The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-26
NEW AERIAL RECORD
MADE BY CHILEANS
Crossing Andes $4,000 Feet
High Is Common Jour
ney for Filters.
PERILS FAIL TO DAUNT
One Young Army Officer
Scores Round Trip, Santi-
ag0-Mendoza.
NJ ERNEsTo MONTENEGRO,


o. s. Correspondent for III kercxsSo Of
Chile.
The daring enterprise of the Ameri-
can military avistors now engaged In
crossing the Atlantic is q matter for just
pride. not only for this race and nation
but for every civilized man who rejoices
In seeing that together with the CROWNS
knowledge of mankind tho virtues Of dis
fnterestedness and courage are still
strong a. even At the same time other
human creatures are fighting the ole
ments In other corners OF the globe.
striving to defeat the heretofore impossi-
BILE over the seas and over the noun
tains.
A feat not less hazardous than that
attempted by Hawker and oricve was
carried to q SUCCESSFUL end short time
ago By . Chilean aviator. when ne
crossed and reorossed over the highest
range Of the Cordille of the Andes with
out carrying even q compass and hardly
enough fuel. for the two hours OF direct
fight over q mass OF rocks 100 miles
broad. Lieut. Armando Cortinez Of the
Chilean Aviation School 10 tho hero OF
this double crossing Of the Andes. which
was already carried out for the first time
over the safns point By one Of his col
leagues. Lieut. Dasoberto Godoy. . year
ago
Contest for Six Years.
There has been q very close contest
for the last six years between Argen.
tinans and Chileans, both Jealous ct
gaining tho honor Of being the first TO
conquer the snowcapped mountains that
constitute their common boundary. In
1919 several avtators Of both nationAn-
ties announced their intention Of defytng
the formidable barrier. and the most
notable among them and undoubtedly
the best prepared OF them all. the Argen-
tine Engineer Newbery. was killed In an
accident after having everything ready
for the flight
But tho glory Of It's accomplishment
was reserved for men who. though not
less courageous and trained than the Ar
Gentine aviator. had at the Same time At
their disposal an aeroplane more ade-
ouate for the navigation Of heights only
explored until then by the eagle and the
condor, pilots Of the whirtwind.
30, after Nswbery. the Argentine Mas
cias and the Chilean Fuentes. who were
looked upon by their countrymen as
their champions. had TO postpone over
and over again their attempts. owing to
the insufficient power Of their machines
At last, Lieut. Candelaria Of the Argen-
Chile, at q height Of 10000 feet, proving
by his act that the Andes were not moro
to be feared than the Alps. In the cross-
ing OF which the Peruvian aviator
Chaves proved for the FIRST time the ca
pability Of tho Latin American peoples
for this. the newest Of the scientific con-
quests
Not three months had elapsed from
The time Of Candslaria's flight. when Go
doy few from Santiago to Mendoza In
q straight route. his Bristol soaring
over precipices thousands Of feet high.
This seemed tho last word In the
matter Of tempting death. In order to
traverse safely tho steep crags of the
mountains, far up from the abysses. the
aeroplane had to maintain an even flight
over the $4,000 feet marked by the sum-
nit of the Andes. To the left. the pyra-
mid of the Aconcagua raises its head up
to moro than 10000 feet. overlooking the
Pacifo Ocean 100 miles to the west.
Aerial Hero Acclaimed.
It seems but natural that the Chileans
should brave the sharp crests of the
Andes, since the valleys Of their country
are but green nests cut into the sierras.
They have grown UP In the shadow of
the mountains, which have given them q
hardness Of muscle a sobriety Of express
sion and a spirit of enterprise OF true
mountaineers.
No wonder, then. that Chileans have
hailed the prowess of Lieuts. Godoy and
Cortinez as a genuine demonstration OF
the spirit OF their people. and that over
their attainment a high sort of emulation
and sportmanship has found expression,
both in Argentina and Chile-a mutual
exchange of courtesy and good will
which should appear as an example to
other South American countries.
Lieut.. Cortinez chose April to pass
the Andes with the purpose OF taking q
wreath to the monument OF Gen. San
Martin in Mendoza. which is the same
date that commentaries the common tri-
umph OF Argentinians and Chileans
against the Spanish domination. At dawn
he secretly took his aeroplane into the
deld and pretending to make q simple
journey to Santiago. he ventured to re-
trace high above the clouds the same
rough trails crossed over by the armies
OF patriots who came to liberate the
country more than 100 years ago.
For more than one hour the aviator
had beon passing over the dominion OF
gales and eternal snow. The least in
corruption OF the frail motor of the air
plane. the slightest weakening of the
mans self-control, would have meant
death An unmarked grave lay concealed
in one of those sombre depths of the
formidable panorama And nothing that
Lieut. Confines saw there and nothing
that he could imagine Influenced his res
olution of making the same perilous trip
back TO his country some days after.
Such men are trained by the Aviation
Military School OF Chile, recently
founded by Cen Pinto-Concha, who IL
now in the States en- route to the Orient.