Evening star., 1924-09-01
World FLIGHT GOES BACK TO 1909
FOR PARALLEL IN MAGELLAN FEAT
Completion of Trip Marks Greatest achievement in
History of AUiation-Reuie,O Sho,os
Dangers Overcome.

continent the round the world flyers of
the United States Army Air Service
completed the most marvellous achieve
ment lin the history Of aviation to date
the virtual encircling of the globe in
heavier-than-a air machines. Before the
night was begun Maj. Gen. Patrick,
chief Of the Army Air Service, said the
completion of it would be a feat of
Importance paralleiing that of Magel-
ian, who. in 1909. was the first man to
clrcumnavigate the globe.
The story Of the historic and record
breaking fight compares with the most
gripping adventure tales Of fiction.
Like the pioneers Of any expedition
blazing a new trail, these intrepid air.
men, the first to fly around the world.
of necessity had to be men of courage
and with nerves of steel. Notwith-
standing the carefully laid plains for
the trip, there were certain hardships
which could not be avoided-those that
must necessarily accompany an under
taking of such magnitude, compelling
as 1t did flights in all kinds Of climate
ranging from the frigid Arctic weather
of the North Pacific late in March to
the near tropical conditions encount-
cred in the Far East in June.
Elements Treacherous.
All manner of weather had to be
contended with. the elements ap-
parently having no sympathy with
the laudable ambition of these men
to be the first to fly around the
world. TreachefouS gales, violent
rains and binding blizzards were en-
countered in the Alaskan regions be-
fore the flyers hoped off the North
American continent for the first at
tempt of airplanes to wing their way
across the Pacific. Fog was dam
gerous factor, and when the aviators
reached down into the torrid zone in
the far East they encountered tropical
winds and rains, and in India ran into
sand storm.
What misfortune or ill-luck there
was in the adventure seemed to at
tach itself to the commander and the
flag plane of the squadron. Ma j.
Fred L. Martin, who was flight COM
mander at the start, had series of
mishaps along the North Pacific
coast of the North American Con-
tinent, eliminating in his flag plane,
the Seattle, crashing into mountain
on the Alaska peninsula. Maj. Mar
tin and his mechanician, Sergt. Alva
Harvey, escaped unhurt. out their
plane was destroyed. Nothing was
heard from the two men for 10 days,
despite a thorough search of the re-
gionS, and hopes for them were about
to be given up when radiogram
from Maj. Martin to the chief of the
Army Air Service announced their
safety. This accident eliminated Mai.
Martin and his mechanician from
further participation in the flight.
Delayed Flight Two Weeks.
When the accident occurred Maj.
Martin was plotting his plane in a
fog toward Dutch Harbor on I'm
alaska Island to join his companions.
The commander. due to a crack in
the crank shaft which caused a leak
age of fuel, was forced down on the
flight from Seward to Chignik, April
Is, and he and Harvey were forced
to spend the night in their plane.
They were found the next day by the
destroyer Hull, both men suffering
somewhat from exposure. Two weeks
were required to obtain a new engine
for the Seattle from Kanatak, 120
miles distant, and in the meantime
the other flyers rested at Dutch Har-
Dor waiting for the commander to
join them.
Maj. Martin left Chignik on April
80. and shortly after noon bumped
into the mountain. When no word had
been received from him the next day
alal the fishing boats in the region
were urged to aid in the search for
thetwo men in the waters south of
the Alaska peninsula, while dog
teams took up the search on land.
Later an Army airplane secuted over
the territory.
After the crash Maj. Martin and
his mechanician retrieved some of
their food supplies from the wreck
and started down the mountain side.
Seven days elapsed before they came
upon a trapper's cabin at the south
ermost point on Port Moller Bay.
They were exhausted. There they
found food and rested for three days.
then walked to the beach, whence
Martin sent his radiogram to Wash
ington. In it he said the two men
owed their existence to concentrated
food and nerve.
Others Ordered On.
When it became apparent that Maj
orders were dispatched to the others
to proceed without him.
Lieut.. Lowell H. Smith, who sue
ceeded Maj. Martin as flight COM
mander, was the victim OF virtually
all trouble that was encountered
after that, but it was minor trouble
compared to the accident which berell
Maj. Martin. Lieut.. Smith had con-
siderable engine trouble and at one
stage of the flight in Japan his feI-
low flyers were obliged for a day to
proceed without him. At Calcutta he
suffered a broken rib in a fall from
a culvert on the flying field.
Russians InhospitabIe.
With one exception, the aviators
were Hospitality welcomed every
where they landed and the various
governments co-operated in looking
a he nf ha OF all
as providing entertainment for them.
The one exception was when the
squadron hoped Off the North Amer
lean continent for its flight across
the Pacific, distance of 878 miles,
and to accomplish which it would be
necessary to break the existing nom
stop seaplane flight of 1872 miles. A
severe storm encountered en- route
forced the flyers down or shore at
Komandorski on an island owned by
Russia. The Soviets refused permis-
sion to land, but the Americans had
gotten out of the storm and were
ready to take off again just as the
Russians decision was received
The most arduous part of the flight
was the northward trip along the Pa
cific Coast of the North American con-
tinent. Encountering heavy storms,
both rain and snow, as well as strong
winds and the accidents to Maj. Mar
tins plane, the flyers were frequently
delayed several days at a time. After
the three who completed the trip reach
ed the Far East there was little delay
aside from that planned for them. but
despite this they were 16 days behind
the original schedule when they ar
rived at Paris July IA. This was due
to the unusual delays that were caused
before the men left the North American
continent.
Time Record Ignored.
The primary purpose of the flight
was to determine the physical practi-