The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-06
NORTHERN WINDS
WILL AID PLANES
TOFLYO OVER SEA
Various Air Conditions Little
Known on Land, Together
With Earth'S Motion, Will
Affect Course of Planes.

WASHINGTON, May 6. (Spl)-When
Columbus and his three ~caravels sailed
westward on the first transatlantic
voyage, the great dlscoyerer found that
by keeping TO the southwark he was IA
vored by winds that bore him away
from the old world and toward the
Indies.
Now that C~olumbuses of the United
States navy Incorporating TO cross the
atlantic in the first journey by AIR
plane-in three big seaplanes-they find
that the winds that waited Columbus
are still blowing westward, making II
impraeticable in the present stage OF
aircraft development to follow the
southerly route from America to Eu-
rope, even if the great distance were
moi prohibitive. But they find that
farther north in the latitude of New
~foundland and Ireland, the prevailing
direction of the wind is from west to
east, and that under good wind condi-
lions they may cut three hours or more
/ from the time that would be required
to travel from Newfoundland to Ire
land at airplane speed in still air. The
same thing applies in an airplane jour-
new from Newfoundland to Portugal
by way of the Azores.
Wind Is the one element OF para
mount Importance to a successful
transatlantic flight, according TO
Prof. Charles f. Marvin, chief of the
weather bureau, United States depart
ment of agriculture. The weather bu-
| reau, by direction of the secretary or
agriculture and at the request OF me
secretary of the navy, is aiding the
Lnavy in every possible way to make
the first over-ocean journey a success,
A friendly cooperation also exists with
the meteorological service of Canada
and Great Britain and aviators Of other
nations preparing to make this hight.
Reports From Europe.
AS part of its work the weather bu,
reau Is using its daily reports from al
it's stations in the continental United
States to give indications of the most
favorable day for the long flight TO Pc
gin; 1t has arranged-1o receive WIRE
less and cable reports from observing
stations on the west coast Of Europe
from Spitzbergen and Iceland IN the
north to the Azores in the south; anC
other reports are to come by wireless
from naval vessels, ranging in class
from battleships to submarine chasers
posted oil the bosom of the Atlantic
All these reports are to be compared
charted and summarized in Washing
ton by the official forecaster, who, II
this case, will be Mai. L. H. Bowie
who was on duty as forecaster for tn
American eXpeditionary forces Il
France during the war. His forecast
and detailed advices concerning tn
meteorological conditions will be trans
mitted to Willis R. Gregg, a bureau
meteorological who has studied exten
siyely the relations Of weather condl
lions to transatlantic airplane flights
and who has gone to N~ewfoundland
where the American planes are to tax
the air for overseas after flying fror
New York, and he is now receivin
summarizes Of daily conditions. MI
- --A- 49, % fla TniNf of nnntnp
between the weather bureau n tn
naval aviators. He is equipped to tie
them not only when no storm is ap
preaching, but to indicate the success
sive directions toward which an air
plane should be headed to keep the de
assistance that will be furnished b
the Winds