The sun., 1919-09-19
ROHLFS FLIES
P94,61OFEET,
WORLD RECORD
Scars Until Rarefied Air No
Longer "Grips" Pro-
pellers of Plane.
TEMPERATURE 43 BELOW
More Than Two Hours Aloft,
No Threatening Incident
Marks Flight.
TEMPERATURE 43 BELOW

Every record In the high flying line.
official and unofficial, went crashing to
the ground yesterday afternoon over
Long Island when Roland Rohlfs in a
Curtiss Wasp" triplane scared 34,61o
feet above sea level, higher than
any living creature had ever before
escended.
At this height of more than six
and half miles life without arti-
fetal aid is no more possible for man
than life at the bottom of the sea.
Covering the daring pilots mouth and
rostrils was an oxygen mask, con-
nected with a tank of the life giving
gas. Inconsistencies and death would
have followed Immediately the cutting
off of this supply.
The establishment of the new record
is the result of grim battle waged by
Rohlfs against the opposing forces Of
nature which resisted his intrusion
into the realms of space. The flight
made yesterday is only one of a num-
tei which Rohlfs has made recently at
the cost of terrific nervous strain and
ruch physical discomfort and even
suffering.
1--WE done It," he announced as he
stripped the oxygen apparatus and
shielding mask from his lined face at
i.ie eritl OF his fight. -Ahd I'm through
with high flying for the present and
mighty glad to be down here again to
ay it,
The weather yesterday was about as
perfect as could be expected in an i'm
perfect world for the attempt Rohlfs
himself, who as chief test pilot for the
Curtiss company is in the line of duty
no bad weather prophet himself. decided
that the day for his struggle against the
combined forces OF gravity and rarefied
air had come. Out at Roosevelt Field a
group Of aerial experts had gathered to
watch the battle. Glenn. Curtiss, de-
signer Of the machine and one of the
Oldest old timers in the game, was there
to watch his machine and pilot get into
perts and civilian and military fiers
Dressed for the Arctic.
At 80 P. NJ. as the official OBJ
servers carefully noted. Rohlfs climbed
INTO his plane. He wore a bulky but
warm suit fur lined and padded. two
pairs of socks and fur lined overshoes,
with felt mittens half an inch thick
which he himself had fashioned to pre-
vent his hands from freezing as they
clutened the stick. The machine he
mounted into had been pared down to
.he limit and stripped of every possible
oN OF apparatus and gear which could
De taken from II. Such non-essentials
as moor boards, fire extinguisher and
uo ordinary instruments and most of
ue gauges had been taken off.
An ounce, as Rohlfs we'll knew, might
mean the difference between success and
tauure' Even the gasolene supply was
suItai1ed' for Rohlfs found on his last
u'p, when he reached $4,000 feet in an
uhoihcial test, that he was CARRYING
eieVen gallons more than he really need
&c This surplus did not compensate IN
energy Tor Its weight In all, the careful
stripping Of the machine took off almost
Nv pounds. He had thought of strip
Fulg the rubber tires from the landing
Sa.' put decided that this might en-
Danger the take of.
neld as lightly as bird ana ,he
,Satchers below saw that RohIfs. heading
r,e1 the easterly breeze, had i'm
nnepiately set his machine to the utnost
possiole climbing angle The machine
.oS.oN'y shrank in the distance and finally
.n,oaled out of sight. That was all that
uloSe who had come to see viewed OF
ne struggle. Almost two hours OF
,,h.i,CLhlhg' OF intermittent conversation
"''lgh gradually diminished and stopped
nc tiihe Tor his temperance grew
- loHo"ed Then, about ten minutes
20 90, came the long expected shout
mere he isl" and the keen-eyed fixed
the sky. 'peSA III
pesplte the ordeal he had been through
Nohits was still entirely master OF his
nIachlne. He landed as lightly as he
nSa taken of, bringing his plane to
T,. TLlhnh twenty feet OF the starting point,
o, me men were quick to rush forward to
yvr"nslm Vo,'," him with questions, but
woman was quicker.
before any one else could reach the
zoe zoe OF the machine Mrs. RohIfs had
uar'ed to her husbands side.
wife First to Greet Him.
I've done It," he told her and leaned
,Uh,er u'e side to embrace her. Tben
in r'e camera men arrived and Rohlfs IL
.HSsly' held the pose for their benefit
paLl, II the furry OF congratulations
'oHlls told the story OF the flight as
nS might have related the tale OF a
intoy interesting motor trip. He nut
,eo II none OF the dramatic feeling his
n" osnsr Anna Katharine Green, the
\. ho'enst might have expressed. First
oppressed the opinion that the
Continued on HsntA Peo.