Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-05-16
FIRST AIR MAIL
ROUTE IS OPENED
Plane Carries Pouches from
New York to Washington in
3 Hours and 20 Minutes
DELIVERED IN HALF HOUR
Machine Making Trip from Capital
Has Break.Down-servic VIII He
Daily Except Sundays Hereafter

Washington, May 15.-Aerial mail serv-
zee in the United States became an ac-
eomplished fact to-day.
Piloted by an army of aviators. air
planes carried consignments Of mail from
New York to Philadelphia to Washington
lnd from Philadelphia to New York. A
plane which started from the national
capital for Philadelphia in the presence
Of President Wilson and other high gov
ernment officials was forced TO land at
Waldorf. Md. 30 miles away, because Of a
broken propeller.
l. With the exception Of Sunday. daily
Grips from each end Of the New York
Washington air mail route are planned by
the postoffice department. Each machine
will fly only half the lap of the journey,
the mail being transferred to different
planes at Philadelphia. The mail on the
marchine which was forced down to-day
will be sent out from Washington on the
plane making to-morrow's regular trip.
Three hours and twenty minutes after
q machine piloted by Lieutenant Torrey
H. Webb left the Belmont flying field near
New York city to-day. the mail it car
ried was landed in Washington and with
in 80 minutes boy scouts had completed
delivery Of the 735 parcels consigned to
Washington, including 10 pieces for the
White House. one for vice-President Mar
shall and a number to Postmaster-Gen-
eral Burleson.
Lieutenant Webb's machine reached
Philadelphia at one o'clock and it's mail
was transferred to plane driven by
Lieutenant James c. Edgerton in six
minutes. That plane appeared over the
capital at 2:45 o'clock and landed a few
minutes later. One Of the letters was from
Governor Whitman Of New York. ad.
dressed to President Wilson and pledged
New York to do its part in the Red Cross
drive for the 500. 100000 war fund. which
begins next Monday.
Besides the President and Mrs. Wilson
Postmaster.0 General Burleson, Secretary
Daniels. Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Roosevelt. Assistant Postmaster Generals
Praeger and Dockery and Postmaster
General Kamara Of Japan. witnessed the
departure Of the mail plane from Wash.
ington. The President cancelled and
autographed the aerial mail stamp on a
letter from Postmaster-GeneralB Burlesor
to Postmaster Patten of New York and
the stamp will be auctioned Off in New
York for the benefit Of the Red Cross.
Lieutenant George L. Boyle, formerly a
Washington newspaper man. piloted the
machine which carried $50 pounds of mai
in a special compartment in the fuselage
The plane got away amid the applause Of
q big crowd around Potomac Park. ant
then headed for Philadelphia. The
mishap occurred a short time afterwards
but Lieutenant Boyle brought the plane
down successfully.
Immediately after officials here learned
Of the mishap to Lieut.. Boyle's machine
the Philadelphia postoffice was notified
and the plane ready there to complete the
| lap Of the journey to New York got away
on time with mail from Philadelphia ant
vicinity.
The mail planes are Curtiss militar,
| training machines and army aviators pi
| loting them are assigned to the work fo
| experience in cross country flying. Post
once oficials said to-day that as the fiier
become familiar with their air route th'
service will be speeded up and they event
ualiy expect the trip to be made in les
than three hours
Airplane mail Is accepted at New Yorl
and Philadelphia for points West ant
South. being transferred to trains her
and at Philadelphia, while at Washington
mail is accepted for points in Pennsyl
vania, New Jersey. New York and New
England.
The plane which brought mail fron
New York and Philadelphia to-day car
ried letters Of congratulation to Postmas
ter-General Burleson from Adjutant-Gen
eral Hawley, president of the Aero Clu
Of America, John Wanamaker of Phila
delphia and P6stmasters Patten Of Ne,
York, Burton Of Brooklyn and Thornto
Of Philadelphia.