, 1922-01-26
RAWLINS AIR MAIL
SERVICE THREATENED
Thrills Of Accomplishment As Well
As In the Air Fail to Impress the
Lower HOuse-Rawltns
Should Protest.

The forced landing OF one OF the
mail service planes in Immigrant
canyon near Ogden last week during
u severe storm without serious mis-
hap; communicating by the pilot OF q
litney to rush the mail bags to q train
in ordef'not to u delay and the
many others evidences on interest In
service ~ pilots generally during he
severe weather conditions prevailing
over the nation proves the worth OF
aerial mali service.
TAIL. Pilot Chandler from Chey-
enne made a forced landing near
Laramie last week in the late after
Moon following a trip probably I'M
eoualled for cold and discomfort.
Chandler started for Rawlins with a
load Of air mail. The clouds were
hanging so low that he could not find
Rawlins. His Instruments showed
him that he was flying lower than
the summit OF Elk Mountain, and
fearing to suffer the same fate which
was melted out to another mail flyer
who crashed into Elk Mountain and
loft his life, he turned around and
went back to Laramie. 1t was so ex-
tremely cold in the air that Chand-
i"r'S watch stopped and he had no
idea of time when he landed here. He
returned to Cheyenne to get another
plane. so that the mail could be taken
through to Rock Springs. Chambers
machine was wrecked just after the
takeoff following an enforled landing
near Rock River not many months
ago and his mechanic sustained a
broken leg.
Ten million letters we're carried by
the air mail in the last three months.
That's at the rate OF 100000 900 let
ters a year. The cost of carrying a
ton Of mail by flying machine aver,
aged 50 a mile in 1926 and ii was cut
soon be down to $3.50 a mile. due to
improved airplanes now being put in
use. The post office, which started
the air mail service as an experiment
in May, 1918. is the first to prove
the commercial value Of the flying
machine 1t requires no stretching OF
the imagination to picture all mail
being carried by the air route. That
may come within five years.
Here is a prediction: In n few
years mail will be carried by invisible
postmen. Letters and parcels will be
loaded into airplanes controlled by
the wireless. The a%irpanes. with no.
body aboard. will rise into the air at.
say New York, fly like an arrow and
land in SanFrancisco, operated and
steered by wireless. Important ex-
periments in this line have just beer
been completed in France. Success
is claimed. Wireless controlled air.
planes. without crews, were kept in
the air for an hour and navigated
about as easily as il piloted aboard.
The wireless-controlled airplane
shows how man is ~conquering the in
visible. 1t is millions of times more
wonderful than the Hindu fa6ir's
trick OF moving small objects with
out touching them-as the fakir puts
it. power of the mind over matter.
The wireless is mans most uncanny
invention. 1t may also develop into
his most important. Many now living
may see the day when the sky will
be dotted with swarms of crewless
airplanes, controlled by wireless and
getting their power by wireless, and
carrying mail. express. passengers
and even freight. We are on the
threshold of an age which will be
almost supernatural in its wonders.
The whole form of civilization. in
Guiding all ways of doing things will
soon be transformed by the magic
ianS of science.