The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-10-16
u. S.-B.C.
AIR mail
UNDER way
First Trip Made Successful
~ Thru Rainstorm to
Victoria


stood shivcrinw at the Roofing hangar
on the east side of Lake Union ycs.
tcrday afternoon,
A keen hreeze. driving rain before
Il. swept OF the lake.
A xtrapplnK young giant. bundled
warm In aViator's toys. climbed into
the cockpit % a big yellow plane.
which stood lettering al the edge OF
the water.
lie squinted appraikinEiy az the
wet hlankety clouds ana NJ the
black patches on the lake. which In.
dicatcd short. spasmodic squalls
He fondied the levers and the
thingumbobs before him as a
mcchanician tentatively terkcd on
the propeller
Then the mechanic yelled Con.
TACT and leaped for safety as the
motor reared The aviator In the
cockpit fusscd and tinkrrcd with the
gears and the thlngumhobs. The
roar became a purr.
OFF WITH FIRST
INTERNATIONAL AIR MAIL
Movie cameras were trained on
him. Five heavy mail pouches were
swung up 10 him and were slowed
away somewhere.
Now you've probably guessed Il.
lie was Eddie Hubbard. pilot for
the first international air mail In
North America. about 70 make his
first flight from Seattle to Victoria.
II. &.
POSTMASTER Battle shouted final In.
structions. Hubbard settled into his
scat There was a great roar. The
big. yellow plane moved off over the
wind.rouxhened Lake like a great.
sr&csfui bird
The mildly Interested crowd watch.
I'd as Its pontocns thrcshsd the
water In gathering speed Then the
thrcshing ceased as It's wings caught
the lift % the air. and the great bird
rose toward the dark. broodlnx
clouds
A wide circle 10 the left and back
over the hangar like a homing
pigeon getting its bearings To
gain aititude--then the flying boat
with the big. black letters TT =
Mail xlistening on its sides. headed
straight north.
OvlRTAKEs OCEAN
BOUND LINER
The roar became a faint hum. The
plane became speck. The wind.
sweeping over the lake. and the
splash Of the waves. suppisnted the
hum The speck was swallowed up
In the rain clouds
Air Mall Pilot Hubbard was OF 20
overtake his first ocean bound liner.
The mildly interested little crowd
turned away.
TITS a cold day said one. yawn.
ing.
Hubbard. on his first trip, carried
four sacks Of mail for Japan and a
sack of local mail for Victoria
He carried mall which arrived here
yesterday and overlook a Japan.
bound ship which had left Seattle
before the mail arrived.
The flying distance to Victoria IL
~ miles. Hubbard made II In 50
minutes. transferred his mail. and
returned TO Seattle last night. sat
ur1ay. at 10 A. m. he left for Vic.
sorfa again. this time to meet the
hner Tahiti. and was to return Sat.
urday afternoon with a load Of mall
4rom Australia and New Zealand.
Delivery Of Oriental mails IN Seat.
lie win be advanced a fun business
day by the air mail service. and
those going 10 the Orient will be
greatly expedited
Hubbard win make not more than
10 round trips a month. according
20 the terms Of his contract. He
can carry 500 pounds at n time.
The Seattle Victoria air mail ser.
vice marks but the first step IN tins
direction for Seattle. according to
local postal officials.
The next will be n line to Salt
Lake City. connecting there with the
New York-San Francisco air mail
route.