Evening star., 1924-09-01

the first to make the fight across the
Atlantic. These honors are about all
the glory the flyers will get out of
their record d-breaking and history
making performance. 1t was recently
disclosed in Washington that their
only additional reward will be let
ter of commendation, written by Sec
retary of War Weeks. to be attached
to their service records. The Secre-
tary asked Congress at the last ses-
sion to permit him to promote certain
junior officers in recognition of un-
usual service, having in mind at the
time Lieut.. Russell l. Maughan for his
dawn to-dusk flight across the con-
tient. and the round-the-wo flyers.
Secretary Weeks expressed regret
that Congress failed to authorize him
to promote the world flyers or give
them some decoration for their ac-
complishment.
Started on March II.
The flight was started March II
from Glover Field, Santa Monica,
Calf. the squadron being made up
of four planes as follows: Seattle,
f1agplane. with Maj. Fred l. Martin as
pilot and Sergt. Alva Harvey as mech
anician: Chicago, Lieut.. Lowell H.
Smith. pilot. and Leslie p. Arnold. me-
chnician; Boston, Lieut. Leigh Wade,
pilot: Sergt. A. NJ. Ogden. mechani-
clan; New Orleans. Lieut.. Eric H. Nell
son, pilot, and Lieut.. John Harding,
jr., mechanician.
On the first day the squadron
hoped to Sacramento. covering $40
miles of the journey which was esti-
mated between $1,000 and 10000
miles. The second leg of the journey
was $50 miles to Seattle, where the
flyers arrived March 20, after stops
at Eugene, Ore, and Vancouver,
Wash. They were delayed at Seattle
by bad weather, and in making minor
repairs to the planes until April 6,
when they hoped to Prince Rupert,
b. c., $50 miles. arriving the same
day. 1t was at this point that the
first accident occurred to Maj. Mar
tins plane, the Seattle being dam
aged in landing.
Encountered Storms.
April 10 the air cruisers did 300
miles to Sitka, Alaska, where un-
favorable weather delayed them three
days, after which they again took
the air and went 610 miles to Seward.
On that stretch they encountered
their first snow storm. but they re-
sumed their trip April Is, for the
450-mile flight to Chignik. which
proved to be the last of the trip for
Maj Martin with his companions. 1t
was during that flight he was forced
down near Cape Igvak by the de-
fective crank shaft
Lieuts. Smith, Wade and Nelson
flew from Chignik to Dutch Harbor,
400 miles April 10 and remained there
until May 3, when they were directed
to proceed without Maj. Martin. On
that day the three remaining planes
covered $50 miles, which brought
them to Atka Island. After a delay
of six days they hoped $50 miles
on May to Attu Island the farthest
West bit of land belonging to the
North American continent.
Delayed for Week.
Another delay of seven days was
occasioned by unfavorable weather
but the birdmen got away for the
flight across the Pacific on May l6,
an although they encountered rain,
snow and fog for nearly half the dis
tance, they arrived safely in kashi-
wabara Bay, Paramashiru Island. Ja-
pan, thus completing the first flight
across that ocean.
Hopping off from Paramashiru May
10, they flew 500 miles to Yetorofu,
and thre days later 354 miles brought
them to Minato, on the main island
of Japan Good weather at this point
impelled the aviators to go on. and a
second flight on May % took them
$50 miles to kasumigaura, the air
base for Toxic. Here the aviators re-
manned a week overhauling their ma
chimes. During the time a series of
festivals in their honor was held in
Toxic.
Resuming on June 1, the squadron
winged its way $50 miles to kushi-
moto, and the next day went another
$50 miles to kagoshima, the last stop
in Japan. The aviators thus COM
pleted the first flight over the En-
pire of Nippon ever made by United
States Army men.
Lieut.. Smith, who had been act
ing commander since the elimination
of Maj. Martin. was formally ap-
pointed commander June 8 and the
next day had his first bit of com
mander's luck" which had followed
Mai Martin from the outset. Leav-
ing Kagoshima June Lieut.. Smiths
plane developed engine trouble and
refused to ascend. He directed Lieuts.
Wade and Nelson to make the hop
of 610 miles across the China Sea to
Shanghai and he followed the next
day, covering the distance in one
hour and Is minutes less than his
companions required. A stretch of
555 miles to Annoy was covered June
and the next day they flew 300 miles
to Hongkong.
Smith Experiences Trouble.
three planes made 500 miles June 10,
bringing them to Hiapong, and the
next day a flight of 500 miles landed
them at Tourane. Here Comdr.
Smith experienced more engine
trouble and a delay of five days was
necessitated while a new engine was in
stalled in his machine.
On June 16 the aviators reached the
nearest point to the Equator, when
they flew from Tourane to Saigon, a
distance of $50 miles. The route then
away, which they covered June IS,
and two days later a flight of $50
miles to Rangoon, Burma, was made.
One of the planes upon descending
collided with a cargo boat, damaging
the wings, which necessitated a delay
of five days for repairs. The 445
miles from Rangoon to Akyab were
covered June 25, and the next day in
going to Calcutta, a distance of 400
miles. it was necessary to make a
1O-minute detour out to sea to avoid
a storm.
The flyers remained in Calcutta un-
til July 1, and in the meantime Com
mander Smith suffered a broken rib
in a fall from culvert on the flying
field. However, he accompanied his
companions on the flight to Allahabad,
ATS miles distant. The flyers had
little or no difficulty in Cochin China,
where they followed the coast line,
but they could not avoid the jungles
east of Delhi. Here for seven hours,
according to a story by Lieut.. Wade,
the aviators flew over the treetops,
fighting the winds, and were able to
see plainly the wild beasts below. On
one occasion, he said, tiger was
seen and he could have shot him If
he had had a gun.