SAL

RECORD TIME"

When forest-fires are started from any robbers watch it soaring a mile or so above cause, the loss is usually due to the fact that their heads. they gain headway before the fire fighters can The possibilities of smuggling by air-craft is arrive. The air patrol reduces this loss to a already being considered by the customs auminimum. In one case the forest fire discov- thorities at Washington. Meanwhile, the first ered by the air-patrol was in the Sierra Madre air smuggler has already appeared. A few Mountains. The air-scout was flying at the weeks ago an aëroplane was flown from

Canada across the border into the United States carrying a consignment of furs to a concern in Newark, New Jersey.

The Customs Division of the Treasury Department at Washington believe that an air service to patrol our Mexican and Canadian boundaries against smuggling will soon be required. By carrying wireless telegraph and telephone apparatus, the air-police can instantly communicate with any near-by force. A single air-scout can thus patrol hundreds of miles of boundary, doing the work of a large force of inspectors and doing it more efficiently.

At a great automobile race held recently at Detroit one of the cars was held up for the lack of a certain part which could only be found at Dayton, Ohio. A fast aëroplane brought the missing part in record time.

The aëroplane has been found extremely

useful in making astronomical observations. "A FAST AËROPLAND BROUGHT THE MISSING PART IN

It often happens that an eclipse of the sun or

other phenomenon which occurs at rare intertime at an altitude of 1500 feet. Within seven vals is hidden from the observers by clouds or minutes after the fire was observed, fire-fight- mist. The aëroplane makes it possible to rise ers had reached the spot by motor-truck, and high above the clouds and thus gain an uninthe fire was quickly extinguished. The Gov- terrupted view. The experiment has been ernment reported recently that the aëroplane made by Professor David Todd, who has patrol of the Cleveland Na

nal Forest covers

charge of the Amherst College astronomical 115 miles in its work in ninety minutes, flying observatory. at an altitude of 300 feet.

The seaplane used for the flight was taken The mackerel fishers along the New England aboard a steamer bound for South America. coast employ a seaplane for scout work. Fly- On reaching the point at which the observation ing at high speed, the aëro-fisherman can thus was to be made, off the coast of South Amerfly far out to sea and return, keeping the fish- ica, the steamer left its course and proceeded erman informed of the presence of schools of to the desired position. Professor Todd, a fish. It was found during the sea-scouting in naval pilot, and a photographer flew to a height search of submarines that an observer in an of nearly 15,000 feet, and up there the eclipse aëroplane high above the water may look was observed and photographed. The results down into the water to surprising depths. were then cabled to Washington to be com

The aëroplane has been employed as a pay- pared with similar observations taken at the car with very satisfactory results. A mining same time off the coast of Africa. The phocompany in Mexico hit upon the idea of send- tographs of the eclipse taken at this altitude ing considerable sums of money by an air are more successful than those made at searoute to balk the attempts of bandits to hold it level. The atmosphere being thinner at this up. The mines lay in a remote section of the altitude also make it possible to catch certain country, far from the regular trade routes and color values of the sunlight during the eclipse. police or military protection, and to carry the Experiments have been made by the Governpay-chest through this country would entail ment with the intention of organizing an aëro great risks. Now the aëro pay-car covers the patrol to work with the life-saving stations distance in a short time, while the would-be along our sea-coast. The shores are, of course,

THE AËROPLANE AS A DECORATIVE FEATURE OF A PARADE_HOW CAPTAIN EDDIE RICKENBACKER WAS GREETED

IN LOS ANGELES

regularly patrolled during the winter months having an arrangement of electric wires with and the stations connected by wire with one which they can be heated to any temperature. another. The air-craft, again, could carry out The recent experience of the great naval lines to vessels in distress or drop food and seaplanes in the transatlantic flight has ensupplies on their decks, and in comparatively couraged the Government to construct larger rough seas they could come down near the and more powerful machines. The naval exships and take off the crew or passengers. perts believe that with such machines they can

Plans are being perfected by Stefansson, the make a non-stop flight across the ocean. The arctic explorer, to reach the pole by means of wings of the machines will be increased from aëroplanes. It is planned to construct a flying 126 feet to 200 feet, and it is probable that nine craft suited to the new conditions which can instead of four motors will be installed. The land upon or rise from the water, the land, or Government also plans to build giant dirigibles, the ice. The attempt will probably be made to rival the largest in Great Britain or Gerthis year. The extreme cold does not deter many, which will be capable of Aying three aëro-explorers, since the engines will not be times across the Atlantic Ocean or across the affected. The men plan to wear suits of clothes width of the United States without alighting.

By JAMES ANDERSON

The story of some of the things which are United States from Mexico, there are cottondone, or are immediately projected, by the use free zones, declared by law as barriers against of aëroplanes in this country to-day may sur- the progress of the worm. But a few misprise those still skeptical as to the proved prac- guided farmers feel that their rights have been tical value of these machines.

infringed and have developed a tendency to To begin with, the airplane has come to help become outlaw cotton-planters. Much of the agriculture. In southern Texas, where the country is heavily timbered. Roads are neither devastating pink boll-worm that attacks the plentiful nor good, in many places, and it has cotton plant has been trying to invade the been possible for an outlaw planter to tuck away a few acres of cotton in some nook of smoke, or to locate them accurately. For prethe woods beyond the probability of discovery cise location the system in use depends on triby ordinary means. The Federal Horticul- angulation, through reports telephoned from tural Board not long since determined to try separate observation points. Aëroplanes will the aëroplane as a scout to hunt the outlaw use wireless in reporting fires, and will locate Texas cotton-fields, and very successful flights fires by coördinates, in the same way that gun have already been made for this purpose by fire in war is directed to a particular spot or army aviators, who have not only reported out- object. law plantings, but also that on a clear day at The government believes that the aērial an elevation of 2000 feet a distinct view can mail, when extended all over the country, will

ineet conditions that can never be met by railroad. At various places beneath its flight, it is planned to drop mail into large nets, constructed for the purpose, wherever mail is wanted. For the aeroplanes to be used in this service, Uncle Sam has turned battle-planes into mailplanes. For this purpose

the armament and military accessories have been removed, the pilot's cockpit changed from the front to the rear, and the front cockpit altered so as to pro

vide a rain-proof comUNLOADING ITS CARGO FROM AN AËROPLANE

partment holding about

500 pounds of mail. be had of the country over a range of thirty Along the aërial mail-routes it is planned by miles; and cultivated fields, buildings, roads, the post-office department to have radio-sysrailway lines, creeks, and the character of the tem block-signal stations every twenty-five wooded areas can be easily distinguished. At miles. These, of course, will provide a sysseventy-five miles an hour the ground seems tem of lights for night flying. It is easy to to move so slowly that these observers affirm

appreciate all that the coming of the aërial they can get a complete picture of the area mail will mean to far-off places like Alaska. and readily distinguish cotton- from corn-fields. Plans are said to have been completed for

This last summer, army aëroplanes and cap- the construction of a fleet of dirigibles for a tive balloons not only have covered portions New York to Chicago line, carrying a pasof the national forests of California, Arizona, senger list of twenty-five and a crew of ten. New Mexico, and other States to aid in de- The ships are to be of the Zeppelin type, and tecting and suppressing forest fires, but one of helium gas is to be used, removing the danger the interesting possibilities, to be tested at the of fire. Out in the far Northwest, passenger first opportunity, is bombing forest fires to put airplanes will soon be flying on regular schedthem out. It is believed that bombs charged ules between Seattle and Spokane, according with suitable chemicals can be used with good to officers of an air-craft company, which has results.

leased from the city of Spokane a 1000-acre Lookouts in a very broken country, cut up tract on which to test air-craft. Each plane by deep cañons or where mountain ridges ob- will have a capacity of twelve to fourteen passtruct the view, or in a flat country that af- sengers. : The Aight, it is believed, can be made fords no good points of vantage, are often in four and one half hours. unable to pick up all fires quickly by the rising Mining companies are beginning seriously

The Gilliams Service

Paris, France, a department store discovered that much time and money could be saved by making its deliveries by aëroplane, using the

to consider the employment of aeroplanes to carry the workers to and from pits and to transport the ores to market. Many an outof-the-way mine, which has been abandoned because no means of transporting the ore has been found, could thus be profitably worked. A famous mining corporation, composed of practical business men, is now considering the use of aëroplanes in taking gold bullion from Mexican mines, and owners of oil-wells in Wyoming and Texas are inquiring concerning the feasibility of using aëroplanes to inspect and establish fields.

In Texas, ranch owners have utilized aëroplanes successfully in trailing cattle-thieves.

The aëroplane is already being used to carry lighter forms of express freight. An enterprising store in one of our large cities near the sea delivers packages to its customers daily by aëroplane in an incredibly short time. The distance, in this case of less than thirty miles, is traversed in about twenty minutes and then an automobile completes the delivery. In

Central News
THE AËROPLANE IN WHICH CAPTAIN READ FLEW OVER THE OCEAN, ON EXHIBITION IN CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK

"Just us East Side kids giving the N C-4 'the once over "