(Additional news will follow as conditions demand...)
Wednesday, July 1st
Wiley Post finished his record flight around the world in a single-engine aircraft with a landing back here at Hazelhurst Field just outside New York City. The Winnie Mae flew a total of 15,474 miles in the record time of 8 days and 15 hours and 51 minutes. A ticker-tape parade is planned in Manhattan next week.
(Note: Changed the name of Roosevelt Field back to its original name of Hazelhurst Field since Quentin Roosevelt wasn’t killed in WW1, so the field could not be named after him.)
Thursday, August 6th
The airship Akron made its first mooring to the tender Patoka today in Chesapeake Bay. The Navy also announced that the Curtiss F9C “Sparrowhawk” has been chosen as an interim airship fighter until a dedicated scout plane can be developed. It is not considered the ideal design for the role, but it has the advantage of being able to fit through the hanger door in the airship’s belly. The F9C had been designed as a small fighter intended for use on carriers, but visibility problems lead the Navy to reject it as unsafe. The plane does not suffer from those problems when docking with an airship. The Navy hopes to have a dedicated airship scout plane ready for testing next year.
Monday, September 21st
The deteriorating situation in the Philippines and word that the plague there has spread to mainland Asia has American health officials deeply concerned. Surgeon General Hugh Cumming has ordered an emergency meeting of the nation’s top infectious and tropical disease experts in Washington later this week and plans are apparently under way to send a team to Manila to try and assist Filipino authorities fighting the disease. Meanwhile, U.S. naval vessels operating from Manila as part of anti-piracy efforts have relocated to Davao on Mindanao. There have been no signs of the illness among any U.S. military personnel. There is great concern for the many American civilians living in the Philippines but the embassy in Manila has not received any reports of Americans succumbing to the plague. All shipping to or from the Philippines and mainland Asia has been suspended. Vessels in transit have been ordered to return to their port of origin. Health officials are reported to be preparing a quarantine facility on Wake Island where Americans being evacuated from affected regions will be monitored before returning to the States.
Wall Street is taking news of the crisis in Asia especially hard. Companies doing trade in the Far East, especially shipping companies, are suffering serious losses and stocks overall are sharply down. Analysts fear that if the situation continues to deteriorate it could lead to a global financial crisis as international trade comes to a standstill. When asked about his concern over the disease spreading to the United States, the Surgeon-General said: “The probability of this disease crossing the Pacific is remote, and I am certain that America’s public health system will be ready in the unlikely event that it does.” One unnamed official here in the New York City Public Health Department was less optimistic. “The Iberian Influenza was horrific enough, but this…this is probably the most terrifying thing I’ve seen outside of the Book of Revelation. If this were to get loose in New York, or another major city, the death toll would be far beyond anything we could possibly imagine.”
Friday, September 25th
Surgeon General Cumming announced that a select team of specialists will depart for Manila this coming week aboard the battle cruiser Saratoga. The vessel will also be carrying a large quantity of gas warfare suits and equipment to set up laboratories to study the disease and hopefully find a cure. The warship is considered the fastest means to get the men and material to the Philippines. The airship Los Angeles is also being prepared for possible travel to Manila if needed, as are several seaplanes and their tenders. The airship tender Wright is being sent to Davao to act as a mooring site there. The airship Akron may also be transferred to the west coast if the situation calls for it and a liner is en route to Wake Island loaded with medical supplies to establish a quarantine center and hospital.
Tuesday, September 29th
The Goodyear-Zeppelin Los Angeles Airdock was officially completed today in a ceremony attended by numerous industry and military dignitaries. The ceremony concluded with the keel-laying of America’s first commercial airship, the Atlantic Clipper, which will be operated by Pan-American airlines in cooperation with Goodyear. Pan-Am president Juan Tripp and Goodyear president Litchfield riveted in a pair of golden rivets to the frame to officially mark the start of construction. Pan-Am also announced that it has reached an agreement with the Navy to allow use of the airship Los Angeles as a training vessel for crews, with an option to purchase the vessel outright once the airship Macon enters service next year. Casting a pall over the entire day’s festivities was concern over the terrible plague sweeping across Asia and its implications for international travel. Both Pan-Am and Goodyear have seen their stock prices drop after travel to Asia was suspended and over fears that the disease may spread beyond Asia. The airship Los Angeles was supposed to fly over the celebrations, but remained at Hoyt Field on stand-by for a possible flight to Manila to assist efforts to halt the disease.