There is no news from the Arctic regions to encourage
hopes for the missing men there. Two American flyers are also lost in Greenland, but their case is not yet desper- ate. The loss of another machine off the Pacific Coast of North America is feared, but not confirmed. On the other hand, a minor triumph of flying has been achieved. In order to save time in the delivery of mails the French vessel, Ile de France, has carried an amphibian which can take off from the deck with the aid of some extra mechani- cal propulsion on the principle of a catapult. On her last journeys across the Atlantic the special mails have thus left her before her arrival and been delivered in New York and Paris with considerable saving of time. There are obvious advantages in being able to pick the moment, the place and the weather for starting in the air. With all things favourable much time can be saved. In un- favourable circumstances danger can be avoided.
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