The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-05-15
I'm MAIL SERVICE TO
| Be CONTINUOUS SOON
,1 HAVE 2s-HOUR SEIZED
TIE BETWEEN SAN FRAN
CISCO AND NEW YORK.
rARRIERS TO FLY BY NIGRa

.sSnldH EA'H :, =.
Oath of Light, Will Guide Airmen
Across Continent. Every Provision
Made to Protect Aviators.
rort;nuous air mail service from
or York city to San Francisco, Cal,
ana miles in % hours, will be es-
bfsbed by the postofice department
TpIy and August, according to an
,norncement by Postmaster General
.rrv S. New. To accomplish this
.rrice air mail pilots for the first
me will fly nearly 1000 miles, one
brd OF this trans-continental mara
hon Of the air, in the dead of night.
Beacons on the Job.
Air mail will leave New York city
81 before noon, to arrive in Chicago
shutdown. From Chicago another
ojIot will take the mail, fly all
chit along a path of beacons which
I'M light his way, and arrive at Chey-
&ne, Wyo., at dawn. Another pilot
II load his airplane with the sacks
mail, wing over the Rockies and
Sierras, and arrive in San Fran
sco late in the afternoon.
More than a year has been spent III
Aenaration for this service. Those
ho have directed the work are con-
lent Of the success of the venture.
IN mail service has been in opera
kn in the United States since May,
his, New York being linked with
Eashington and Chicago. More than
bo years ago the trans-continental
ue was undertaken.
Reduce Night Hazards.
Two years have proved that day
ting with the mails can be operated
tsiactorily. Encountering all kinds
weather, the air mail pilots COM
fte 95 per cent of the trips sched-
3D. totaling 100000 miles annually.
Upon night service the future of
mail hinges. But night flying pre-
It's many problems, and the post
&ce department was unwilling to
bin night flying until it could as
Fe a reasonable factor OF safety to
pilots.
Ks a result of the preparations made
hing the last II months by the di-
lon OF air mail, the night flights
ween Chicago and Cheyenne,
TO-, will be made under conditions
Feb offer scarcely more hazard than
flying. The pilot will be guided
pathway of powerful beacons
sble of piercing through difficult
nospheric conditions, pointing the
unerringly over the prairie to the
minal fields.
Many Emergency Fields.
Zach airplane will carry powerful
rchlights available for forced land
in case of necessity. Emergency
ds have been located and lighted
ry Is miles on the route. The coun-
over which this route is laid is
stly level, which adds degree OF
ETY. to night flying should a forced
ding be necessary.
Millions of people in the middle
1t will nightly witness an artificial
fora borealis, visible for so miles
m its source under good atmos-
brio conditions. when the night SER
OF the air mail gets under way.
is will be created by sweeping
hts which will be established on
FIVE regular felds-Chicago, Iowa
y, Iowa; Omaha, Neb.; North
lite, Neb., and Cheyenne, Wyo.
Oh of these beacons will have 60O,-
200 candle power.
81 pa.aa.- 20 N6;Iae Arort
70 suit the needs of the ships of
air these light houses will swing
und on the top of their towers,
owing a beam three degrees above
horizon, three complete revolu-
hs being made every minute. Pilots
easily pick up these giant beacons
guide their planes to the field.
Not depending alone on terminal
pts, the postoffice department is To-
ing less powerful beacons every Il
es along the route. Like their larg-
brothers they will also swing
und the horizon, but their visibili-
is limited to about so miles. These
aller beacons will mark the emer.
icy to which a pilot may descend
necessary.
When the clouds hang low, how
r there is a possibility that pilot
pId bring his plane close to the
ind and thus lose sight OF the,
Urgency field beacons. As hnal
fguard flashing traffic lights, like
Sc which are placed on city streets,
whose light will be directed to-
ID the skies instead of along the
lace OF the ground, will be located
ny three miles along the line OF
hus, on a clear night, the air mail
1000 feet up in the sky will see
barrow line of light stretching out
miles and miles over the level
Hes. The emergency fields will be
led and the buildings and other
'acles marked with red lights to
k a plane landing easy. 1t IS es-
sated that the night pilots will or
arlly fly at an altitude which will
he 1t possible for them to volplane
The nearest field at any point on
route should the engine go dead.
BBAGE GROW IN TREES;