Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-05-01

whose machine, The RAYMOND,
reached St Johns two weeks ago
yesterday. Capt. G. W. f. Morgan,
navigator of this machine. visited
Newfoundland in February. When he
arrived in England again early I'M
March he said conditions here could
not be much worse for flying. he
emphasized the presence of SHOWS ana
boisterous winds. But the Sopwith
expedition was already on the way
and there was nothing the Martyn-
sides could do but follow as speedily
as possible or run the risk of having
the glory go irretrieVaEly to rival.
Extraordinary achievement on the
part of the Martynsides was the an
swer to the Sopwith challenge. Thel
Raymor was built in seven days from
parts from stores. AS f. p. Rayn-
ham, the pilot, expresses II, the spe-
icaily-built RollssRoyce Falcon en-
CINE was installed and next day a!
trial flight was made. The day fol
lowing that the machine was shipped
TO Liverpool and two days later was
on its way across sea. 1t reached 81.
Johns the day after the SopWith trlal
flight was made. The day that theI
Raymor arrived here and the neN
day following offered the only
CnauChS
away ahead of its rival. Friday theI
11th. was not an ideal day for starting
transatlantic flight, but an attempt
at least would have been possible. /
Saturday offered more favorable con
ditions so far as weather was con- |
cerned. The flight might not only
have been essayed but excellent pros
poets of success would have attended
it. The machine, however, was nor
ready, and from that time on the sit
'uation has been marked by absolute
parity of opportunity and equal
chances of achievement. |
Nothing, though, could be much |
more uncertain than when an oppor-
tunity will present itself. Forecast
for tomorrow is for another warrant
day of sunshine and favorable winds
but these will not extend beyond
coastal waters, in all probability, ana
prooitious conditions over mid and
eastern Atlantic waters promise to re-
main indefinitely things of the fu-
ture. The log of the SOpwith eXpedl-
ton is a record of hard luck quite
beyond the ill-advised coming at this
time. Thirteen days before HaWkef
and the machine itself started from
England a party of five mechanicians
sailed on the Celtic so that 1t Wou'd
be here in time to have all in readl-
ness for the plane.
The men got to Halifax March 20
and left North sydney March "a on |
the steamer Kyle. which had proceed
ed five miles when she was caught |
in an ice floe and remained thefe
eight DAYS Five days more We're re-
required TO get them to St johns
where they arrived exactly week !
after the machine they were to have |
preceded. The Hawker-Grive ma
chine was to have been stored IN a !
canvas hangar like that which was
used for the Raymor, This tent was
part of the cargo of the steamer Ap- |
nenine which was carried ashore by !
ice at Witless bay, and instead Of |
a hangar that could be erected in |
little more than an hour it was nee
essary to build a wooden shed on |
Glendenning Farm at Mount Pearl.
Hawker's Arrival.
When Hawker and his machine did |
arrive it was impossible for their |
steamer to enter St. Johns harbor !
They had to transfer to the coastal |
steamer Portia at sea off Trepassey /
and go to Placentia, eighty miles from |
this city 1t was necessary to get Il |
special train to carry them from Pa |
centia. but even when that had been |
done their troubles were only begin |
ming. Mount Pearl lies six miles from |
the city station.
The plane, engine and spare parts
filled two packing cases each as big |
as a circus wagon. For short DIS
lance the trucks carrying these cases
travelled on paved roads. Then they |
struck roads that were not only I'M
paved, but drifted high with snow
at frequent intervals. Ten morse
teams had all they could do to Keep
the trucks moving and there We're
times when it seemed 1t would ne I'M
possible to prevent them being hope
lessly begged.
The expense of all this was no
small item. The special train from
Placentia cost 1915. Portaging, as 1t
is called in local phrase. from st.
Jhon's to Glendenning Farm, cost
500 more. The cost of the hangar
carried the sum to total of more
than $1,000 expenditures that had
been anticipated only so far as truck
ing was concerned. The whole month
has been marked by such surprises.
Difficulties of getting to and from
the ardrome soon showed them
selves to be so great a Ford was
bought.
Although two years old, this car
cost $1,000. Handicaps that attend
ed the use of the Glendenning Farm
as an airdrome have already been
told in these dispatches. 1t can be
added, however, that no one in the
Sopwith party ever believed 1t would
be neces AIRY to cut off the side of |
hill before it was possible to over
ell hat
across the landing field. but there is
no one in the party who isn't pre-
pared to believe anything new.
Newfoundland weather has been
the victor all the way through in the
attempts to fly the Atlantic. The Sop
with party, for all its haste to he |
ahead of the Martinsyde outfit, can
not hope for an advantage of more |
than two or three hours. and there is |
every reason to believe that although |
the airdromes are eight miles apart, |
not more than few minutes will |
separate them on this side, whatever I
may be the situation at the other end |
of the flight.
And for all the haste of the Sop |
with and Martinsyde parties to be |
ahead of other entrants the Handley !
Page bomber is due here within q |
fortnight and the advance party of
the United States navy expedition is |
already on its way. Plans of these |
two expeditions never contemplated a
Start before MAY. Holding to these
plans, there is a chance that is worth |
a bet that when they are ready to
get away the Sopwith and Martin
svde expeditions may still be waiting
for relenting winds.
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