Evening star., 1920-07-15
DC. A|RMAN STARTS
BIG ARMY FLIGHT
TO NOME, ALASKA
Capt. Street Leaves Mineola
Today-Capt. Douglas
One of Managers.

A Washington aviator Capt. st. Clair
Street. is participating in the .airplane
flight from Mineola, L. l., to Nome,
Alaska. which started today.
Four Planes In Hop-On.
Four Army airplanes, de Haviland
fours g propelled by Liberty motors. left
lAtcheil Field. Long leland. on the drst
lap Of the 9.000-mile round trip night,
one Of the longest and most difficult air
trips ever attempted in the western hem
isphere. Tho first stopping point OF the
planes attempting the arduous trip was
to be at Erie, Pa, from which point the
planes will progress by stages to Portal.
N. D., stopping at Grand Rapids, Mich,
Winona., Mich. and Fargo. N. D.: At
Portal the noses Of the planes will be
pointed north for the trip across the
International boundary to Saskatoon,
Can, and thence to Jasper, Alberta,
where the most difficult part of the
fight over the uncharted regions of the
Canadian Rockies will begin.
Capt. STREET. is the flight leader,
plotting the first plane to cross the
Canadian Rockies and to proceed
north into the wild regions of Alaska.
Capt. Howard T. Douglas of the oper-
alton division, air service, another
Washington aviator. is in charge at
Nome. the end of the journey Capt
Douglas has been at Nome for two
months. making preparations for the
epochal flight. His home here is at
the Washington Golf and Country
here. at 1915 Swami street. He is
native of Washington and was born
here October 6. 1893. For three
months he has been assigned to Nine
ola, LII. where he superintended the
work of testing planes for the Alaska
fight.
Two Objects of Flight.
The purpose of the flight is two
fold. One aim is to establish an aerial
roYte to the northwest corner of the
American continent SO that should
military considerations require it
would be possible to move Army air
service units to the continent of Asia
by direct flight. At the end of their
journey the planes will be separated
by only fifty miles of water across
Bering strait from the northern part
of Siberia. The second purpose is to
photograph inaccessible areas in
Alaska, which have never been map-
ped. at saving of what would other
wise constitute three years of ground
work surveying.
Route Of Expedition.
The route of the expedition is as
follows: New York (Mitchel Field to
Erie, Pa, $50 miles; Erie to Grand
Rapids. Mich. 800 miles; Grand Rap
ids to Winona, Mimi, 80 miles: Wi
mona to Fargo, N. D., 320 miles; Fargo
to Portal, N. D., 290 miles: Portal to
Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, 2SO miles.
Saskatoon to Edmonton, Alberta. 400
miles; Edmonton to Jaspar, Alberta.
200 miles; Jaspar to Prince George
B. c.. 200 miles; Prince George to Ha,
zelton, B. c., 228 miles,. Hazelton to
Wrangell. Alaska, 21O miles: WraneeiI
to White Horse, Yukon. 400 -miIes.
White Horse to Dawson. Yukon, $50
miles: Dawson to Fairbanks. 275
miles; Fairbanks to Ruby. 240 miles:
Ruby to Nome. 900 miles.
On reaching Nome the expedition
will make l00-mile flight to Cane
Prince of Wales. directly opposite The
northern point of Siberia. Cant
Street estimates the entire flight and
return will take about forty-fiye davs
The personnel of the expedition in
! cludes Capt. Street and Sergt Ed.
mond Henriques. in the first plane.
First Lieut.. Clifford c. Mutt. second
in command. and Second Lieut.. Eric
H. Nelson. engineering officer. in the
second plane, and Second Lieut.. {, ~
! Crumrine and an enlisted man, in
the third plane, and Second L;eut
Ross Kirkpatrick and Sergt. Joseph
E., English.
The expedition was started on its
historic fight by Brig. Gen. William
Mitchell. commander Of the Armv air
service. who gave the "take-off'' sig
:: nal.