Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 235, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1913 — ARMY FLIER'S ACT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ARMY FLIER'S ACT

Carries Passengers 448 Miles in State of Texas.

Goes From Texas City to San Antonio and Back —Proves Need of Strong Construction for Aeroplane In Warfare.

New York.—“ Lieut. Milling has become one of the foremoat aviators of the world," said Maj. Gen. William H. Carter after reading the report of the great Texas City-San Antonio and return flight of Lieut. Thomas DeW. Milling, United States army. Milling broke all American records for a continuous flight with a passenger and proved that a country could be mapped by an observer in an aeroplane, even though the machine flew at an altitude of more than 1,000 feet and at a speed approximately a mile a minute. In making his report to the war department, Capt. A. S. Cowan, commanding the first aero squad, now on duty in Texas, of the troops mobilized at the time of the outbreaks in Mexico, called attention to two interesting facts—that Milling and Sherman had established a new American endurance record for pilot and passenger, as well as a new American distance record for pilot and passenger and that they came within 12 minutes of the world’s record for endurance. The distance between Texas City and San Antonio is 224 miles, and Milling covered the distance there and back, with only a short stop at San Antonio, at a speed of more than 55 miles an hour. The weather conditions were anything but good; yet despite all this, Lieut. Sherman, who is an engineer officer, was able to may in most creditable fashion practically the entire country between the two Texas cities. Brig.-Gen. Scriven, chief of the signal corps, has just made public the

report of Lieut. Milling and Lieut Sherman, in which for the first time the story of the fight is given. The Report, in part, says: "In going from Texas City to San Antonio left the ground at 2:15 p. m. March 28, 1913, in an east wind of 25 miles an hour. After circling the field for five minutes and attaining an altitude of 900 feet, started for San Antonio. It was originally intended to

make the flight by compass, verifying the course by prominent points. However, the air was extremely rough and so hazy that objects over two miles away could not be distinguished. Accordingly, after following a compass course west until the Santa Fe railroad was reached, at a point of five miles east of Algao, it was determined to follow this. The route followed passed through Algao, Areola, Richmond, Eagle Lake, Columbus, Flatonia and Lulling to Fort Sam Houston. We arrived over Fort Sam Houston at 5: 35 p. m. and continued circling the field until 6:37, when we landed. The total distance over the route followed is 224 miles, making an average velocity of 68.9 miles an hour. The total time in air was four hours and 22 min utes. "Minor repairs were made March 29, 1913, and it was intended to start back March 30, when weather conditions were unusually good, but the preliminary trial flight demonstrated the weakness of one skid and the return was postponed until March 31. The start was made on this date at 1:29 p. m. in a south-southeast wind of 20 miles an hour, which afterward shifted into south. The route followed was the same as in going over and the landing was made at Texas City at 5:17 p. m. The total tome in air was three hours and 57 minutes; the average velocity, 56 miles per hour. “The return trip demonstrated anew the necessity for having excess power. Our specifications seem severe and would Insure sufficient power under ideal weather conditions, but with a heavily laden machine and rough weather —the conditions we might normally find in war—the present excess of power is sufficient Though constantly endeavoring to climb, so much power was used in fighting gusts and down trends that an altitude of 1,600 feet was not gotten until practically the end of the trip.”

Gen. William H. Carter.