The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-22
READ PLANS TO FLY ACROSS
 PACIFIC OCEAN
First to "Hop Over" Allan tic Reported Preparing
 for 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 a 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 by Thomas H. Ince, the moving picture producer, of a prize of s50,0O0 cash to the first airplane to cross the Pacific has turned the attention of aviators and manufac- turers of arplanes 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 Kamshatka, and thence to Japan and China The distance from San Francisco to Honolulu is 2,1OO miles, and no seaplane yet built is capable of carrying gasoline enough for that distance. The misfortunes that overlook the NC-3 and NC-1 in landing in the open ocean off the Azores show that a eaplane takes great chances in coming down at sea.
 At the same time landings and ''take-offs'' have frequently been made with success in the open sea, and ha a YA+ Pacific flight in that way, having the plane refuelled at sea from a mother ship
 One of the intending competitors for the S50,O00 prize, the George D. White Company, of Los Angeles, al ready has announced it's intention of sending a White mono-sea plane by the northern route, and the cooper alton has already been secured of the Pacific Aero Lea que and of the Aerial League of Canada. The route will be as follows:
 Los Angeles to San Francisco, 450 miles; to Victoria, British Columbia 730 miles; to Sitka, Alaska, $50 miles; to Unalaska, 1900 miles; to Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, 1,5OO miles; to Yokohoma, 1.4OO miles; to Shanghai, $50 miles
 The White monoplane has two pontOons and three engines-two 18O 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 l power enough to carry the plane. The terms of the $50,000 prize of 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 2S8 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,S00 miles, a land plane flight from San Fran cisco to the Hawaiian Islands is not : considered impossible, although haz- ardous Such a plane could fly from Honolulu to Midway Island, 1,149 miles, and from there to Yokohoma 2,250 miles.
 On the air route to Australia the jump from Honolulu to Tutula, in the Samoan Islands. would be 2,275 miles; thence to the Fiji Islands, 500 miles. and then to Melbourne, Aus tralia. 2,4SO miles.
 IL IS not lH1pToDdDle InaI japanese and British aviators will enter the Pacific contest Prevailing winds fla vor an eastward flight.
 A special prize of s1O,000 is offer cd to the first aviator who shall reach Honolulu from the Pacific Coast.
 The navy will not enter for the prize, but is likely to make the effort at about the same time as that set for the contest which is from Sep tember next to February. inclusive.