AIRWAYS EXPEDITION

Southland Times, Issue 25385, 12 September 1935, Page 6

AIRWAYS EXPEDITION

PROSPECTIVE PACIFIC ROUTE. DEPARTURE FROM HONOLULU. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) Honolulu, Sept. 9. An airways expedition, which is making a survey of an Antipodes route, left Honolulu to-day aboard the American coastguard cutter Itasca for Jarvis, Baker and Howland Islands. Seven Hawaiians aboard will replace the crews left on those islands four months ago to make daily weather reports. The expedition is under the direction of the United States Department of Commerce Aviation Bureau and includes Mr J. Walter Doyle, Collector of Customs at Honolulu; Lieutenant C. W. Johnson, a veteran navy airman who plotted the course of Mrs Amelia Earhart’s Pacific flight; Captain H. A. Meyer, who is in charge of the technical equipment; Captain M. B. Durette, with four army technical experts as assistants; Mr William T. Miller, Hawaii agent of the Department of Commerce; and Mr L. Fullardice, owner of Palmyra Island. The expedition took 3000 gallons of drinking water and canned supplies, indicating that studies along the prospective air route will continue for several months. Commander W. N. Derby said the Itasca would return to Honolulu in October, calling at Kingman’s reef to survey a large area suitable for seaplanes. This is the Itasca’s third survey along the route. Dr Dana Coman in the yacht Kinkajou has set up radio stations and three American camps. Dr Coman will come to Honolulu in October after visiting Fanning and Christmas Islands and possibly others. He expects Mr Harold Gatty to join him for a tour of these islands.