Evening star., 1924-08-17
BT LIEUT.. n. J. BROWN. JR..
- hairnan, World FItght Committed


remote waters have been unusually
bad this year on account Of the late
Spring and have resulted in an un-
forcSeen delay. Although a great deal
has been said about the possibility of
ice and weather conditions in the
Danish Straits presenting such an OBJ
stacle that the flyers would have to
relinquish the idea Of completing the
expedition this year. the Air Service
has never for moment felt the
slightest doubt but that these men who
had succeeded in crossing the Pacific
Ocean under conditions even less
favorable than are now being expert
enced In Iceland and Greenland, would
md a safe way out OF their diff
cAitiea-
Th~S have had four alternatives.
any bne OF which would place them
beyond the situation with which they
are now faced. a recent dispatch
from Lieut.. Laclair d. SchulZe on
board the Gertrud Rask, which Is now
In the harbor at AnEmagSalik, states
that he has found the harbor only
Partially clear Of ice in the vicinity
ot the settlement This condition is
Z eaneerous one and although 1t
could De easy to find sufficiently
large. clear space for the world cruis-
Ars to make safe landing, 1t is
doubtful whether or not there would
be enough room for the airplanes to
take off without the danger of strik-
ing large pieces of ice which would
certainly crush their pontoons.
Lieut.. Schultze Reconnoiter~-
Lieut.. SchutZe. as a result. has
reconnoitered the vicinity and has in
formed the Air Service that a Suffi-
GENTLY large. open area, free from
ice. has been found at point farther
NJ
Mooring buoys have been ranSported
to this point and all will be in
readiness for the world flyers to pro-
ceed. 1t was pla anned that they would
leave Rcyjarik on Thursday the 18th.
This was prevented by bad weather
along the east coast of Greenland.
The flight was postponed until Friday.
the 18th; but the report of Lieut..
Schultze indicating that h. delaying
another day the safety of the expe-
dition al this place could be further
assured, resulted in the plan to leave
Saturday. The date for leaving, how
ever, since has been Indefinitely post
poned.
The conditions that prevail at
ngmagsalik are unique. When the
Gertrud Rask arrived at that place
the harhor was clear of ice in spite
of the fact that great field of foe
ice extended along the coast many
miles wide. On account of the mar
row mouth of the harbor the tide
and wind bring very little ice ac-
tually into the harlor itself, and
when the wind il from the north the
ice is blown Seaward. further clear
ing it. The fog which has been con-
linually encountered by the vessels
OF the Navy escor ing the world flyers
seems to prevail only along the edge
of the ice belt. and once this barrier
has been passed, the weather becomes
clear and fine. This condition also
was reported by the Gertrud Rask
when she arrived at Angina gsalik on
Wednesday.
Lieut.. Lowell H. Smith, the COM
manding officer OF the round-the-
world flight. plans to fly to Ansmas-
saIik as soon as the advance ofhcer
reports that che moorine facilities
have been completed and the ice
conditions are favorable. The air
planes will refuel and leave without
delay, taking advantage of any good
weather 1t may even be possible for
them to proceed either to FrederichS-
dal or Ivigtut the same day, the
entire distance being about l.loU
miles.
Plan Held Entirely Feasible.
Such a plan is entirely feasible be-
cause at this time Of the year the
sun remains above the horizon for
], hours, and during the remaining
hours of the night strong twilight
prevails. during which it would be
possible for the airmen to fly without
danger. If such course is CHOSEN,
the second landing in Greenland will.
in all proba bility, he Frederiksda',
800 miles south OF ,AngmagSalik and
Just west Of Cape Farewell, the
southern extremity Of Greenland.
Lieut.. Clayton J.. Bissell. the advance
officer for the flight on board the
cruiser Milwaukee. has succeeded In
establishing base at this place.
When the steamer Danery arrived at
Ivigtut with the supplies for the
world flight, she was met by the
cruiser Milwaukee. and all the spares
and fuel were transferred to the
American vessel.
The Milwaukee, with Lieut.. Blssell
on board, then proceeded to Fred
erik Sdal to await the arrival at that
place of the world flyers. The Dan
ish warship Islands Falk has also
gone to Frederiksdai, where she will
join the milwaukee,. While waiting
for permission from the Danish gov
ernrnent to establish a base at Ere
eriksdel, Lieut.. BisSell flew one of the
airplanes with which the Milwaukee
is equipped to this place. and after
his return one of the small boats
from the American vessel, in COM
mand Of Ensign Fines, was sent to
Fredcriksdal with fuel and supplies
TO establish a base.
New Equipment Ready.
When the world flight arrives at
Fredcriksda the extra motors, wings
and pontoons with which it was plan
ned to refit the flight at Ivigtut will
be on hand so that should 1t be con-
sidered advisable to omit the stop at
lvigtut and fly direct from Fred
erik sdal Greenland, to Indian Har-
Dor, Labrador, the same program of
overhaul for the airplanes can be
carried out at this place. The dis
tance to the coast of Labrador is
probability this is the course that
will be decided upon.
Two of the American destroyers
which have been waiting in Indian Har-
Dor for the American flight to reach
Ivigtut before proceeding to their posi-
tions across the Danish Straits to guard
the flight. have been ordered to positions
off tho east coast Of Greenland to guard
the passage of the flight between Ang-
magsalik and FrederiksdaL These de-
stroyers, the Barry and Coghlan, sailed
from Indian Harbor on Thursday, Au-
gust IS, and will be in position before
the flight poceeds over this dangerous
strip of coast
sltxkt Change In Plans Ordered.
A slight change in the plans has had
to be made as result of what Lieut.
George c. Mcdonald and Lieut.. Victor
B. Bertrandias learned in flying the
cruiser Boston II to Pictou, Nova Scotia.
1t was originally planned that a direct
route between Pictou and Boston, Mass,
would be followed, distance of 525
miles. In following this route it was