Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-07-26

flying due west ana at nelSnt az
1900 feet will cross the White
Mountains and the Green Mountains,
and will fly over Oswego, N. z. from
there over Niagara Falls and follow
the shores Of the Great Lakes with
Cleveland, Ohio, as the destination.
He expects to reach Cleveland. a dis
lance of $50 miles before sunset this
evening.
Col. Hartz stated after his arrival
In Augusta that they had found
some difficulty in getting their
bearings in Maine because there are
90 many lakes and ponds which
from a perpendicular view seem of
the same contour. The plane was re-
ported passing over Portland few
minutes before noon. flying high and
making fast time. The next report
was that the machine reached Lewis
ton at 1925 P. M. and circled over
the twin cities for Is minutes before
continuing on its way to Augusta.
Col. Hartz said that they had mis-
taken the Androscoggin river for the
Kennebec and had thus made their
course from Portland over the city
of Lewiston, but in making large cir
cles over that city the Capitol build
ing was sighted and Augusta was
reached practically on schedule time.
Accompanying colonel Hartz on
the so00-mile trip are Reserve Pilots
Lieutenants Ernest Harmon and
Lotha A. Smith and Mechanics Ser
geant John Harding and Master Elec-
trician jeremiah Tobias.
The Martin bombing plane Is a
huge affair, with an S7-foot spread
and is about - feet and inches
high. 1t is equipped with two Liber-
~ motors which Develop close to
$50 h. p. 1t is beautifully finished md
its very design seems to spell the
word service" On one side of The
fuselage is painted the proposed route
which will carry the machine through
81 states, over IS cities and cover
long stretches of the Atlantic, Pecific
and Gulf coast as well as the Cana
olan border. On a map painted on the
other side of the fuselage each leg
OF the journey Is marked off as IL IS
completed.
one of the officers in the plane
SAID yesterday that the time is COM
ing when every city will have to have
an aviation field and that one of the
reasons why there is not more flying
III Maine is because the State is not
yet in step with the times for there
Will certainly be a lot Of cross-coun-
try flying.
me state muster field in this city
Is to be put in iarst class shape for
aviation purposes. Already the alec.
trio light poles which were in the wav
for clear landings. have been remoy.
ed. A good deal of work will be done
in leveling the field.
Superb Landing on Field
The plane made a auperb lana;r.
on the field. After circhpg the city a
few times it came dow4 at the east
end where a white :" had heen
marked Off and turning 1t made to.
ward the storehouses at the nort,,
side. stopping at a distancy of about
19O feet from the buildinsk.
The crowd on the field hal got the
word thta the machine had Nft PORT
land few minutes before n non al,
everyone was on the watch ION n A.
Tar as is known. G. r. Chadb6nrca
editor Of the Journal. was the 4 ~ ~
see the plane when 1t came intG VIE.
ion >at 10 minutes Of /. As it am.
nearer the roaring Of the en-, mas
could be heard. The plane was AK (nv
nigh and it surely was a thrill No
sight. When 1t landed the croXG
was quickly after 1t. crossing 4
held in order to see at close ran
that bird like object.
-Four blasts Of the fire alarm al
1898 had told Augusta people that
the machine had been sighted, this
having been arranged by Mayor
so that folks in all parts of /
the city were watching and saw the
plane as it circled in the clouds
above.
When the plane came to a stop on
he muster field 1t was roped of and
by members of Co. H. ard
Maine Infantry. The crowd swarmed
lround 1t and was most interested