The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-14
PLANES ORDERED
FOR FIRST AIR LINE
Wesley Hill to Fly Squadron
of Pioneers From New York
to Los Angeles in July.
$4,000 FARE IS OFFERED
Bay State Banker Sails to Aero
Show-PigeOns Off to
Hampton Roads.

A flight from New York to Los An
geles by a squadron OF four huge BIZ
planes carrying twelve passengers apiece
will be made about August I as a pre-
limlnary to the establishment OF the
first commercial aerial line In the United
States. line which will have a ninety
minute schedule between It's two termi-
nails, Los Angeles and San Diego, 100
miles apart. This was announced yes
terday at the Aero Show in Madison
Square Garden.
If all goes well-and Wesley 4. Hill,
former pioneer pony express rider. rough
rider under the Colonel, auto stage
owner and more recently Second Lieu
tenant of tanks in the U. S. Army, is
willing TO bet his shirt and fortune that
all will while he is running 1.-THE ser
vice will be extended to FL Paso. Tex,
to form the first leg OF transconti-
mental air route which is coming as
surely as Arizona has New York backed
Off the map in the matter OF climate.
Although Mr.. Hill has the financial
end of the deal all figured out in type
writing on four sheets of paper proving
absolutely that the total net profits will
be S559,791 at the end of the first year
OF operation. he made it plain yesterday
that he was all ready to stand a few
pecuniary jolts. II necessary.
There has to be a pioneer in this
commercial aerial game" he said, land
I'm willing to take the chance"
Inspired by Col. Roosevelt.
He might have added that 1t would
not be the first chance he had taken in
his life on the old Apache trail in the
pony express days. with the Colonel in
Cuba, and so on through his adventurous
llfe-but he did not. Not only has he
had bunch for many years that he
could r.hf-a aerial line. but ne has the
word OF thd Colonel himself that some
day II might be done. For in 1912, when
Mr. Hill himself was taking Col. Roose-
welt over the Apache trail in Arizona in
one OF his thirty-five large auto stages.
he confided to his friend and former
leader his ambition.
We'll. by JoveHo Exclaimed the Colo
mel. That's a great idea. I really be-
lieve that some day you will be carrying
people over these wonderful mountains
through the air"
What more in the way OF encourage
ment would a former Rough Rider want
than that? Nothing. Mr.. Hill asserted
yesterday. His great regret was that
the Colonel was not alive to see the
plan carried out.
An order for four big Glenn l.. Martin
biplanes, the machines which were
known a few weeks ago as the ALL
American bombers was placed by Mr..
Hill yesterday. The Martin company.
whose factory is IN Cleveland. has prom
ised to deliver the first OF the four pas
senger carrying planes by the middle of
June, the others being finished before
August l. These ships, which will be
modified slightly TO carry men instead
Of bombs. have a wing span OF 70 feet,
a length OF As feet and are driven by
two 400 horse power Liberty motors.
Two passengers will sit in a cockpit on
the nose of the machine cockpit
which formerly housed two blue
steel machine guns-and directly be-
hind them will be the pilot and
mechaniCian. Then will come a small
compartment for mail and express mat
ter, and then four double sets for eight
more passengers. The body Will be en-
closed.