
steamship Kaiserin Victoria, which
was lying fifty miles at sea. Follow
ing that. no less than sixty-seven at
tempts were made to show the prac-
ticability OF carrying mail through the
air. The proposition was the subject
of so much popular interest that IL was
adopted by various municipal boards
The plan was 10 secure permission
from the government TO carry the mail
by aeroplane n specific distance for n
certain number Of days. thus attract
ing great crowds OF people 10 witness
the phenomenon and incidentally ac-
CELEBRATE business in the town. In the
space of six years, these demonStra-
tons proved SO uniformly successful
that the government decided to adopt
the plan in stretches of country where
the usual method of transportation
was expensive and difficult.
First TrinI In Alaska.
Under these circumstances. the frst
choice was Alaska, where the mail
is carried by dog sled. which is costly
and inadequate. During the winter
months no mail at all is transmitted
in the northern interior. where the last
mail sled in the fall and the first mall
sled in the spring are events to be
celebrated like the fourth of July and
Christmas. The present contract for
aeroplane service at $4,000 is $4,000
more than the dog-sled system costs.
but the aeroplane will carry 1000
pounds of mail as compared TO the
sleds 200, and bring Seward, Nome
United States. In addition to mail,
the postal aeronaut expects to run
passenger and express service.
There are many sections of the coun-
try that would be greatly benefited
bv swift mail service which would
be practically impossible. except by
air. because the route would lie over
mountains and desert From Santa
Maria to Shale. Cal. for example, the
distance is not over fifty miles as the
crow flies, but over the mountain
range that separates them it takes
two days for the mail to travel. AS
important oil interests are located in
each of these towns, the slowness of
the mail Is q great hardship. An aero
plane could make the distance from
Gallup, N NJ, to the Indian agency at
Keams Canyon, AriZ., which is less
than n hundred miles, in a little more
than an hour, while under the present
system it requires two days for the
mail to arrive by wagon. Again,
Phoenix and Globe, Ariz., are only
seventy-two miles apart. but jour-
ney of twenty hour hours lies be-
tween them. The rapid development
of the aeroplane is watched with much
interest in these places, where ma
tional aerial mail service would be
distinctly welcomed.
Things Tint Block Why.
The great stumbling blocks in the
way Of a national aerial corps of mail
carriers are the tremendous cost of
such Il system, and the attitude of Con-
eress which builds s10.000-post offices
in remote districts not in dire need
of them, but which can not see the
necessity of buying aircraft either for
the mail, the army or the navy. 1t
has been estimated by the Aero Club
of America that on the day President
Wilson's note went forth to Germany,
there were only three up-to date and
efficient acroplanes in the United
States Navy, and only twice as many
in the army. AT the beginning of the
war, Germany had an aerial fleet of
over 1000 craft, manned by trained
experts, while England has nearly AS
many, leading in speed machines. and
France possessed a feet of 500 after
discarding many obsolete models. Now,
through the efforts of the Aero Club
of America, two aviation schools have
been established in this country-one
at San Diego and one in Texas-and a
fund is being raised by patriotic Amer
leans to provide the State Militia with
flying squadrons.
There have heen several reports
recently that the Importance Of the
aeroplane In the European war has
been greatly exaggerated, but these are
hardly borne out by the speed with
which the European powers are i'm
porting aircraft. American factories
are working full capacity. Predic-
lions OF a future aerial battle at Essen
have long been current, and 1t Is
well-known fact lat all the beliig-
erents are sper large sums in,