Republican farmer., 1919-08-29
READ PLANS
 TO FLY ACROSS PACIFIC OCEAN
First to "Hop Over" Allan tic Reported Preparing
 fer Hazardous Trip.
SEVERAL PRIZES
 OFFERED AVIATORS
Expect Japanese and Brit ish Airmen Will Enter
 This Contest.


 Washington, Aug. 22-The United States Navy. having been the first to send flying machine across the At lantic, covets the same honors on the Pacific Commander Read, who naviagted the NC-4 from Rockaway to Plymouth. is understood to be pre- pairing plans for the crossing of the Pacific though the enterprise is be- ing treated as confidential at present, and no official confirmation is ob- tainabIe.
 The offer hy Thomas H. Ince, the moving picture producer, of a prize of S5O,000 cash to the first airplane to cross the Pacific has turned the attention of aviators and manufac- turers of airplanes coastward, and the navy will probably have more competitors for Pacific honors than it had for those of the Atlantic.
 On account of the great distance between suitable landing places on a direct route, seaplanes undertaking the crossing of the Pacific will prob ably follow the northern route, along the Alaska coast and the Aleutian Islands to KamshatIa, and thence to Japan and China The distance from 1 San Francisco to Honolulu is 2,1OO miles, and no seaplane yet built is i capable of carrying gasoline enough 4 for that distance. The misfOrtuncs ' that overlook the NC-3 and NC-l in | landing in the open ocean off the i Azores show that a seaplane takes great chances in coming down :.t sea.
 At the same time landings and 'take-offs" have frequently been made with success in the open sea, l and the navy may attempt the trans 1 Pacific flight in that way, having the i plane refuelled at sea from a mother 1 ship
 One of the intending competitors | for the $5O.OOO prize, the George D. | White Company, of Los Angeles, all ready has announced it's intention of sending a White mono-seaplane by | the northern route. and the cooper ation has already been secured of the Pacific Aero League and of the Aerial League of Canada. The route will l be as follows:
 Los Angeles to San Francisco, 450 miles; to Victoria, British Columbia, 1 73O miles; to Sitka, Alaska, $50 miles; to Unalaska, 1,2OO miles; to Petropavlovsk, kamchatka, 1,5O0 1 miles; to Yokohoma, 1,4OO miles; to Shanghai, $50 miles
 The White monOplane has two pOntoons and three engines-two 1SO horsepower and one of 300 horse power, all Hispano-Suizas The smaller engines will be used to- gether and the larger one by itself so that there will always be reserve power enough to carry the plane.
 70 e fer count a crossing to Australia as a trans-Pacific voyage, and the com petition is open to all and in either direction. The crossing must be made in 288 elapsed hours and 95 per cent of the mileage must be made in the air.
 In view of the Alcock flight from Newfoundland to Ireland, 1,SOO miles a land plane flight from San Fran cisco to the Hawaiian Islands is not considered impossible, although haz- ardous. Such plane could fly from
 Honolulu to Midway Island, 1,149 miles, and from there to Yokohoma 2,25O miles,
 | On the air route to Australia the jump from Honolulu to Tutula, in the Samoan Islands, would be 2,27F miles; thence to the Fiji Islands, 5Ot miles, and then to Melbourne, Aus. tralia, 2,4SO miles.
 It is not improbable that Japaneso and British aviators will enter the Pacific contest Prevailing winds ia vor an eastward flight.
 A special prize of S10.00O is offer.
 ed to the first aviator who shall reach l Honolulu from the Pacific Coast.
 The navy will not enter for the | prize. but is likely to make the effOr | at about the same time that set for the contest, which is from Sep i tember next to February, inclusive.