AtD pg. 1

[Robert Mahnke]

A southerly wind is one coming from the south (according to Merriam-Webster:
http://www.webster.com/dictionary/southerly), so they are coming from
somewhere south of Chicago.  The wind comes from "directly astern" (8).

 

Their speed is "a way better than a mile a minute," which "could put us into
Chicago before nightfall" (10).  They lift off in the "morning" (1).  So
that's several hours.  How many?  Since the Columbian Exposition had
"recently opened" (1), one might infer that it's May, 1893.  According to
Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_Exposition), the fair
officially opened on October 21, 1892, but the fairgrounds were not opened
to the public until May 1, 1893.  Sunset in Chicago in mid-May of this year
will be in the neighborhood of 8 o'clock.  I haven't read a whole lot
farther, so I don't know whether it's May or October.  In late October of
this year, sunset will be around 6 o'clock.  Which means that the Chums have
somewhere between six to twelve hours of flying time ahead of them, speaking
roundly: maybe 400 - 800 miles, depending on how long it will be until
sunset and just how fast they're going.

 

For reference, Nashville, Tennessee, is about 400 miles south (and a little
east) of Chicago.  Mobile, Alabama, is about 775 miles south of Chicago, on
the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Note also that "two weeks earlier" the Chums of Chance had been "beside a
black-water river of the Deep South," where they met Chick (7).

 

  _____  

From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On Behalf
Of rich
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 10:31 PM
To: Pynchon List
Subject: AtD pg. 1

 

we really don't know where the Chums are taking off from do we on their
flight to Chicago, only that they are taking a southerly wind so they must
be north of Chi-town, yes?

Rich

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