The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-17
SQUALLS ARE-M MET
Weather UnfavOrabIe Around
Azores as Planes Arrive.
NC-1 and NC-3 May Go On to
POnta Delgada.
AZORES EAGERLY AWAIT THEM
News of Progress Snatched Up
Like Baseball Bulletins.
Heavy Betting at POnta Del
gada Where They Land.

Ponta Delgarda, May H.
The NC-1 reported at 3 40 p. M,
Greenwich time, that she had
gone off her course and had been
forced to alight in the open sea,
200 n1iles northwest of Fayal.
Four destroyers have gone to
her assistance.
The NC-3 is believed to be lost
in the fog. The flagship of the
flight reported at 9:15 a. M,
Greenwich time, that she was
off her course between stations
II and 18. Nothing has been
heard from her since.
The NC-4, which alighted at
Horta because of unfavorable
weather, this afternoon had not
left that harbor to resume her
trip, at the latest advices.. 1t
was thouht here, however, that
she might complete her journey
to Ponta Delgada tonight.
washington. MAY 1.-THE Ameri-
can naval seaplane NC-4. under Lieut..
Commander Albert G. Read, has at
tanned it's first objective in the trans
atlantic flight, having landed safely
at Horta, island of Fayal, Azores, at
9:2O O'Clock this morning, Washington
time. afte.' winging her way from Ire
passey Bay, Newfoundland, in Is
hours and 13 minutes.
NC-3 Off Her Course.
The NC-1. under Lieut.. Commander
Patrick n. L. Bellinger, was close be-
hind the NC-4, but the NC-3, flagship
of Commander John H. Towers, was
last reported at 5:15 a. M, Washing
ton time, as off her course somewhere
between stations ships II and IS.
about 100 miles from Horta. Original
plans were for the planes to land at
Ponta Delgada and it may be that the
NC-1 and NC3 will continue on to
that point, which is about $50 miles
east of Horta.
Fog Forced Landing.
Fog evidently caused Commander
Read to land at Horta and officials
here assumed that after taking fuel
from the cruiser Columbia, he would
continue to Ponta Delgada, to spend
the night before taking flight for
Lisbon, Portugal. on the next leg of
the overseas voyage.
Commander Read reached Horta
several hours ahead of the schedule
time for the flight, officials having
estimated that twenty hours would be
required for the seaplanes 20 reach
Ponta Delgada. Had he continued to
that port at the speed maintained
thruout the long voyage. Commander
Read would have covered the 1900
miles in a little more than II hours.
The fact that the NC-4 was the
first Of the three planes to reach the
Azores drew comment from naval Of
ficers here. This ship was the lame
duck" of the division from the time
it started from Rockaway Beach,
Long Island.
Three of the four liberty motors
which drove the ship to the Azores
were installed after it left Rockaway
because of trouble with the original
motors.
OvcrCamc Handicaps.
Commander Read was forced to
land at Chatham Light, Mass, on the
first leg of his flight to Newfound-
land. He remained at Chatham for
several days repairing. He again was
forced to make a landing on the way
from Halifax to Trepassey to make
repairs and at Trepassey another new
motor was put in the plane before it
started overseas. Despite these han
dicaps the NC-4 led the way to the
Azores practically all night. The ma
chine which will achieve the distinc-
tion of being first TO cross the Atlantic
ocean will be that which arrives first
~ ~ 7eAl' bIlS AlASl european
landing place of the flight and start
ing point of the last leg to Plymouth,
England.
Not Longest Flight.
While the performance of the NC 4
is viewed as the most spectacular avia-
tion achievement in the history of
heavier than air craft, Commander
Read has not equalled the America n
havy record either for duration or for
distance in seaplane flying. The great
ness of the feat. it was said, lies in
the fact that it was entirely overseas.
On last April 25, Lieut.. Commander
II. b. Grow piloted the navy seaplane