The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-05-16
PLANES WING IN
AND OUT WITH
FIRST AIR MAIL
One Batch Goes to Capital,
Another Comes From
Philadelphia.
SCHEDULE INTERRUPTED
Broken Propeller Halts Filler
Twenty Miles Out of
Washington.
SCHEDULE INTERRUPTED


and blue tail buzzcd away from Bel
mont Park yesterday with the first load
Of air mail. Three hours and 90 minutes
later another biplane. similarly marked.
which had relayed the mail from Phila-
delphia. as a fresh horse and courier
used TO relay it in the day Of the post
rider. descended in Potomac Park, WASH
.ngton The fastest trains between New
York and the capital made the run in
FIVE hours.
A third biplane that was sped on its
rorthward journey by President and
Mrs Wilson lost its way and had to
and Then it broke its propeller--to
say nothing Of the young army aviator's
seart--at Waldorf. Md. only twenty-five
mics from Washington. The mail it
s,ar,ed with will come through to New
York to-day by the sky route, barring
another strone OF bad luck.
\ fourth plane. which was waiting
a; Philadelphia to relay the Washington
nail to New York, flew to Belmont Park
VITA pouches from Philadelphia after
.sps OF the mishap in Maryland was
7eceived.
Quick Time 10 Made.
It's part Of the transmission through
cloudland was accomplished in an hour
and 80 minutes. and the mail 1t brought
vas distributed from the New York
Post Office one hour and twenty-three
minutes earlier than II it had come
by train.
Thus three quarters OF the Govern
mr.
M-ly scheduled aerial mail service was
,l.uesstully carried out. Philadelphia
and Washington got their "a cent an
o4Uce letters from New York swiftly.
II no, quite as swiftly as had been ex.
pocted. and New York received its mail
rom Philadelphia.
\ singular fact Yes the failure of the
public to rise COM Detely to the oppor-
unity Of sharing in an event which was
Inevitably remindful Of the first steam-
hoat and the first steam, locomotive. as
we'll as prophetic Of what is to come
.l the sky when the invention VI the
W-'shts is converted from wartime use
- the peaceful commerce that Vas IN
INC vision Of the pioneers
Although the airplane that lei: New
York could have carried 3o0 pounds OF
mail its burden was only Tvs pounds.
,oosisting largely OF congratulated
Eessaces TO and from official person.
The two hass that left Washington
o,ntained l40 pounds OF mail.
Public Misses u Chance.
u was expected that more letters
ard parcels than could be carried
through the air would be depositel and
.r~aAKements had been made to Send
'@ surplus by train. An army OF
stamp collectors missed great chance.
Two professional philatelists. shrcwder
'Hau their brethren and the amateurs.
Prrs hugginy themselves at Belmont
Fark all day. One OF them had bought
500 Of the new - cent aerial mil
s'a'nps and stuck them on 400 letters
adircssed 10 friends who will return
'hem with the stamps cancelled with a
,os,mark showing that these stamp :
were used o. tae very first day OF
r'erhead postage.
The other stamp seller was hardly less
.Iai,au Both OF them said the can
,'..ed stamps were worth 81 apiece yes
"r.ay and that In ten years. so COM
uaratvely few was their number. most
~ 'he mail having borne ordinary
amps because the specials were issued
cry late. they ought to bring 800
aroce,
Post Onre officials said they expected
greatly increased to-day. Yesterday S
''hedule will be maintained daily unless
nc weather Is too balky.
Lucky Pilots
T.e mach envied Lieutenan,s who
shared in yesterdays rare adventure
N"-e Torrey Webb. who carried the mail
rom Belmont Park to Philadelphia j.
- EdSerton, who relayed II from Phila-
.ol1hia 10 Washington along with mail
-'arting at Philadelphia (William Penn
rD the City Hall summit must have
'"en fahbergasted) George l.. BOYLE.
20 through no fault OF his own came
to earth in Maryland. and Paul Culver.
no few from Philadelphia to Belmont
'h-~. Scw York.
THO oldest OF the four Is not more
Ian -. They tried to act as II this
N"- merely part OF days work. but
'to "rowds gathered to see them or or
-en them land were not to he fooled
Tl'y knew they were helping to make
,or". these buoyant young darehevils
IA" light in their eyes told that II
.pthirr' else.
Quite casually. after embracing his
N'" In Belmont Park before his shin
''ar'ed soaring. Lieut.. Webb remarked
500 ypu later as II he had tennis
"h'', but 1t was sufficiently evident that
N""n ard the proud young woman who
"a'H1 at him as he spiralled through
80" sunshine will have a good deal to
ok abou, when later arrives, as 1,
VIII to-day when Webb f,ies back from
'n!aa''nhia with anothes batch Of "a
= Ih" post office people were out tc
.'dH" frst day record. They did theiI
''r' ~ 'hc job with amazing speed. The
"" pouches made up at the main Post
lIIL-L DnIn .l,..i ,lrial