The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-01-21

 has reached the South Pole, man has braved ocean depths in diving devices and submarines, man has flown to alti- tudes far higher than the earth's lofhest peak. and across vast marine wastes. To set foot on the roof of the world, the crest of Mount Everest, is the one great feat of exploration remaining to be achieved, and this IS the goal in a new and daring enterprise.
 By ROLAND ROHLFS. " THEN I first read in the news \h/ papers of a possible attempt to v scale Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, decided that 1t could not be done. As I am neither mountain climber expert Hirnalayan peaks this may seem presumptuous but I have been higher than Mount Everest in a plane and I know the exertion required even to lift a hand in the partial vacuum due to the. rarefed air, and know, too, how horrible it is to attempt to fill the lungs with that thin cold air, how quickly consciousness be- gins to leave one and how good it feels to draw breath after breath of pure oxygen from a compression tank.
 Major Rudolph w. Schroeder who Is good friend of mine, even though he did break my altitude record, knows what hard ships face the man who attempts to reach such an altitude Mount Everest's top, for at tn peak of Schroeder's record climb his oxygen apparatus went wrong and he fell
 
 sciousness and got his ship under control again.
 : But although the attainment of the peak of Everest. 29,140 feet. above level, is difficult almost to impossibility, I believe it can be done by making use of mans latest: and think best means of transportation, the airplane. It is difficult. If it wasn't man would have done it long ago. I don't recall. Offhand, anything easy that man hasn't done. It Is dangerous, but danger has never halted man in his endeavor, be it the location of the North Pole, the study of the X-ray or merely getting somewhere in hurry. Noted Aviator Assures Readers
 His Plan of Ascent Is Scientific The plan propose is, of course, not per feet but believe it Is scientifically possible The scientific phase of the matter is some- thing I desire to emphasize, for do no3 want my friends to think that that bump the head just before the Gordon Bennett race left any worse off than I was before. Granted that the stunt is risky hard and un- pleasant; granted too. that chance may best science as it has in the past, in the.f1rst at tempts, 1t is nevertheless scientifically poss1-- ble There is quite sporting chance that the first man to reach the summit may never leave it. The sporting chance is with us when we cross Broadway, and rarely see it refused by man, woman or child.
 The peak of Mount Everest could be at tained only after months or even year or two of preparation. This would be true of either force which proposed to climb the mountain carrying oxygen for the man to make the final dash of a force which proposed to send two men in a plane over the top. Personally I simply cannot see the climbing proposition at all. Dropping out the difficulties of the climb, the. ice, snow, sheer places and other obstacles. the mere raising of mans body to height of 29, JAG feet by his own efforts is terrific. And when you add to the mere climbing the fact that from Is, 900 or 10000 feet on upward he mus. carry, too, oxygen tank and wear ex- ceedingly thick and heavy clothing, 1t would seem that only superman could do it.
 The Duke of the Abruzzi. note, reached on K-2, another Himalayan peak an altitude of 24,600 feet, the present worlds record before he was compelled to descend. don know how he got that far, but l think he must have most remarkable powers of en durance, and I doubt if this record is ever beaten by any great distance. Herschen Parker, I understand, has said he believe: 250o0 feet to be the limit in mountain climbing.
 Coming down to earth, the first task be fore an expedition which plans to send man by plane to the summit would be t. locate a base This would not have to be movable base, such as would be required b. a mountain climbing party Preferably thi base should be in the lee of the mountain a regards the principal prevailing wind. Tw or three bases with sufficient space for plane to land, grouped triangularly abou the peak would be better. but not absolutel necessary. The first big advantage possesse by an airplane expedition would be the fac
 
 from the peak without endangering success in the least. Of course the nearer it wa the better but 100 miles, it would seen would be enough allowance of distance assure landing field even in the scramble topography of this highest of all mountai chains Some clearing of likely spot n1igf be necessary. The 100 miles which woul mean weeks of travel for an expedition Jade with the impedimenta of a, mountain climt ing expedition would be matter of some thing under an hour for the airplane.
 Once settled at the base the pilot and tf man who expects to land on the peak wou not take off, up to 29,140 feet and a complsh the stunt. They would just sta in clearing away the many difficulties, -o1 by~ore- But before this is described it mig1 be well to say something about the plal itself.
 Curtiss Wasp Triplane
 Might Accomplish the Ia.
 The plane used by Major Schroeder al the plane piloted in altitude climbs we not built for the work. Both were w models which had high speed and his climbing ability, but were not built for "ce ing work alone Consequently think a entirely safe in saying that it would be cor paratively easy for good engineer to bui a plane which could carry two men, oXyge and other supplies, to a height of thirt