Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1918-02-23
EASTERN SHORE
AIRLINE MAIL
CONGRESSMAN PRICE
FAvORS THE PROJECT
Postmaster Sherlock Swami Urges
Airplane Service To The
Eastern Shore.

Postal service by airplanc between
Baltimore and points on the Eastern
Shore is being urged upon the officials
at Washington by Postmaster Sher-
lock Swami. He first broached his air
plane project in 1914. and believes il
/ TO be entirely feasible unless the cost
is prohbitive. He said Saturday that
II would save hours in the transmits
sion of mail between Baltimore and
points on the Eastern Shore which arc
accessible only by boats. and would
be Of great benefit to the public
Colonel Swami laid the matter be-
fore the chiefs of the Postoffice De
partment during trip to Washing
ton last week. He also urged that
Baltimore be included in the proposed
airplanc mail line between Washing
ton and Philadelphia and New York.
The large drill fields at Fort McHcnry
he pointed out. would afford ample
space for the landing of air craft.
and a branch postofTicc could be cstab-
. lished there. Besides the practical
value of Fort Nc Henry in such ser
vice. Colonel Swami said. the fact th:.t
ii was the birthplace of The "Star-
Spangled Banner" afforded sen. !
mental reason FOR its selection.
Representative Jesse d. Price. of
the First Maryland District. has an
nounced that he will support Col.
Sherlock Swami in his plans TO get an
aerial mail service between Baltimore
and the Eastern Shore. Mr.. Price be-
lieves that when the end of the war
comes the country will be swarming
with aviators and airShips and that
the service can be established at much
less cost than the Postoilcc Depart
mcnt now estimates. He added that
If necessary he will ask Congress for
a special appropriation to establish
the aerial service.
AT the outset, wish TO say that
Colonel Swami shall have my best CO.
operation 10 obtain the proposed aerial
mail route between Baltimore and the
Eastern Shore" said Mr. Price. 81
believe the scheme is practicable and
can be established at much less cost
than is now estimated. OF course. We
must wait until after the war ends be-
fore We will be able TO get this SER
vice
There is every reason in the world
why this aerial mail route should be
established between Baltimore and the
Shore, If such scheme of carrying
mails prove practicable. A body of
water separates the Eastern Shore
from Baltimore. the commercial heart
OF Maryland The mail service now
is often thrown out Of joint by wealth
cr conditions. Take my own city of
Salisbury. Ii is 100 miles from Bal
timore by the all rail route. but by
direct aerial route is only so miles
away II takes a letter to 20 from
Baltimore to Salisbury by the allrail
route more than nine hours. BY an
aeroplane making hundred miles an
hour. the trip could be made in an hour
and half when other stops are taken
into consideration.
"It is my idea that the proposed
aerial route from Baltimore should in
cludc stops at every county seat on
the Eastern Shore. The mail should
leave Baltimore early in the morning
SO that the early papers Of that
city can be delivered 10 he read at
the breakfast table
Il do not believe an aerial mail SER
vice will cost 50 much after the war.
In the first place this country will
train approximately 50,000 aviators
for war service in France The large
majority of these men will return TO
this country after the war. They will
be ready TO undertake the job of fly
ing acroplanes at salaries much less
than 500 a week. Again, this country
is building thousands and thousands
Of acroplancs for war service. There
is reason TO believe the bulk of these
machines will find their way back to
this country and can be placed in the
postal service.
II am also of the opinion that
large aeroplanes, capable of carrying
a ton OF mail matter. can be built.
They now are building aeroplanes of
such capacity in Europe-airships
which carry half a dozen passengers
and ton of dynamite. We can build
the same machines for the mail serv-
ice. Such aeroplancs would be capa-
BILE of handling the days mail be-
tween Baltimore and the Eastern
Shore.
at is stated that the cost of the
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