AROUND THE WORLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19372, 6 July 1926, Page 11

AROUND THE WORLD.

AMERICANS' GREAT DASH.

EFFORT TO BREAK RECORD.

LONDON.' June 29,

Evans and Wells, the two Americans who are trying to break the record in travelling round the world, arrived at Kurgan, Siberia, yesterday at 9.5 a.m. At every point east of Moscow they established a new record for' a journey from New York, but their weariness of body i 3 indescribable. The travellers left Moscow at 1.58 a.m. in a single-motored aeroplane belonging to Aviakhim, a semi-official Russian aviation society. The pilot, M. Korpilof, was the most experienced available for the long flight to Omsk over virtually unknown territory. This stage of the journey cost £BOO for the 1700 miles. The travellers must . overtake the express which departed from Moscow 32 hours before their arrival there. "It has seldom been given to two men to experience the thrills and amazing sights we witnessed to-day," Messrs. Evans and Wells said in an interview. "The flight was particularly dangerous, over tens of millions of acres of forests. Oars was the first aeroplane to land at Krasnudimsk, and the entire population of 3000 turned out and offered us food and drink. A Fierce Electrical Storm. "From Krasnudimsk the country was frankly terrifying. It would have been impossible to land in case of an emergency, We ran into a fierce electrical storm, for three hours, lost our way, and at dusk landed at Kurgan, instead of at Omsk. "Everyone throughout Russia is apparently aware of our journey. Even the remotest villages are making smoke signals to guide us along the route. "We are almost dead from fatigue. Neither of us has slept since disembarking . from the Aquitania. Sleep is impossible in an aeroplane owing to the roughness of the weather." Messrs. Evans and Wells left Kurgan at 3.33 a.m. and arrived at Omsk at 10.16. The Commissariat of Communications at. Omsk has ordered the Trans-Siberian train, on which Messrs Evans'and Wells are travelling, to be rushed on to Harbin, where it is due to-morrow. A special train will be in readiness in the event, of an emergency. A later message states that Messrs. Evans and Wells have arrived at HansSiberia. They are more optimistic than at any time since the start, being well within their schedule time, and convinced that the chances are even that they will successfully encircle the globe. The various Languages present the chief difficulty, and they are compelled to wash their own garments. They have experienced co-operation and hospitality everywhere. They say they are convinced that the aeroplane is the safest and most comfortable means of transport.