Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-08-12
PALACE OF THE AIR
VISITS BURLINGTON
Lieut.. Dunn, Pres. U. s. Aerial
Express, Selects Queen City
as Logical Airport in Mapping
Official Route from Philadel-
phia to Detroit.

most deliberately fashioned ship Of the air
which has yet visited the city. It's owners
claim for It the distinction of being the
type Of the larges. commercial hydroplane
in the world. It seats q people and has
five cabins. This mammoth air palace is
in charge of Lieutenant Thomas F. Dunn,
president Of the United States Aerial FIX
press company, prominent representa-
tive of the Aerial Club Of America, and
now en- route from Philadelphia TO Detroit
via Montreal, mapping out for the Aerial
Club of America and for the United states
government an air route which Will be
suitable for carrying express and mail
as we'll as passengers Lieutenant Dunn
has under his supervision IS other airshps
similar to the one which ne is taking
through here. He announced that some OF
these will follow over the same route in
the near future
The giant plane appeared over Burlng-
ton about 7.30 o'clock. After circlng
over the city few times, taking photo
praphs for map making. It landed in the
harbor and was moored for the night
lust opposite the Burlington Yacht club
After taking on gas and Oil yesterday
! morning It left between nine ana ten
O'Clock for Montreal and Toronto, gong
\ on from there to Detroit, where Lieut.
Dunn expects to arrive this afternoon.
| Leaving Philadelphia last Friday, the
large airship travelled to Atlantic city
where IL Law over ono day. 1t left there
SUNDAY about $50 o'clock in the afternoon
and arrived in New York at 75s. tyins
in for the night at the s6th street land
ing.
! Another day was spent In New YORK
The ship left there Tuesday noon Cir
cling over the battleships In the mar
Dor for the benefit Of the movie men,
reporters and others who lined the
| shore, the big plane was soon OIL ior
Troy. On the flight to Troy, the aV-
erepe time was 10 miles an hour
The ship landed at Troy one hour and
10 minutes from the takeon. AFTER
leaving Troy, they ran into bllndina
rain storm so bad that 1t was I'M
possible to see the ground at dis
lance Of 200 feet Circling around,
they started back to Troy. Because
of the long trip overland, 1t was de-
cided to take on an extra supply oil
gas at Fort Edward. This was done
land the plane left there at $50 Tuesday
night, arriving in Burlington one hour
and eight minutes later.
The shin which arrived here TUESDAY
night carries two super-Liberty mo-
tors developing 500 horsepower. II
| has a wing spread OF 40 feet. b.
foot hull. and seats 81 people In Its
five cabins. The hull has front hre'
proof compartment to carry infamma
| BILE material and the united states
mail, according to government regu
lations. The second cabin Is for the
two pilots; the third cabin Is FOR Ia
dies and has a seating capacity o.
| eight: the fourth cabin is used for OBJ
servation purposes and seats six peo'
pie; the fourth cabin is the smoker
where seven people can be seated
In the back is a large baggage com
partment for storage purposes.
The plane weighs seven tons wher
not loaded and has a carrying capacity
Of over three and one-half tons. II
ia carrying on this trip about two
tons besides seven people. The en-
tire plane Is lined with kapok, sub
stance something like cork. which
makes 1t practically unsuitable anf
keeps the compartments practicall,
sound proof from each other, so tina
the sound Of the engines cannot b'
heard from within the cabins whel
they are tightly closed. There are
places for eight berths on the ship
Besides Lieut.. Dunn, there are si'
other people making this trip. The!
are Mr.. and Mrs. w. II. Alexander
+. A. Rosenberger. A. A. Hess, D. W
Kennedy, and D. w. Roderick. All o
them are experienced nlers' anu mos
of them pilots.
Although Lieutenant Dunn has cruis
ed by air all over America and man!
parts of Europe, having been In tn
service overseas during the war. h
Lstated Tuesday that he had neve
seen such scenery from the air as HI
saw coming to Burlington from Troy
He declared that Burlington Is AT
ideal spot for an airport and the logi
cal point at which to make landing
between New York and Montreal
Because of the courteous treatmen
and splendid service which Lieutenan
Dunn received in this city Tuesday
ne told members of the Chamber o
Commerce that his recommendation
would be sent in that Burlington b.
established on the aerial maps of thi
section as an airport for CONNER
cial PURPOSES His company. he said
would advise the Chamber of Com
merce the necessary things to be don
in order to make the city Recognized
airport by both the government an
the Aerial Club Of America.
Lieutenant Dunn declared that. Will
planes might stop in Albany on tn
, flight north from New York city.
would really be more logical to com
directly through to Burlington, a
} the facilities were much better her
than in Albany. In that city, 1t wa
} necessary to go up the river coupl
of miles In order to find a good plac
to take off from, and that necessitate
: the transportation of gasoline tina
distance from the city, which wa
rather inconvenient.
; Every modern improvement has bee
put into this type of plane which he
plotting on this trip. Lieut.. Dunn de
l clared 1t Is equipped with wireless
, telephony and wireless telegraphy. &
that communication with the cart
may be maintained at all times Fac
compartment Is water tight, so tina
If the bottom of the ship should. b
an accident. be crushed. the ship woul
not sink. In winter the ship Is equir
ped with runners, so that 1t can Ian
= on ice. 1t will carry fuel for six o
seven hours cruising, depending o
conditions. The plane represents a
Investment Of about 100000, said Lieu
tenant Dunn. He believes that sea
planes, rather than land planes, ar
the coming thing in aviation. THE
can land anywhere that there is waite
,, In perfect safety. Land planes re
quire too many landing fields" h
said.
MINE CAGE DROPS