Space Felt as Time
RACING THE MOON (AND WINNING). By John Henry Mears. (Henckle.)
[ ? ERING ] what human val-[?] grow out of social contacts[?] that the brute fact of dis-[?] was from the beginning theimpediment to the making of[?] contacts, it is probable that[?] important fundamental[?] to our present conception [?] world is that by which the [?] of distance is being trans-[?] from the category of space [?] of time. The first circum-[?] of the globe was con-[?] wholly with the space con-[?] Time did not count, for [?] was a matter of managing [?] to complete the journey [?] and the planet.
When the late Joseph Pulitzer [?] Nellie Bly around the world [?] at the imaginary record of the [?] Mr. Fogg by eight days, [?] something far more important than [?] sensational news story was in the [?] In 1890, George Francis [?] cut five more days from the [?] Eleven years afterward, Charles Fitzmorris later Chicago’s Chief of Police, lowered the record [?] a week. In 1907 Col. Burnley [?] Campbell made the trip in 54 days, [?] to the Trans-Siberian Railroad, then recently opened to traf-[?] In 1913 the record stood at [?] days, 19 hours, until John [?] Mears lowered it to 35 [?] Thirteen years passed. Then [?] Wells and Edward Evans [?] [ ? aged ] to cut nearly a week from [?] time, and thereby hangs the thrilling tale that is told in the volume here noted.
Mears, unwilling to accept de-[?] decided immediately upon an-[?] effort, and for the greater [?] of the next two years he was [?] aged in arranging the many de-[?] which resulted in his success [?] July. This time, however, [?] inspired by a far more ex-[?] [ ? ive ] idea than that of beating[?] man. He would run a race[?] no less august a contestant [?] the moon herself, who, for [?] millions of years, has been managing the trip regularly in about[?] weeks. As many will remem-[?] in spite of the fact that six [?] ago is almost ancient his-[?] these times, the celestial [?] [ ? nted ] under the wire five [?] too late for the money. [?] stirring a marvelous tale [?] Mr. Mears has to tell of his [?] [ ? rush ] around the planet with [?] late lamented Capt. Collyer, [?] one of the pluckiest fliers [?] ever handed a joy stick, and [?] dog, “Tail Wind.” who [?] [ ? bated ] far more than his [?] to the adventure. There [?] moments in the narrative of [?] five-day flight across Europe [?] Asia that take one’s breath—[?]blind fight with the storm [?] the Ural crags, the crossing [?] lonely Siberian Wastes in [?] clinging twilight of high [?] the two-mile-a-minute [?] the Gobi Desert and Baikal, the desperate groping in the fog by night for Yokohama, found barely in the nick of time.
“Racing the Moon” is a book worth reading, and after enjoying it one might well lay it away for reference in that time when men shall girdle the planet at thrice the lunar pace. Considering the performance of the tri-motored Fokker, “Question Mark,” that exploit may not be far off.
