The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-05-09
MISSING PLANE
TOWED TO PORT.
Hydroairplane NC-4 Forced to
Land Because Of Engine
Trouble.
SECOND HOP-0FF DELAYED
NC-1 and NOS Await News
of NC-4 Before Starting
for Trepassy, N.F.

day. after having been compelled to
land yesterday after engine trouble
while on the first leg of the trans
atlantic night. probably will resume
the trip to Halifax tomorrow, accord
ing to naval officials. Two OF her four
engines were out of order, but mech
anicians expected to be able to make
repairs quickly.
Commander Read said he reached
Chatham light at 1850 o'clock this
morning with two of the four motors
Of his plane out of commission.
viii Proceed on Flight.
Washington, May s.-Lieut.- Com.
A. c. Read, commanding the naval
seaplane NC-4, telephoned the navy
department today from Chatham,
Mass, that two days would be re-
quired to repair the disabled motors
which forced his plane to descend
yesterday while on the first leg of
the transatlantic flight. He said when
the engines were again in running
order he would proceed to New
Foundland to join the MI and NC-s
Second Hop TO BE 460 Miles.
Halifax. n. s.. May 9.--Departure
of the. United States naval seaplanes
NC-1 and NC-3 on the, second leg of
the trans Atlantic flight, a 460-mile
hope to Trepassy. N. F., was delayed
early today pending receipt of news
from the NC-l, which dropped out
Of sight early yesterday before the
two leading planes sighted Seal
island. (Word that the NC-4 had
been found Off Cape Cod and towed
into Chatham, Mass, harbor had not
reached Halifax when this dispatch
was filed.)
Commander John H. Towers said
he would not announce the resump-
ton of the air voyage today until he
had heard from Lieutenant Com
mander Read, of the missing sea-
plane, and had received the latest
weather reports from off Trepassy. If
the NC-4 is unable to resume the
fight to Halifax today the two sis
ter ships will leave without her.
Weather conditions were distinctly
favorable for fying off Halifax this
morning. The sun is shining. only
moderate westerly wind is blowing
during the night disappeared shortly
after dawn.
All in Excellent Spirits.
Chatham, Mass, May ID. N. 81
With one of her motors clogged
with oil and with her radio out of
commission, the giant plane was
forced to take the water late yester-
daY. She came down at a point about
sixty miles off the coast, due east of
the tip of Cape Cod
Despite a night in the seaplane. all
aboard the plane were in excellent
spirits. After minor repairs are made
in the radio outfit, the NC-4 will pro-
ceed back to Rockaway Beach for
repairs on her badly running motor
Weather conditions favorable, naval
officials said the plane would again
take of" from Long Island for Hall
fax.
The men in NC-4 were pleased
when they got the news that their
companions in the seaplanes NC-1
and NC-3o had reached Halifax in
safety.
The NC-4 was commanded by
Lieutenant Commander A. G. Reod, |
of Lyme, n. H.
Others aboard follow: Plot-Lieu- |
tenant B. F. Stone, of Livonia, N. Y;
Lieutenant ]. G. Walter Hinton, |
of Van Vert, o.; Radio Operator
Ensign H. c. Rodd, of Cleveland:
Engineer Chief Special Mechanic r. |
II. Howard, of Cutchogue, l.. l.; Re-
serve Pilot Engineer j. l.. Breese, |
New York
To Fly Back to Roekaway.
Immediately after breakfast they |
began the work of repairing the dis
abled motor They will fly back to
Rockaway Beach for complete re
pairs on the motor. Weather con-
ditions favorable, they will try 10
Jump off" Rockaway Beach and ct |
tempt TO catch up with their COM
panions in the seaplanes NC-1 and |
NC-3. which completed thu voyage |
from Rockaway to Halifax without |
trouble. Lieut. Commander Read |
said ne hoped to catch up with the !
other two planes "at Trepassy, n. r." |
United States destrcyers sent out !
to locate the missing seaplane, did !
not succeed in finding her. The |
NC-4 came into this harbor this |
morning. Radio Operator Ensign IL. |
c. Rodd. of Cleveland, o., said that !
they had tried all night TO pick I'D !
the NC-4 by wireless, but could not J
get her wave length. without see |
Ing a light all night the NC-4 held /
her course on the water for Chatham |
harbor
Everyone aboard is tired and |
hungry. but in Al condition" said |
an officer of the plane. I'VE are de- |
termined to cross the ocean and this !
motor trouble does not discourage us |
in the least
The officer explained that the only
trouble experienced by the NC-4 !
was in one Of her four motors
Were Travelling at rs Miles an Hour.
I'VE were travelling along about |
1000 feet up at the rate OF about
seventy-five miles an hour" he said,
when the oil in the motor became
overheated. This put the whole
works out Of gear We made tenn
porary repairs but It was no use.
When we got 100 miles off Cape Cod,
we hal to come down. The sea was
smooth and we had no trouble in
making the water. We mapped out
a course to the naval air station at
Chatham and came along without
much trouble"
NC-4 Nicknamed Nancy"
NC-4 was nicknamed Nancy bv
the naval fliers. She was first
sighted at 5.14 o'clock this morning
by coast guardsmen at station No. 4.
The plane was then a mile and
half off Chatham bar. Slowly the
plane came UP to the beach.
Aboard Cruiser Baltimore.
The crews of the NC-1 and NC-3
remained aboard the United States
cruiser Baltimore, their supply ship,
all night. They retired early and