Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-05-16
UNST|NTED PRAISE
GIVEN AMUNDSEN
Ellsworth and Mobile Included
in Capitaps Tribute to
Norge's Flight.

BY the Associated Press.
Unstinted praise Of Roald Amund'
sen, Iincoln c. Ellsworth and the of
ficers and crew Of the Norge was
mixed with the expressions Of graft
fication in Washington over the news
that the first airship to fly from
Spitzbergen to Alaska across the
North Pole was safe in American ter
ritory.
Since the sudden discontinuance of
radio messages from the Norge more
than two DAYS ago there had grown
a feeling of uneasinesss here, notwith-
standing the confidence of those IA
milia1- with polar hazards in the aoii-
ity and resourcefulness of those who
were blazing IL new trail of Arctic
travel.
To indicate the eagerness Of the
Capital officials for news of the Norge,
the White House sent to President
Coolidge at Williamsburg wireless
received from Ellsworth The latter
is a cousin OF Vice President Dawes,
who has kept his office busy inquir-
ing for word from the big ship. The
President promptly sent his congrat-
ulationS.
MOffett Draws Lesson.
Rear Admiral Moffett, chief OF the
Bureau of Aeronautics of the Navy,
pointed TO the advantages OF lighter
tnan-air craft foI polar flights.
Oversee and polar flying, where
weather influencing land character
istics are absent, Is the logical ele-
ment of the lighte"tha air ship, he
said.
storms and extremes Of weather
are less severe in the polar regions
than in some Of our own Northwestern
States, and for this reason the large
airship will be utilized in the future
when advantage is taken CONNER
cially Of the Arctic route for trans
port between Europe and the Far
East.
The success Of the Norge comes
at an oppoltune time 20 add material
justification to Americas faith in the
lighter-than-air ship and her policy
Of continuing the development or THIS
field of aviation.
Courage of Men Lauded.
Il sincerely admire the aggressive
courage resourcefulneSS and ability
of the great men who have attracted
the attention of the world in their re-
markable achievement OF flying the
~
graduate them on being the first TO
reach the Pole and cross the Arctic in
an airship.'
The flight OF the Norge is accepted
here as one Of less than ha.f dozen
outstanding voyages o. lighter-than-
air craft.
The first Of these was the trip o. the
German LIS TO Africa during the
World War This trip YVES to carry
medical supplies TO Gen. Won Lettow
Vorbeck in German East Africa. The
ship was in the air almost hundred
hours and Travelled about $500 miles.
Another outstanding achievement
was the flight Of the E-34 from East
Fortune. Ergiani, across the Atlantic
to Long Island and return. This was
In 1921. The RIA was in the air los
hours II minutes ard travelled $500
miles on the trip to Long Island and
1850 miles on the return.
Shenandoah's Long Trip.
The West Coast trip of the Shera1-
doah is considered by the Navy off,
Gals as perhaps the greatest achieve
ment of any lighter-than-air craft ever
built. On this flight the Shenandoah
travelled 9.317 miles and was away
from her hangar l9 days and 10 hours,
during which she crossed mountain
ranges, plains, deserts and sea.
The Los Angeles covered 800 miles
in October, 1924, in 81 hours, in her
flight from FrieGrichshafen Germany
to Iakehurst. The Norge in her polar
flight from Spitzbergen to Nome
should have covered $500 miles. but
this does not account for the great
distance she few from Italy to the
Jumping-off point.