Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-09-29
RESUME OF FLIGHT
Continued from PAGE One)

NSOVltIuCd lTOTU dye STSJ
the Pacific ocean from AttU Island,
the most westerly island of the Aleu-
tan group. to Paramashiru Island
in the kuriles. Japan. This 900
mile stretch was the longest jump
of the entire trip. 1t was made in
II hours and five minutes of flying
time. the aviators resting night in
the lee of the komandorski Islands
during a blizzard enroute.
Americas second title came when
the flyers crossed a 500 stretch
over the China Sea from Kagoshima,
Japan, to Shanghai, China. This
was the first time the China Sea
had been crossed by air.
The third honor was the compile
ton of the around-the-world flight.
feat never before achieved by man
in heavier-t han-air machines.
Lastly, the intrepid Magellans of
the air theoretically set a speed
work for travelling around the globe.
The entire 27.OOO-trip was made in
approximately 366.71 hours of actual
flying, although the expedition was
on the trip nearly 80 days after
leaving Seattle. When the birdmen
reached Constantinople. Turkey. they
had covered $3.50 miles in 222l
! hours of flying. or an average of
1876 miles an hour.
II the aviators were equipped with
machines that could stand "a hours
day flying for the world trip at
the average of 1856 miles an hour
they would have finished the jour
ney in approximately 10 days and
six hours.
BY encircling the globe in the fly
I ing time of a little over 10 days,
the United States Army flyers shat
tered the notable feat of John H.
! Mears. who. in 1913. went around
the world by ship. train and other
modes of travel in 80 days, Il hours,
| 36 minutes.
Fast trips around the globe in
clude one made by Nellie Bly,, a re-
porter, In 1889. shortly after Jules
Verne published his famous book,
! Around the World in Eighty Days"
She did it in - days, 8 hours. II
minutes. In 1903. Henry Frederick
cut this time to "a days, hours.
, minutes. Frederick's record was
broken in 1911 by Andre Jaeger
Schmidt. who encircled the earth in
| 50 days, 10 hours, AZ minutes, IS
seconds.
The making Of the plans for the
on the part Of army authorities than
the men spent on the journey. Ev-
erythins was arranged to minimize
the chance OF failure. The $1,000
mile trail was divided into seven d.
visions. An advance officer was sent
out over each division months in ad-
ance of the scheduled starting date
to prepare maps. obtain weather
data. and to lay supply depots and
stations at important points enroute.
Supplies were then sent to places
chosen by the advance officers.
Special Douglas air cruisers were
built in a California factory. each
driven by a 400 horsepower Liberty
motor and having a cruising radius.
with auxiliary gasoline tanks, of
1900 to 1000 miles. They were the
only planes Of their type in the
world. Spare engines and parts
were scattered along the route and
everything was in readiness when
the aviators left Santa Monica, Cal.
March II, for Seattle. where the
planes were QUILTED with pontoons
and the start of the flight made
April 6.
During the flight the Americans
either skirted or flew over 20 countries
and provinces. Every contingency had
to be expected. OF necessity the avia-
tors had to be almost super-men, be-
ing possessed Of nerves Of steel. daunt-
less courage and exceptional physique.
The climate ranged from the frigid
Arctic weather along the AIeutian Is
lands Of the North Pacific late in
March. to NEAR tropical conditions in
June while trayersing India. Every