The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-17

Original plans were for the planes to
land at Ponta Delgada. Fog evidently
caused Commander Read to land at
Horta, and officials here assumed that
after taking fuel from the cruiser Co
lumbia he would continue to Ponta Del
gada to spend the night before. taking
flight for Lisbon, Portugal, on the next
leg Of the overseas voyage tomorrow
morning.
Commander Read reached Horta
some hours ahead Of the schedule time
for the flight, officials having estimated
that 20 hours would be required for
the seaplanes to reach Ponta Delgada,
Had he continued to that port at the
speed maintained throughout the long
voyage. Commander Read would have
covered the 1850 miles in q little more
than II hours.
Tho fact that the NC-4 was the first
Of the three planes to reach the Azores
drew comment from naval officers here.
This ship was the lame duck OF the
division from the time it started from
Rockaway Beach, Long Island. Three
the ship to the Azores were installed
after it left Rockaway because of trou-
bel with the oroginal motors.
Commander Read was forced to land
at Chatham Light, Mass, on the first
leg of his flight to Newfoundland He
repairing. He was again forced to make
q landing on the way from Halifax to
5'repassey to make repairs, and at Tre-
passey another new motor was put in
the plane before it started overseas.
Despite these handicaps the NC-4 led
the way to the Azores practically all
night
The machine which will achieve the
distinction OF being first to cross the
Atlantic ocean will be that which ar
rives first at Lisbon. Portugal, the first
European landing place of the flight
and starting point OF the last leg to
Plymouth. England.
Broke No Records.
While the performance of the NC,4
Is viewed as the most spectacular avi-
alton achievement In the history of
heavier thanair craft, Commander
Read has not equalled the American ca,
tance in seaplane flying The great
ness of the achievement, 1t was said,
lies in the fact that 1t was entirely
overseas.
II. B. Grow piloted the navy seaplane
tnuous flight in the vicinity Of iamp,
ton Roads, Va, covering total OF
1880 miles.
The American seaplanes--the NC-3,
NC-1 and NC-4---started just before
sunset yesterday from Trepassey Bay,
N. f., on the first attempt ever made
by mar TO cross the Atlantic ocean
through the air.
Messages sent by the "CoIumbuses Of
tho air" from plane to plane and to
the destroyers that lined the 1,350-mile
route to the Azores. the end of the first
lap. were intercepted by the Cape
Race n. FL radio station, relayed TO
the American naval radio station at
Bar Harbor Me-, and thence sent to
the navy department. These messages
showed the three planes to be making
excellent time and indicated that all
was going well.
Because of the fact the machines had
been making much faster time than
was expected, navy officers here be-
lieved the fleet might reach its desti-
nation considerably uerore noon. Their
messages showed they were averag-
ing about S5 miles an hour
While most officers at the navy de-
pa-tment felt little anxiety, some were
disturbed by the fact that their mes
sages did not come through regularly
during the early morning. The only
explanation was that cable communi-
cation between the Azores and the
United States probably had been in
terrupted.
In Formation.
When the seaplanes passed over sta
tion ship No. IL at 2:36 a. m. they were
flying in close formation. While only
the NC-4 was mentioned in the Ponta
Delgada message received at 4;30, It
was the belief of navy officials that all
three of the planes passed destroyer
No IA together.
From the time tho aerial voyagers
left Trepassey bay shortly after
o'clock Friday evening until they had
passed destroyer No. IL, more than
600 miles out in the Atlantic, radio
stations on this coast were able to trace
the progress by Intercepted radio mes-
sages exchanged between their COM
manders and with the Cape Race radlo
station and destroyers stationed along
the route.
The powerful government station at
otter cliff, near Bar Harbor, Maine,
kept the navy department constantly
informed regarding the dash for more
than hours. Although the radio ap-
paratus on board the seaplanes was
only designed for radius of abut $50
miles, the Maine station was able to
intercept messages exchanged between
the planes when they we're more than
1900 miles distant. This was declared
by expert radio officers at the depart-
ment to be one of the most surprising
features of the epochal undertaking.
When the flight was planned it was
expected radio stations on this side
would not be able to hear Commander
Towers messages after his squadron
was 200 miles at sea.
The seaplanes passed station ship
No. 6, the destroyer Ward. 300 miles
r0V n