The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-07-08
OCEAN VOYAGES
R.34's Trip Just 100 Years After tst.
Steamship Crosses.

! New York, July 1.-THE successful
! fight of the R-34 marks the culmina-
| tion OF attempts to cross the Atlantic
! by various means of transportation,
beginning with the voyage of Colum-
bus in a sailing vessel in 1892. In
1919 the trip was made under steam
power by the American steamship
Savannah and sailing vessels
and steamers remained the only
modes of travel between Europe and
America until the hydroaeroplane
NC.4 made the voyage through the
air less than two months ago, but
with various stops. On June 10 Al
cock and Brown accomplished the
feat without stop in a heavier-than-
air machine, Vickers-Vimy biplane,
and now lighter-than-air machine,
the R-34 has turned the trick without
a stop.
The first successful crossing began
as an attempt TO discover the marvel
Gus province OF Cipango and the CON
version to Christianity of the Grand
Khan, to whom Columbus had receiy-
ed a royal letter OF introduction. The
town of Palos was ordered to find for
him two ships, and these were soon
placed at his disposal IN contrast to
the great rivalry among naval officers
to take part in the first flights of the
airplanes, seaplanes, and the diriginie
il was impossible TO get crews to-
gether for the ships OF Columbus de-
spite the fact that indemnities were
offered to all criminals and broken
men who would serve on the eXpedl-
1f tho Din20n
brothers, crews were finally secured.
The expedition consisted OF the santa
Maria. Pinta, and Nina, with l2O men
all told They started on Aug. ), l49z'
and after voyage of seventy days
reached the Island of San Salvador
in the New World. Honors were
heaped upon Columbus at the Court
Of Barcelona when he returned lie
entered the city in triumphal pro
cession, and when received by the
King and Queen he told the story OF
his wanderings. after which he was
served and saluted as grandee OF
Spain.
For more than 300 years wind pow
err remained the sole means FOR pro
pelling ships across the ocean, uhlli
in 1919 the Savannah, a vessel ntten
with steam power made the trip. She
was of $50 tons burden, with length
of 100 feet, and crossed from SaVah-
nah to Liverpool in twenty-five days
In her. however, the engines were
purely auxiliary; she was fitted Wltli
full sail power and when the wlnd
was fair or the seas too boisterous Tor
steaming the paddle wheels were un-
nm, AaHly The h2Rln-
ming of real transatlantic voyages un-
der steam was made by the Sirius anu
the Great Western. The Sirius start
ed on April 4, 1888, and the Great
Western four days later. They arrlV-
ed in New York within twenty-four
hours of each other. The Sirius made
the voyage in eighteen days ana the
Great Western in fifteen.
Just 100 years after the sailing OF
the Savannah three successful nights
have been made across the Atlantic
one in hydroaeroplane, another III
biplane, and now the third in a dir1g-
ible. The NC-4, in charge of Liuet.
Commander Albert c. Read, left Ire
passey, N. F., on May 16, and reached
Horta. in the Azores, in 15 hours ana
is minutes, having covered the l,zoo
miles at an average speed of 1874
knots.
On the 14th OF last month, Alcock
and Brown started from st. John n
F., and the next day landed at Cll1-
den, Ireland, distance of more than
1900 miles, which they covered in 10
hours and IL minutes.
The only previous attempt to cross
the Atlantic in dirigible was made
on Oct. 10, 1910. by Walter Weil-
mann and Melvin Vaniman. They
started out from Atlantic City with
crew of foup men, including an Eng
lishman, an Australian, and Two
Americans. Their objective was what
ever point on the coast of England,
Ireland or France the wind might
carry them to. Adverse weather, how
ever, made it impossible for the dirlg-
ible America to reach its destination
and it was finally picked up by the
steamer Trent halfway between New
York and Bermuda. The men were
rescued, but the dirigible was aban-
donec.