Evening star., 1924-06-01
american Flyers Head Into China;
Guard Against Typhoon Menace
Ne,p Engines Installed and PontOons attached
Fresh Coat of Varnish Protects against Heat.
Martin Due Here Tomorrow.

occasionally during May and June.
They are tremendous rotatory storms
of wind resembling the hurricanes of
the West Indies in general character
istfcs, but with their main features
more strongly marked. The storm
centers in a small area and drives
forward at speed of twelve miles
an hour or over. the storm itself
whirling about the center of the de-
preston in which the barometer
readings frequently go as low as 2o.3
| inches. Changes in pressure are very
rapid. frequently two or three inches
in a hour.
It is this enormous difference %, of
boring places and the conseqLent
rapid fluctuation that gives the ty-
phoon its terribly destructive energy
High waves frequently accompany
the typhoons, advancing inland, car
rying with them ruin and disaster,
and sometimes bearing ships far in
land where they are left stranded
These storms have their origin in the
ocean east of China, in the vicinity
Of Formosa and the northern Philip
pine Islands. and usually proceed
from east northeast toward west
southwest. Their course is generally
along the coast of China. Although
the whole body of the typhoon ad-
vances at 4 comparatively slow rate,
the winds whirl around the center of
the depression at from eighty to one
hundred miles an hour in direction
contrary TO the main hands OF CLOCK,
as do all the storms in the northern
hemisphere. Deluges OF rain fall dur
ing the storm. ten to twelve inches
frequently falling in one day. The
system OF storm warnings along the
Chinese coast is very good and uSu-
ally sufficient warning is given of
the approach of typhoon and its
path so that necessary precautions
can be taken to guard against dam
age.
1t is doubtful If any of these
typhoons will be encountered by the
American flight, but provisions have
been made at each of the stops
through China. to take the airplanes
out of the water over night and
stake them down, so that they could
withstand these storms. OF course,
in the event of a storm occurring
during the day, 1t would be possible
for the flight to fly away from the
area over which the storm is sched-
uled to pass.
In each of the harbors where the
flight will land. arrangements have
been to have a launch, or small pow
er boat availa BILE to assist In servic-
ing the airplaneS, as soon as they
land Standardized sets of signals
are in use in all ports where the air.
planes will stop, and in addition,
large floats are available in case of
accident, which may be towed out at
once to the rescue of any plane. Also
landing buoyS have been provided in
the form of steel drums painted yell
low, attached to 500-pound anchors in
sheltered areas of each harbor.
Get Supplies mt Shanghai.
Miscellaneous supplies will be
found at Shankhai for the use of the
fight, but no major supplies, such
as engines and other large parts are
now available until the flight reaches
Calcutta. There are seven major
depots on the complete route of the
world flight and eleven minor depots,
making a total of eingteen, an aver
age of 1,500 miles apart, so that the
flight is well taken care of as re-
CARDS spare parts and supplies to
meet all emergencies which could be
foreseen. The SUPPLIES were more
thickly distributed in the north Pa
cific and the north Atlantic, because
these sections are uninhabited and
not easily accessible, while in other
parts of the globe it will be possible
to obtain assistance and repairs more
readily.
However, as one of the officers of
the flight committee remarked, the
personnel making the world flight
will be able to build an airplane by
the time they reach the North Allan
tic section, and in case they lose a
plane they need only be furnished
with stove lid and an electric fan
and they will fly back home
Such difficulties as have been en-