Seward daily gateway., 1924-03-01
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
 HEARS LIEUT.. [. RESELL

Lieut.. Clayton Bissell, of the United States Army Air Service, was the guest of honor at the luncheon of the chamber of commerce yesterday, and he explained in detail the proposed army airplane flight around the would Commencing with the begin ming of aviation, when the Wright brothers first projected their heavier than air machine around the small en- closure where their patents were test ed, Lieut.. Bissell showed how fast aviation had advanced. He stated that at the time of the war the nation had but few machines, lilly equipped for sustained flights, and that up to the beginning of 1919, but few planes had flown 500 miles and remained in the air for any duration of time. Follow ing the first flight across the Allan tic, trans-continental flight were sue cessful, and during the past few years the mail planes between the East and West coasts had made hundreds of flights, carrying many tons of mail, and maintaining a schedule more ex- act than any train service.
 He stated that Alaska, owing to its topography, was more in need of air plane service than the States, and that a little concerted effort on the part of Alaskans would result in a squadron being stationed here for the mapping and development of aviation flights.
 The present flight of army planes around the world is the continuation of an attempt on the part of the na- tion to honor the remaining survivor of the invention of the air machine.
 He explained that it was the desire of the Army department to consum- mate this flight with American built machines and motors and American fliers. The motors recently perfected are as we'll nigh perfect as can be made with the limited experience of inventive genius, and these motors af- ter a rigid test had been accepted as the type of power to be used by Am erican fliers
 Lieut. Bissell told his audience that the machines would be brought from California to Seattle, where the mo- tors would be installed, the machines overhauled, equipped with pontoons, and made ready for the first leg of the flight to Prince Rupert. From Prince Rupert the next leg would be to Sit ka, at which place the fliers would start on the longest over-water flight on the trip; from Sitka to Cordova. At Sitka the aviators would be equip per with food, blankets, guns, etc, so in case they were compelled to des- cend in some of the lagoons between Cape St. Elias and Cordova they could do so, and sustain themselves until rescued or their flight resumed From Cordova the flight to Seward would be a short one Arriving at Seward the machines would circle the town several times, and a landing would then be made at a point between the oil dock and the cold storage plant. The machines would then go under their own power or be lowed to vel low buoys near the radio station at the head of the bay, where they would be pulled up ashore at high tide, and the pontoons cleaned and the ma chimes fueled and oiled. The next tide they would be returned to the water. In case of delay in arriving here due to stress of weather, the aviators would hop off after overhaul ing the machines; otherwise they would remain here a day or so.
 The speaker stressed the fact that the men would be tired and nervous and therefore would expect no enter tainment. In case they remained over day or so, after overhauling their