The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1919-05-24
Tells OF FLIGHT
ACROSS ANDES
Chilean Altman Writes Storv of
Great South. American
Air Feat.
SET HIMSELF DIFFICULT TASK
there Are Mountain Chains Hiuher
Than Andes, but None So Hard to
Cross by FIying-Latin Amer.
iea Encourages Aviators,

lea Encourages Aviators,
Wash1ngton.-Latin America RAPIDLY
IS producing notable aviators. Everv
encouragement to flying is given by
numerous private clubs that look upon
aviation as sport and as the solution
or difficult problems of the transporta-
ton of mail, passengers and merchan-
disc. Frequently only few miles of
a1rllne separate two important towns
DetWeen Which communication except
oy wire is a matter of days, if not
weeks. This is due to mountainous
topography, lack of railways and the
rough and winding character of the
few roads and trails. These handicaps
seem only to stimulate the Young
South American to greater feats in the
air and the governments to overcome
them by establishing regular service
as a matter Of business. Together
these forces are working a develop
ment of aviation in South America.
Flight Across Andes.
The particulars Of the recent flight
across the Andes of Lieut. Dagoberto
Godoy of Chile, have come to the Pan
American Union for publication in its
next bulletin. AS the ocean adventure
Will be the greatest straightaway flight
ever attempted, so was the accom-
plishment Of the young Chilean army
officer the breaking of the worlds rec
ord for height in crossing mountain
ranges. There are higher mountain
chains than the Andes, but none, it is
held, so difficult to cross by flying. To
pass over the highest peaks has long
been the ambition of Chilean and
Argentinian aviators. The daring en-
gineer, George Newberry of Argentina,
was the first to be killed at the foot
of one of them in an attempt to accom-
plish the feat. Another Argentinian
engineer, Senior Mascias, also was
killed. Lieutenant Zani next got with
In few miles of the divide and was
forced to come to earth. Fiueros, the
popular Chilean flyer, failed in turn.
Bradley and Zuloaga, two areonauts
OF Argentina, year ago crossed the
Andes in a balloon and Luis G.. Can
delaria crossed the southern ridge at
height of 1000 meters from Zapala to
Cunco still later in an airplane.
GOdoy's flight was made from San
tiago to Mendoza, a distance of 21O
kilometers in one hour and twenty
eight minutes at a height of 1890
feet. He used monoplane with a 10
horsepower LIE Rhone motor No &C.
count Of his victorious achievement
can excel the description he gives Of
it himself in a contribution to the
Bulletin, in which he says:
AT last was to get bird's-eye
view of the peaks upon which T had so
often gazed from the track of my air.
dome. The Bristol mounted into space
for time. had not yet looked down.
ward. I had to watch my altimeter,
my compass, the regular thrObs Of the
oil engine and the revolutions Of the
motor. had to change the carburiza-
ton continually and regulate the LIE
Rhone; and then, when my altimeter
had passed the 1900 feet, looked
downward.
In Unknown World.
II was in an unknown world. The
mountain range stood out wonderfully
clear; everywhere were canyons, i'm
mense black-mouthed valleys, gentle
foothills and icy slopes. At the left
Tupungato rose near me to my own
height, or perhaps higher, like an enor-
nous skyscraper, magnificent yet
graceful tower rearing itself toward
heaven. On one side it had long,
gradual, almost horizontal slope, like
palm Of the hand, white and frozen,
but hospitable, inviting me to alight
and linger. But the impression was
fleeting. The Bristol told me I was
going $50 or 100 kilometers an hour,
hence the scenery altered rapidly. A
moment later I crossed the frontier.
My country was behind me; before me
lay the sister nation and triumph-my
slight but longed-for victory.
AT that moment the motor missed
and nearly stopped. guessed what
was the matter. The automatic engine
was not working and the gasoline
couldn't reach the carburetor. I
worked an instant and the engine and
rotary started up again before the
change had affected the apparatus. I
had to land. So I lessened the supply
of gas slightly and began to descend
slowly. The needle, which had reached
maximum of 1890 feet, gradually
lowered. Then the battle began,
which lasted perhaps three or four
minutes. The plane seemed to be
crazy. That morning there had been a
windstorm on the Argentinian side.
Perhaps that was the result Of the
cyclone. Then-calm again. And there
in the distance among the far-away
foothills, insignificant when contrasted
with the huge bulks had just left,
rose the outline Of the Mendoza, be-
yond the great plain, covered by q
heavy veil of clouds"