WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 12, 8 October 1927, Page 10

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

e NOTES AT RANDOM

(Bj

T.D.H.)

A purist in New South Wales in one who holds that political morality is impaired when the politicians don't do what they promised for the bribes they take. A sage observes that some men take good care of a motor-car, while others treat it . like one of the family. With a German attempt to fly' the Atlantic in progress, it is interesting to note from Colonel Lindbergh’s book what his theories were about the task. It was early in 1925 that Lindbergh qualified as a full-fledged pilot in the United States Air Service Corps, and a few months later he began flying a ’plane in trans-Continental air mail on the section between St. Louis and Chicago. When flying the mail one night in the autumn of 1926, the idea came to him that he would like to try for the £5OOO prize offered for the first non-stop flight betwen New York and Paris. He found there were a sufficient number of public-spirited men in St. Louis willing to finance the venture, and by December last he was in New York' gathering information concerning ’planes, motors, and other things.

Tn his book just to hand, Lindbergh explains what guided him in his choice of equipment. He chose a single-en-gined monoplane. Although the monoplane was only just coming into use in America, be thought it more efficient for the purpose than a biplane, as it can carry a greater load per square foot of surface at a greater speed. A single motored ’plane, while more liable' to forced landings, had less head resistance and a greater cruising range. The reliability of the modern air-cool-ed radial engine he felt to be so great that the chances of a forced landing were more than counter-balanced by the longer cruising radius consequent on the ability to carry more fuel with less engine weight. He therefore placed an order for a monoplane equipped with a 200 h.p. radial air-cooled motor.

Ancient Florence, where the reformer Savonarola died so abruptly at the end of the fifteenth century, had another lesson in morals the other day, when an old woman, angered by the flitnsiness of the dress of a girl she met on the Via Pucci, tore the flapper’s clothes to bits, the while she delivered an exclamatory lecture on modesty.: The object lesson—the young woman with her dress off—so entranced the Florentine police that they took reformer and reformed in a closed*wagon to the police station, whence, presumably, the younger woman was sent home in a barrel.

It is interesting to note the difference between Lindbergh’s ’plane, the spirit of St. Louis, and that in which Sir John Alcoek and his companion made the first trans-Atlantic flight in 1919. The Alcock ’plane had two 3ao h.p. engines, carried 865 gallons of fuel, had a maximum speed of 100 miles an hour, and a cruising range of 2440 miles. Lindbergh’s 200 h.p. single-engined ’plane carried 42a gallons of fuel, had a maximum speed of 135 miles an hour, and a cruising range of 4100 miles.

While the ’plane was being built in California, Lindbergh spent most of his time there studying charts and working out courses He worked out a greai circle aftr ss the Atlantic, changing course every hour. After going over this very thoroughly, he sat back and figured out that, even if he got far off his course, he could easily reach the .Scandinavian coast to the north, or the Spanish coast to the south. Taking extra fuel in lieu of a passenger would give him 300 miles additional radius, and plenty of reserve fuel he concluded, was much more useful than accuracy of navigation. • « *'

In order to be able to locate his position when he reached land he made a cireful studv of the maps of all countries of Western Europe, and the topographical peculiarities of each. When tlie machine was complete, he flew across America in it to his starting point at New York, flying right through the night. On the flight across the Atlantic he ran up the coast from New York to Nova Scotia’, and then acroM to Newfoundland, flying low over St. John’s, so as to be reported The’* came the ocean run through the night, in which he encountered fog and stormclouds. In one of these sleet began to collect on the ’plane and weigh it down, and he had to turn back skirt around the edge of the stonn. Soon after dawn he was flving blind through fog. Later the fog cleared and’ he flew down close to the water, sometimes only ten feet above the waves, and seldom more than ‘2OO feet up. At this level, he says, a plane flies with less effort than higher up. . The first indication that Europe was near was the sight of some small fishing boats. He circled over one, shutting off his engine, and calling out .to the skipper to know where Ireland was. He was unable to get an answer, though. When lost >n flying in America he had frequently got directions in this way. & * * • Less than an hour later, when firing •200 feet above the water, he sight? i land, and steered over to it, deciding from the map that it'was Dragle Bay. In two hours more the coast of England appeared, and he passed over Devon at 1500 feet. The sun went down when he reached the French coast, and then at 10 p.m. he was over Fans, and the flight was accomplished. Shopper: “Where are the corsets, Pl Shop-girl: “You’ll find them in the antique department, four aisles to the left, ma’am.” “Pa vou remember vou promised to give me ten shillings'if I passed m school this year?” “Yes. Tommy.” . “Well, Pa, you ain’t gonna have that expense.” THE CALL. The sun goes down beyond the purple fell, , . A wind has blown the lark into * cloud; ... , One backward look will serve to say f 'ire well To the dark valley that my fathers ploughed. The bouse they built is empty. 1 must Over the twilit moorland till I fi “ d The breast of eve, where I may learn to know What thing it is that gives men peace of mind. The last light trembles in the farther This iTt'he night, the hour I dare not A hand has beckoned me, I know not where, , , . A voice has spoken, but I know not whose. . , Edward Davison, in the ‘ Satin da) Review.”