﻿500 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  A 
  SKETCH 
  MAP 
  SHOWING 
  THE 
  ROUTE 
  AND 
  LANDING 
  ElEEDS 
  OE 
  THE 
  FIRST 
  AIR 
  EXPEDITION 
  

  

  Stupendous 
  as 
  seemed 
  the 
  long 
  journey 
  

   before 
  us, 
  it 
  amounted 
  in 
  fact 
  only 
  to 
  a 
  

   succession 
  of 
  hops 
  from 
  place 
  to 
  place. 
  

   What 
  could 
  be 
  more 
  delightful 
  than 
  a 
  

   midsummer's 
  excursion 
  like 
  this 
  ! 
  Nome 
  

   and 
  the 
  Yukon 
  gold 
  fields 
  seemed 
  almost 
  

   in 
  sight. 
  

  

  I 
  was 
  awakened 
  abruptly 
  from 
  my 
  

   reverie 
  by 
  an 
  ugly 
  vision 
  ahead. 
  Above 
  

   the 
  palisades 
  of 
  the 
  Hudson 
  a 
  black 
  wall 
  

   of 
  fog 
  and 
  rain 
  intercepted 
  our 
  path. 
  

   The 
  pilots 
  behind 
  me 
  spread 
  apart 
  to 
  

   avoid 
  collisions, 
  as 
  we 
  entered 
  the 
  thick 
  

   atmosphere. 
  

  

  The 
  rain 
  clouds 
  hung 
  1,500 
  feet 
  above 
  

   the 
  earth. 
  I 
  climbed 
  up 
  to 
  get 
  above 
  

   them, 
  while 
  the 
  others 
  continued 
  steadily 
  

   ahead 
  into 
  the 
  rain. 
  Ten 
  minutes 
  after 
  

   we 
  had 
  left 
  Mitchel 
  Field 
  I 
  saw 
  the 
  last 
  

   of 
  my 
  companions 
  for 
  the 
  time 
  being. 
  

  

  For 
  an 
  hour 
  and 
  twenty 
  minutes 
  I 
  flew 
  

   through 
  the 
  most 
  bitter 
  rain-storm 
  I 
  have 
  

   ever 
  encountered. 
  I 
  climbed 
  to 
  9,000 
  feet 
  

  

  and 
  still 
  there 
  was 
  no 
  top 
  to 
  the 
  storm. 
  

   Hail-stones 
  smote 
  me 
  at 
  that 
  high, 
  cold 
  

   level, 
  at 
  the 
  speed 
  of 
  one 
  hundred 
  miles 
  

   an 
  hour. 
  Knowing 
  this 
  barrage 
  would 
  

   splinter 
  the 
  propeller, 
  strip 
  the 
  wings, 
  

   and 
  seriously 
  injure 
  the 
  machine, 
  I 
  cut 
  

   off 
  the 
  motor 
  and 
  dropped 
  down 
  below 
  

   the 
  clouds 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  a 
  suitable 
  landing 
  

   place 
  on 
  which 
  to 
  wait 
  out 
  the 
  storm. 
  As 
  

   the 
  earth 
  came 
  into 
  view 
  below 
  the 
  clouds, 
  

   I 
  recognized 
  the 
  country 
  and 
  found 
  I 
  was 
  

   just 
  south 
  of 
  Scranton, 
  Pennsylvania. 
  

  

  Farther 
  along 
  I 
  noted 
  a 
  field 
  yet 
  un- 
  

   touched 
  by 
  the 
  storm. 
  It 
  was 
  near 
  Elm- 
  

   hurst, 
  Pennsylvania, 
  and 
  I 
  determined 
  to 
  

   land. 
  

  

  machine 
  settled 
  

  

  SMASHING 
  AN 
  AXEE 
  

  

  Five 
  minutes 
  later 
  my 
  

   down 
  into 
  the 
  hay 
  field 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Benny 
  

   Troop, 
  sunk 
  deep 
  into 
  the 
  luxuriant 
  grass, 
  

   and 
  struck 
  a 
  hidden 
  ditch. 
  The 
  axle 
  of 
  

   my 
  landing 
  gear 
  snapped 
  and 
  the 
  machine 
  

  

  