The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-11-26

The second and formal visit to Mem
phis Of the u. S. navy's historic sea-
plane, NC-4, was expected to begin at
2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, when
the great aquatic airplane was to ar
rive from Cairo, ILL.,, with Lieut.. Com
mander A. C. Read, skipper on the
trans Atlantic flight, In command.
The craft will arrive day late, be-
cause Of collision with a rock in the
Mississippi river, off Hannibal, Mo-.
which ripped four-inch square hole
In the hull and necessitated a days
work to patch 1t.
Commander Read and his fellow Off
GERS and men were to be met on the
levee and welcomed to Memphis by a
reception committee from the Chamber
OF Commerce headed by Mayor elect
Rowlett Paine and G, r. Schlecht, chair
man Of the entertainment committee,
The chambers committee will be ac-
companied by a committee of former
Memphis military and naval aviators,
headed by Lieut., Louis Carruthers,
The NC-4 will make a nonstop flight
from Cairo, Its schedule calling for de-
parture from that city directly after
noon.
A list of those accompanying Com
mander Read In the giant seaplane,
given out by Lieut. +. ID. Halbert, u S.
N r, r., advance agent for the NC-4,
contains the following: Lieut.. w. Hin
ton, pilot; Lieut. p, Talbot, pilot; Lieut.,
Boatswain L. Moore, engineer officer
and six or eight enlisted men. The Of
ficers and one or two OF the enlisted
men are the same who accompanied
Commander Read when he naylgated
his craft on the first trip by air across
the Atlantic ocean.
Lieut.. Halbert and Mr.. Schlecht have
vnI WINE M fin hA
party Of aviation officers and men dur
ing their stay here.
The NC-4 will remain in Memphis
until Saturday Just after noon, when II
will take off for a flight to Helena,
|, Ark, the next stopping place. Through
out the time the seaplane Is here II
will be moored near the foot of Madi-
by the public.
Lieut.. Halbert and Mr.. Schlecht have
mapped out tentative program cover
ing the stay here, This includes an
automobile parade by Commander Read
and his crew through Main street FRI
Commander G. n. Weichelt OF the an
tisubmarine flotilla conveying the NC-i,
the Cob" band. and members Of the
local and travelling recruiting force OF
the navy.
Friday evening the Chamber of Com
merco Will give u banquet at tne Hotel
Chisca to Commander Read and the
other naval men mentioned
The tour Of cities on the inland water
ways of the country, which brings the
NC-4 to Memphis is being made In the
interest of recruiting. The navy is In
need Of 100000 young men to man its
ships and fly and maintain its air ser
vice, Lieut.. Halbert stated Wednesday
morning After leaving Memphis on
the northward trip, Nov. s, the NC-4
made a nonstop flight to Cincinnati, o.,
and subsequently visited Louisville and
Owensboro, Ky; Evansville, Ind; st.
Louis, Mo; PadNcah, KY; Hannibal,
Mo, and Cairo, H.
The accident which occurred while
the craft was taxying over the water
at Hannibal Is the first which has hap
pened to the NC-i since the trans-At-
lantic flight.
The repairing of the huge craft taxed
the ingenuity Of the officers and crew.
Lieut. Halbert stated. A piece of col
lision canvas was drawn over the hole
in the pontoon and an effort made to
get the craft upon sandbar, but the
sttempt to drag the craft on sand tore