The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-06-05
GREAT LIGHTS TO
Guide AIR MAIL
Five Enormous Beacons to Mark
Path Across Continent.
COAST TO COAST IN % HOURS

Beginning in July or August, the all
mail will inaugurate continuous serv
| Ice between New York and San Fran
cisco, negotiating in % hours the 3,OO(
nouncement made by Postmaster Gen
eral New
Letters placed on the planes in New
York just before noon will arrive In
Chicago at shutdown. Here waiting
pilot Will take up the fight through the
night, landing at Cheyenne just before
dawn. A third aviator will climb the
lofty tops Of the Rockies and over the
Sierras, reaching the Golden Gate be
fore the sun sets for the second time
since leaving the Atlantic shore.
In his statement regarding the con-
tinuous service, for which a year OF
careful preparation has been made,
Postmaster General New said:
"As a result of the preparations I'M
dertaken during the last twelve months
by the division of the air mail, the
night flights between Chicago and
Cheyenne, Wyo, will be made under
conditions which offer scarcely more
hazard than day flying. The pilot will
be guided by a pathway of powerful
beacons capable Of piercing through
difficult atmospheric conditions, point
ing the way unerringly over the prairie
to the terminal fields Each plane viii
carry powerful searchlights available
for forced landings In case of neces-
sity. Emergency fields have been To-
Gated and lighted every % miles on the
route. In addition to these precautions
and many others the practicability Of
night flying is insured by the natural
advantages of the terrain over which
the pilots must guide their planes. The
plains country is, of course, noted for
its levelness, fortunately providing nat
ural landing fields. while the lack Of
humidity in the air lends this route to
the illumination plan.
Huge Beacons to Mark Way.
millions of people In the Middle
West viii nightly witness an artificial
aurora borealis visible fully fifty miles
from it's source under good atmospheric
conditions, when the night service OF
the air mail gets under way. This will
be created by sweeping lights which
will be established on the FIVE regular
fields, Chicago, Iowa City, Omaha,
North Platte and Cheyenne Each Of
these beacons will have 6oO,00O,OOO
candle power.
1.-THE air mall beacons will be quite
different from the shore lighthouse
beacons which guide the ships of the
sea. To suit the needs of ships of the
air they will swing around on the top
Of their towers, throwing beam three
degrees above the horizon, three COM
plete revolutions being made every
Pilots can easily pick up these
giant beacons and guide their planes
TO the field The lights will be operated
only at hours when plane is expected.
"Not depending alone on terminal
lights, the Post Office department is
coating less powerful beacons every
rs miles along the route. Like their |
anger brothers. they will also swing
around the horizon, but their visibility |
S limited to about thirty miles. These
smaller beacOns will mark the emer
yency landing fields to which a pilot
AN descend in case of necessity"
AS q safeguard for the pilot flying
It night In low "ceiling''-that is,
when the clouds hang low-flashing
raffic lights, similar to those placed on
streets. will be placed on the ground
very three miles along the route.
These lights will be directed toward
he skies instead Of along the ground.
This VIII enable pilot who might lose
light Of the field beacons to trace from
is plane several thousand feet in the
ir narrow line of light stretching
or miles over the earth.
Red Lights Mark Obstacles.
Buildings and other obstacles at the
anding fields will be marked with red
eacons to aid In negotiating landing
ilots will fly at height which will
lake 1t easy for them to volplane to
he nearest emergency field. should the
rpine go dead.
Mr.. New said that since the depart
tent had anticipated general use Of
lie service by the public, 1t was re-
arded as probable that a special air.
lane stamp would be issued, a stamp
hich would be sold at price COM
ensurate with the service.
Air mail service has been in opera
on in the United States since May 10,
)1S, when the WashingtonNew York
ute was established This was fol-
we'd by the New York-Chicago serv-
e. Two and a half years ago trans !
route was undertaken. but t
was not a through service. It's DUR {
se being to advance the mails. Mail +
anes. for example would pick mp late r
nils here. fly with them to Cleveland p
d place the sacks on the Chicago ex-
ess train which left New York the T
ght before. n