The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-05-24
AIR MAIL CARRIERS
MAKE BETTER Time
THANISSCHEDULED
Service Between Washington and
New York Much Faster
It'll. Than Was Hoped "E'
KATHERINE STINS0E =, q
MEETS WITH DELAYS
Project Experiment Only So Far
As Using Aviation For
New Purpose

NEW YORK, May 24A--( Associated
Press United States mali from Wash.
ington reached here yesterday one hun
-dred and thirty-hve minutes after Il
had been officially despatched from the
capital, this being three, quarters Of
an hour faster than khe schedule
drawn Up when the air mail service
was put into effect a few days ago.
Yesterdays mail was brought by two
machines, equipped with Liberty mo-
tors. The machines averaged faster
than two miles minute, 3JsssS
Air mail from Chicago, bling brought
by Katherine Stinson, ndw regularly
sworn into the postal service, was de-
layed. The famous young hviatrix was
forced to stop st Binghahpton, New
York, after mst ing flight of seven
hundred and eighty-tbree miles She
states that she would have completed
her nonstop flight to New York ex-
cept for the fact that her supply of
gasoline had become exhausted.
No Longer Experimsnt
With the establishment OF a regular
airplane mail service between wash
ington and New York, the postofiiee
considers that the project is expert
mental only in the sense that now
familiar means Of locomotion is to be
put practically to a new use. The war
has demonstrated effectively that the
airplane as conveyance Is almost as
dependable and safe an an automobile,
so the only real obstacles in the way
of successfully operating the new air
line lies in maintaining service under
all kinds Of weather conditions.
The war department has furnished
twelve large training planes for use
in the new service Aviators have
been detailed from the ranks Of fight
ing airmen, as war department officials
feel that the newly-commissioned fliers
will acquire valuable training in pilot
ing the big mail carriers OVER long
cross-countfy flights. .-,.
The planes, each capable of a1mini-
mum speed of ninety miles an hour, are
built along the lines of the regulation
bombing machine. They are one-seat-
ers as maximum of space is desired
in the fuselage for the storing of mail
bags.
Schedule Now Exceeded
The schedule provides for the depar-
ture of one place each day from both
Washington and New York. The ma
chimes leave promptly at 1880 in the
morning. Starting from the Mall in
Washington, near the Washington
monument, the trip to Philadelphia,
about 1876 miles, was expected to be
made in about an hour and twenty
minutes. At the hangers in North Phil
adelphia another machine is waiting,
ready to start the flight to New York
as soon as the incoming plane lands
and the transfer of mail bags is made.
The second leg of the journey, from
Philadelphia to Belmont field, in the
Long Island suburbs of New York,
should be readily made in about an
hour. The larger planes carry about
800 pounds of mail, or approximately
24.0O0 letters The smaller machines
will carry about half that amount.
Emergency landing fields will be es-
tablished at Baltimore and Havre de
Grace, Maryland; Wilmington, Della
ware and at either Princeton or New
Brunswick, New Jersey. In the case
of a machine breGI%ing down at some
interurban point in its journey, the
mail sacks will be rushed by motor
truck to the nearest railroad station
where they will be nt>fOrward in care
Of courier.
Rates Established
The rate of postage has been estab
hshed by law at twenty-four cents an
ounce or fraction thereof. However
this entities the sender to have the let
ter forwarded to the addresses by spec.
ial delivery service, in case the air
plane arrives too late for the regular
city deliveries.
Letters mailed at Washington, Phil
adelphia or New York for delivery
in any part of the country may have
their delivery facilitated by sending
them on the first part of the journey
by airplane. In each city postmas-
ters have designated the stations and
the hours at which letters for airplane
despatch may be mailed.
Special Stamp Used
A special stamp has been designed
for the new service. 1t has red Dor
der, and shows an airplane in flight on
a blue field.
The first stamp was sold to Postmas-
ter General Burleson who addressed a
letter to Postmaster Patten, of New
York. After cancellation of the stamp,
the letter was autographed by Presi-
dent Wilson and placed in the first
consignment of mail directed to New
York. The letter will be sold at auc-
tion, the proceeds to be devoted to
war relief.
During the first months of the serv.
ice no flights will be made when storm
conditions make the journey very pre-
carious On those days the sacks will
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