﻿THE 
  FIRST 
  ALASKAN 
  AIR 
  EXPEDITION 
  

  

  511 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  U. 
  S. 
  Air 
  Service 
  

  

  FARGO, 
  THE 
  METROPOLIS 
  OF 
  NORTH 
  DAKOTA, 
  TWO 
  AND 
  A 
  HALF 
  HOURS 
  BY 
  AIR 
  

   NORTHWEST 
  OF 
  MINNEAPOLIS 
  

  

  the 
  Speedway, 
  in 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  which 
  

   circle 
  was 
  the 
  airdrome. 
  

  

  Four 
  miles 
  south 
  of 
  Minneapolis 
  and 
  

   four 
  miles 
  west 
  of 
  St. 
  Paul, 
  this 
  landing 
  

   field, 
  smooth 
  of 
  surface, 
  free 
  of 
  obstacles, 
  

   and 
  ample 
  in 
  dimensions, 
  will 
  prove 
  a 
  

   boon 
  to 
  commercial 
  aviation 
  and 
  will 
  

   place 
  the 
  Twin 
  Cities 
  well 
  in 
  advance 
  of 
  

   their 
  rivals 
  when 
  this 
  important 
  develop- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  air 
  transportation 
  gets 
  under 
  

   way. 
  

  

  My 
  little 
  flight 
  closed 
  up 
  into 
  close 
  

   formation, 
  and 
  thus 
  we 
  circled 
  the 
  race- 
  

   track's 
  2^ 
  -mile 
  course 
  before 
  landing. 
  

  

  The 
  people 
  of 
  the 
  Twin 
  Cities 
  are 
  en- 
  

   thusiastic 
  over 
  aviation. 
  They 
  applied 
  

   for 
  and 
  obtained 
  an 
  aerial 
  mail 
  service 
  by 
  

   agreeing 
  to 
  furnish 
  accommodation 
  for 
  

   the 
  mail 
  airplanes. 
  

  

  The 
  country 
  surrounding 
  these 
  cities 
  is 
  

   ideal 
  for 
  flying, 
  landing 
  fast 
  airplanes 
  

   being 
  possible 
  almost 
  anywhere 
  without 
  

   danger 
  of 
  disaster. 
  The 
  Aviators' 
  Club 
  

   and 
  the 
  Chamber 
  of 
  Commerce 
  confi- 
  

  

  dently 
  expect 
  that 
  their 
  airdrome 
  here 
  

   will 
  become 
  the 
  aeronautical 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  

   middle 
  northwest. 
  

  

  We 
  were 
  now 
  about 
  to 
  leave 
  the 
  busy 
  

   centers 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  for 
  the 
  wilds 
  

   of 
  Canada. 
  It 
  was 
  with 
  especial 
  care 
  

   that 
  we 
  looked 
  over 
  the 
  airplanes 
  that 
  

   were 
  to 
  carry 
  us 
  ever 
  farther 
  away 
  from 
  

   the 
  source 
  of 
  supplies. 
  

  

  For 
  two 
  days 
  severe 
  storms 
  raged 
  about 
  

   the 
  region 
  of 
  Fargo, 
  North 
  Dakota, 
  which 
  

   was 
  to 
  be 
  our 
  next 
  landing 
  place. 
  We 
  

   improved 
  the 
  time, 
  therefore, 
  in 
  polish- 
  

   ing 
  up 
  motors 
  and 
  strengthening 
  ma- 
  

   chines. 
  

  

  MINNESOTA 
  AND 
  DAKOTA 
  LANDSCAPES 
  

   FROM 
  THE 
  AIR 
  

  

  At 
  1 
  1 
  :47 
  a. 
  m. 
  on 
  July 
  24 
  we 
  bade 
  our 
  

   hosts 
  of 
  new 
  friends 
  good-by, 
  and 
  left 
  

   the 
  hospitable 
  ground 
  of 
  the 
  Twin 
  Cities 
  

   behind 
  us. 
  With 
  a 
  10-mile 
  wind 
  across 
  

   our 
  line 
  of 
  flight, 
  we 
  set 
  a 
  course 
  for 
  

   Fargo, 
  225 
  miles 
  distant. 
  

  

  