South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-07-06
Lieut.. John C. Porte, Who Will
Pilot "The America" Tells
What He'll Do if the Flying
Boat Goes to the Bottom.
By NixoIa Greeley-smith.

NEW YORK. July Eff Lieut.. J.
G. Porte doesn't succeed in crossing
the Atlantic in the aeroplane Amer
lea, then nobody ever will
This is my opinion after talking
with the modest young Irishman who
is about to attempt the first oversee
flight from America to Europe, thus
returning via aeroplane the first So
cial call made by Christopher COlum-
bus
- He has just given me an exclusive
interview. I made a special arrange
ment with the New York World, to
whom Porte is under contract.
One of the first things Lieut.. Porte
told me is that he is Irish, not Eng
lish, as some American papers have
assumed just because he holds a COM
mission in the British army.
He Was Born i'm Cork
Il was born in Cork. Nothing could
be more Irish than that" he re-
marked.
And I thought, being frivolous
minded. that if any man could float
TO immortal fame in a fiying-boat, it
would be a man from Cork, For
there's nothing like having a birth
place that's a whole life-preserver in
itself,"
There is but one danger In this
an aerODlane," said the neuCenant.
That's the Atlantic itself! III we
should have an accident To the mo-
TOR and the waves should break up
our boat, II would be imposs' bic for
as 20 attract the attention Of a shin
that might rescue us.
I'VE shall carry rockets in the boat,
of course, but you can't send up
rockets, you know. when you're
swimming around in the Atlantic!"
The young man who will be
known to history as the Flying Irish
man merely chuckled to himself at
the absurdity of expecting a rescue,
once his winged boat had crushed its
life out in a pounding sea.
No Girl to Leave Behind.
You expect to succeed, though"
said. You don't anticipate fail
ure?"
II hope to succeed" the young Of
ficer replied. Of he does he will win
a $4,000 prize offered by the Lon
don Daily Mail)
Are you married ?" I inquired.
You see I just had TO know about the
girl he will leave behind him when
he starts on his peTilous flight
Not so far as l know" replied the
aeroplanist. "and ] think I would
know don't you? If l succeed. there
will be no woman to share my sue
-cess. If 1 fail-well, no one else will
be the loser by it,
The America will be a sort OF
bachelors hall during the fight,
won't it? Who is going TO do YOUR
housekeeping while you're afioat over
the Atlantic?" 1 inquired.
Wen take turns at that" IJeut
Porte replied 'ThereH be two of
us. you know. and one man will steer
while the other takes a bite Of some
thing"
What will thee something be?"
Tells What They'll Eat.
Well carry not coffee in thermos
hotties and quantities of fresh eggs
ana some tabloid foods for emer-
gencles-in the event of an accident.
you know. I won't say that there
may not be a little champagne in the
thermos bottles. as well as coffeei''
The ieutenant's clear blue eyes
tWlnkled as he said this. and 1 gave
sigh of relief, l should hate to think
or Secy. Daniels grape-tuice or
der being enforced in the aerial navy,
We expect 10 make the fight from
-. Johns. Newfoundland. TO the
Azores in 90 hours" he added. and
there we shall take on fresh food sup
pIles and more gasoline. We will
carry mattresses so that one Of us at
a time may rest a bit From the
Azores Wei fly towards Spain. stop
ping at Nigo, near the Portuguese
coast. Then. after renewing our sun
plies. We begin the last fight 10 Plv-
mouth harbOr."
That Will mean victory" I said
"an American victory Don't Won
mind winning a victory for another
country"
An international Enterprise.
NO" said Lieut. Porte. You see
it's an American sereplane, steered