﻿508 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  U. 
  S. 
  Air 
  Service 
  

   THE) 
  MISSISSIPPI 
  RIVKR 
  NORTH 
  OF 
  WINONA 
  

  

  Again 
  we 
  were 
  overwhelmed 
  with 
  in- 
  

   vitations 
  and 
  kindnesses 
  by 
  the 
  citizens 
  

   and 
  aviators, 
  who 
  came 
  out 
  to 
  the 
  field 
  to 
  

   welcome 
  lis. 
  We 
  remained 
  on 
  the 
  field 
  

   until 
  io 
  p. 
  m., 
  carefully 
  grooming 
  our 
  air- 
  

   planes 
  for 
  the 
  next 
  day's 
  flight. 
  Then 
  

   we 
  were 
  free 
  to 
  avail 
  ourselves 
  of 
  the 
  

   hospitality 
  of 
  Grand 
  Rapids. 
  

  

  SAILING 
  7,000 
  FEET 
  ABOVE) 
  LAKE} 
  

   MICHIGAN 
  

  

  At 
  II 
  o'clock 
  next 
  morning 
  all 
  Grand 
  

   Rapids 
  was 
  assembled 
  around 
  the 
  field 
  to 
  

   see 
  us 
  take 
  off. 
  We 
  left 
  the 
  ground 
  at 
  

   thirty-second 
  intervals, 
  taking 
  off 
  across 
  

   the 
  wind 
  and 
  down 
  the 
  race-track, 
  which 
  

   circled 
  the 
  field 
  on 
  which 
  we 
  had 
  landed. 
  

   We 
  climbed 
  to 
  2,000 
  feet 
  and 
  got 
  into 
  

   formation. 
  

  

  Setting 
  a 
  course 
  of 
  284 
  degrees 
  for 
  

   Winona, 
  Minnesota, 
  and 
  with 
  an 
  east 
  wind 
  

   blowing 
  15 
  miles 
  an 
  hour, 
  we 
  left 
  Grand 
  

   Rapids 
  behind 
  us, 
  and 
  twenty 
  minutes 
  

   later 
  found 
  ourselves 
  above 
  Grand 
  Haven, 
  

   on 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  Lake 
  Michigan. 
  Visi- 
  

   bility 
  was 
  not 
  good, 
  a 
  ground 
  mist 
  limit- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  view 
  to 
  a 
  10-mile 
  radius. 
  

  

  We 
  had 
  reached 
  an 
  altitude 
  of 
  7,000 
  

   feet 
  as 
  we 
  approached 
  the 
  lake, 
  so 
  that 
  

  

  in 
  case 
  of 
  motor 
  trouble 
  we 
  might 
  have 
  

   a 
  longer 
  distance 
  to 
  glide 
  before 
  reaching 
  

   the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  From 
  this 
  ele- 
  

   vation 
  the 
  De 
  Haviland 
  can 
  glide, 
  with 
  

   dead 
  motor, 
  to 
  any 
  point 
  within 
  eight 
  or 
  

   nine 
  miles. 
  

  

  Four 
  ships 
  were 
  sighted 
  as 
  we 
  crossed 
  

   the 
  lake, 
  and, 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  imagined, 
  we 
  kept 
  

   each 
  ship 
  fondly 
  in 
  view 
  as 
  we 
  listened 
  

   for 
  unusual 
  sputterings 
  from 
  our 
  motors. 
  

   An 
  hour 
  and 
  ten 
  minutes 
  flying 
  over 
  water 
  

   brought 
  us 
  above 
  Port 
  Washington, 
  on 
  

   the 
  west 
  shore 
  of 
  Lake 
  Michigan. 
  

  

  At 
  this 
  juncture, 
  and 
  just 
  as 
  I 
  was 
  feel- 
  

   ing 
  particularly 
  pleased 
  with 
  having 
  

   placed 
  behind 
  us 
  the 
  widest 
  body 
  of 
  water 
  

   to 
  be 
  crossed 
  on 
  the 
  voyage, 
  I 
  noticed 
  

   that 
  the 
  indicator 
  on 
  my 
  dash-board 
  did 
  

   not 
  show 
  any 
  air 
  pressure. 
  I 
  signaled 
  

   my 
  mechanic 
  to 
  fly 
  the 
  machine 
  while 
  I 
  

   seized 
  the 
  hand 
  pump, 
  and 
  the 
  balance 
  of 
  

   the 
  distance 
  to 
  Winona 
  I 
  pumped 
  vigor- 
  

   ously 
  to 
  maintain 
  the 
  flow 
  of 
  gas. 
  Thus 
  

   we 
  continued 
  with 
  undiminished 
  speed 
  

   until 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  was 
  

   reached 
  and 
  the 
  little 
  town 
  of 
  Winona 
  

   was 
  sighted, 
  nestling 
  between 
  the 
  hills. 
  

   Here 
  I 
  took 
  control 
  of 
  the 
  airplane 
  and 
  

   made 
  the 
  landing 
  on 
  the 
  reserve 
  tank. 
  

  

  