|
| Edição de RPires em metaficcão gráfica |
by R. Pires This illustrious Brazilian was born on April 15, 1892 in Camocim, Brazil. Son of Antonio Pinto Martins and Dona Maria do Carmo Araújo Martins, he graduated in engineering from the Drexel Institute of Philadelphia. Euclides Pinto Martins was married twice. His first wife was Gertrudes Mac Miller. Tragically, shortly after he graduated, she died. As a result of her untimely death, our hero required a number of years to heal his wounds. However, when the pain had finally subsided, he once again fell victim to cupid's arrows and married, this time with a lawyer, Adelaide Sullivan. His passion was aviation and he dreamed of the crossing of the Atlantic between the U.S.A. and Brazil. From our current view, this does not seem to have been much of a feat, the gigantic Jumbo airplanes make this passage daily, with hundreds of passengers on board. However, the equipment that Euclides Pinto Martins had was not adequate for trips over such great distances. especially over the ocean. In spite this, the youngsters were courageous adventurers. Therefore on August 17, 1922 they had left New York enroute to Brazil piloting a hydroplane that weighed some 8,000 kilos with two engines of 400 HP. This flying machine was provided by the American Navy even though the aviators were considered to be reckless. The airplane was baptized with the name of Sampaio Correia. After their departure from New York, by 3:00 in the afternoon they had reached the coast of Cuba. Surprised by a storm, they had to make a forced landing in the sea. (Well, in truth, they had escaped from the hydroplane as it sank to the bottom!) Miraculously they had survived and were rescued by an American ship. The trip might have ended there, had it not been for the newspaper, "The New York Word". It was sufficiently interested in the news article that it provided them with another identical airplane that was named "Sampaio Correia II". They still had some problems, but finally on December 19, 1922, four months later, they landed in Camocim, Euclide's birthplace, about 12:30 in the afternoon. They passed the rest of the day there at a party, which was held in the Sport Club. They left the following morning enroute to Fortaleza, Aracati, Recife, Salvador, Victory and, finally Rio De Janeiro where they arrived on February 8, 1923. They were welcomed and honored enthusiastically by the city officials and by the populace as well. There you have it my friends, a brief overview of the trip made by Euclides Pinto Martins that extended over a period of seven months. |
|