Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-12
Acr0ss the Pacific BY. Air.
TIE Atlantic having been crossed by
three different types of aircraft and

three different types of aircraft and
all the Old World continents having
been similarly spanned aviators burning
for new realms to conquer now turn their
gaze to the Pacific. There adventure looms
vastest, and incomparably rich with glory
and peril. The shortest suggested route,
Save one by way of Boring Sea, which
may be dismissed unfeasible and unin-
spiring-sweeps seven thousand eight hun
bred and eleven miles.
An airman starting from San Francisco
would face at the beginning an unbroken
flight OF two thousand and ninety miles to
neutrality-suspicious. as great distance
| as that of an entire transatlantic air voy-
age from Canada to Ireland. From Homo
lulu on, several courses have been pro-
posed, one being described as ''all-Ameri-
can" This would lead from the Hawaiian
to the Midway Islands, thence to Wake Is
land, to Guam, to zap (our nations one
territorial acquisition from the World War;
and thence to Cebu, Manila and Hongkong
In sketching this and four other posi-
BILE routes Commander Westervelt of the
United States Navy, and Mr.. H. B. San
lord, an aeronautic engineer, point out that
any path over the Pacific will be subject,
on some of its stages, to violent weather
IN every season. These authorities, indeed,
consider a1rplanes practically out of the
question for this purpose, and, while ap-
proving dirigibIes for certain months, re-
changeful wind and surge. At it's safest the
undertaking would be extremely riskful.
not only because of the immense spaces to
be spanned and the danger of typhoons
put also because of the difficulties involved
IN descents and landings For instance,
the sea about the Midway Islands," it is
SAID, rs often rough, and facilities for re-
celVlng seaplanes limited, while Wake
Island is subject to severe storms"
Of all deterrents to an actual launching
forth upon this exploit, however, danger
is the least-indeed, quite negligible Prop
er auspices and support being given, eager
aviators would beg the chance. Already
Flying Corps are reported under way. His
plan, it seems, is to start from Australia
and fly to San Francisco by way of the
widely scattered islands. If it is true that
he intends using an airplane rather than a
dlrlglble or seaplane, his adventure will
be the more hazardous and, according to
commander Westervelt's ideas, virtually
fated to failure
However, recent progress in aviation con-
sidered, flight across the Pacific now ap-
pears much more probable than that across
the Atlantic did two or three years ago.
1t was June the fourteenth last that
AlcOck and Brown in a Vickers-Vimy bomb
ing machine winged away from Newfound
land, and at ten o'clock the next morning
descended upon the Emerald Isle. Shortly
before them a United States navy seaplane
had made the pioneer transatlantic air
voyage, and shortly after them the R-34
a British rigid airship, sailed from east
Scotland to America, and returned Since
then several famous flights have been
made, notably that from Cairo to the Cape
| and from Italy to Japan. Now it is the
Pacific that challenges and lures Who
doubts that it also will yield it's vastness
and peril to the birdman's prowess?