The Cordova daily times., 1918-05-23
AIRPLANE MAIL SERV|CEF
 ESTABLISHED

| WASHINGTON, May 23.-With establishment of regular airplana mail service between Washington and New York, the postoffce consid. CTS that the project is experimental only in the sense that a now familiar means of locomotion is to be prac | tically to a new use. The war has 1 demonstrated effectively that the air plane as a conveyance is almost as | dependable and safe as an automo. | bile, so the only real obstacle in the way of successfully operating the new air line lies in maintaining service un- der 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 off. cials feel that the newly-commissione fiers will acquire valuable training in piloting the big mail carriers over long cross-countTy flights.
 The planes, each capable of mini mum speed of ninety miles an hour, are built along the lines of the regu- lation bombing machine. They are one-seaters, as a maximum of space is desired in the fuselage for the stor- ing of mail bags.
 The schedule provides for the de parture of one plane each day from both Washington and New York rhs machines leave promptly at 11:5U in the morning, and it is hoped to have the mail deposited at the terminals not more than three hours later. Start ing from the Mall in Washington, near the Washington monument, the trip to Philadelphia, about 1855 miles, is expected to be made in about an hour and twenty minutes. At the hangars in North Philadelphia another ma. chine will be waiting, ready to start 1 the flight to New York as soon as the incoming plane lands and the trans fer 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 made | in about an hour. The larger planes carry about 500 pounds of mail, or approximately 24,0OO letters. The smaller machines will carry about half that amount.
 Emergency landing fields will be established at Baltimore and Havye de Grace, Md; Wilmington, Del. and at either Princeton or New Bruns. wick, N. J. In the case of a machine breaking down at some interurban point in it's journey, the mail sacks will be rushed by motor truck to the nearest railroad station, where they will be sent forward in care of a courier.
 
 lished by law at "A cents an ounce 1 or fraction thereof. However, this entities the sender to have the letter forwarded to the addressee by spe cial 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 ir any part of the country may have their delivery facilitated by sendins them on the first part of the journey by airplane. In each city postmasters have designated the stations and tht hours at which letters for airplane dispatch may be mailed.
 A special stamp has been desienet for the new service. It has a ret border, and shows an airplane il | flight on blue field.
 The first stamp was sold to Post master General Burleson, who ad dressed a letter to Postmaster Pat ten of New York. After cancellatio, of the stamp the letter was anto graphed by President Wilson ant placed in the first consignment O mail directed to New York. The let ter will be sold at auction, the nro ceeds to be devoted to war relief During the first months of the sarv