The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-12
PORTE DENIES HALT
IN OVERSEE FLIGHT
SilcnccS RumOr i'm Cable Mes
sage to LOndOn-NO
Change in Plans.

HAMMoNDsroRT. y. Y, July l1.-An-
other day passed In Experimenting with
the transatlantic lier America. She flew
a little this morning with pontoons for
hydroplane surface but with these re-
moved and fins substituted she did not
get Off the water tonight
To-day was practically wasted" Mr.
Curtiss said. However. we know lot
of things that will not get her off the
water and we are bound to hit on some
thing sooner or later that will.
I'VE will make further alterations In
these fins tonight. We will go right
on experimenting along this line. We
know we are on the right track"
The attempts to fly tonight We're fail
ures. large automobile crowd that
had collected in Hammondsport for the
week end went away disguised.
The experiments may go on for weeks
longer. in the belief OF many here, yet
Mr.. Curtiss may any day hit upon de-
vice that will waterplanc the America
with her 5000 pounds and push her up
into the air When success does come it
will come quick. and then she will he
, ovorhauled and rushed to Newfoundland.
Lieut.. Porte sent the following cable
gram to the London Daily Mail, which IL
owned by Lord Northclffe, offeror OF the
$4,000 prize for a transatlantic flight:
Informed rumors circulating Eng
land Rodman Wanamaker flight been
abandoned These entirely without
foundation. Delay caused by dfi-
cultics raising such heavy load clear
| Of water. solution certain early date
Weight carrying qualities and be-
havior in air beyond expectation.
PORTE
! Lieut. Forte had been Informed that his
/ intention to fly across the Atlantic had
been questioned In England. lie hopes
the cablegram will correct any such i'm
preston that the delay may have occa-
stoned.
! The America, with Lieut.. Porte and
George Hallett in the pilot scat, hydro
planned and left the water for a short
flight this morning, carrying n load OF
l 100 pounds This is about 1000 pounds
less than the load required for the trans
atlantic flight
/ The hull was fitted with the same four
teen foot pontoons that failed to raise
| the America yesterday. but they were sci
at different angle. Further changes In
the hydroplauc surfaces were considered
necessary.
After the flight Elmer \. Sperry, in
ventor of the aeroplane stabilizer. and
/ Capt. T., Creagh- Osborne. superintendent
of compasscs Of the British Admiralty, go'
into the America for glide over the lake
surface. Lieut.. Porte did not attempt &c
take them into the air
Sperry. who arrived from New Yorl
this morning. called Curtisss attention &c
a vibration OF the engine struts, which
he said caused loss of power besides weak
ening the structure. Curtiss said this
would be remeded before the Amc lea
was shipped to Newfoundland. SperrS
also made some tests of the drift record
ing instrument he designed for the Amer
lea. This instrument can be improved. he
believes
Sperry said he would do all in his
mower to get a stablizer ready In time To-
installation in the AmerlS,, but he doubted
II It would he possible. The only avail
able stabilizer at the present time he
said, was the one used Dy Nuplph l'outre
in France, The stablllzers ordered for
the navy must he made before the ma
chine for Lieut.. Porte, unless the Navy
Department can be induced to allow the
Americas stablizer 10 be shipped first.
Capt f. Creagh- Osborne, who, Sperry
says, is probably the foremost navigator
in the world to-day completed the in
stallatlon OF the Americas compass this
morning. This compass was designed by
Capt. Osborne and Is as large as AZ
ordinary ships compass. 1t weighs Mint
and half pounds.
The compass is not gimballed, but /
will stand a fifteen degree angle. TIT
America in fight does not vary more thar
nve degrees from an even keel. The care
OF the compass is magnified two and {
half times In a mirror In front OF tn
aviator and there Is a small electric ligh
TO illuminate the card.
Capt Osborne told THE Sun representa-
tive that be believed Lieut., Porte woulC
have little difficulty In steering By com
pass -