The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-05-18
SEAPI.ANES TAKE TO AIR AT
TREPASSEy BAY FRIDAY
IN BIG EVENT
SHIPS GUIDING COURSE
Destroyers Mark Course Stationed
Every Fifty Miles; Wireless an"
Rockets Used to Signal All Birdmeh
in Flight; Precaution Taken Against
Accident.
By the Associated Press

TRANSATLANTIC all lh97"b'' ''
department made public AN ORDER lSsueu
April Is which governs the actloh VI
every aircraft and naval vessel con
nected with the long flight ana pro
vides against almost every puS"'p'
emergency which may arise during lho
aerial voyage The order contains more
than two thousand words ana j. one
of the most comprehensive ever issue"
by the department. When the p'''
for the trans Atlantic flight was luS'
conceived. the task of safeguarding th'
seaplanes and of obtaining melror'losl
cal data necessary to tn" venture was
placed in the hands of the COMMANDER
of the destroyer force. The ord'''
which was made public today thus was
issued by Captain Harris Laning, chiel
of staff destroycrs force.
Complete in every detail, the ordo.
provides for the stationing and subSe-
uuent movements Of sixty destroyers,
four battleships, and a number OF auN-
iliarv naval vessels in connection WIN
the flight.
The route which the sedpancs are to
take to the Azores is marked 10y rb'
bon or destroyers stationed about lliN
miles apart The vessels have been
on their stations for several days ana
have kept the department here ana
the naval officials at Trepassey Bay
constantly informed as to mcteorologt-
cal conditions along the course.
Battleships Attend
In addition To the destroyers, four
battleships, the Florida, Utah, Texas
and Wyoming, have been stationed ON
he outskirts of the course TO furnish
meteorological data throughout the
flight.
The seaplanes are in constant com
munication with the naval vessels at
oil times. In addition to the radio
communication the destroyers along the
route are provided with special illumi-
Mating torches, star shells and flares
for use at night to mark the course
and are in constant readiness to answer
) O. $. calls or other distress signals
should accident befall one of the big
planes.
Twenty-one destroyers are stationed
on Trepassey Bay-A2oreS leg with -four
additional vessels in reserve to replace
any craft which may be called upon
70 answer an s. O. $. signal or itself
picomo di 'ablei As the seaplanes
pass above destroyer the latter OBJ
lains radio COMMUNICATION, asccrtains
he condition of the planes and indicates
he true course to the next vessel.
During the night the de-troyers, ON /.
station one to sixteen will keep bril- /.
iantly illuminated TO provide against .
he seapanes missing a ship and thus .
nsit, n. rs,I lltIr
against this contingency the dcs,royers
are ordered in the event the scaplIues
have not been sighted at the approx
mate time they should arrive, to make
smoke clouds show searchlights. fire
star shells and notify the next ship to
the westward. The next vessel i'm the
line will make the same signals for
hree quarters Of AN hour before the
planes are due to arrive.
Upon being notified that it has been
sighted by planes or when a station ship
sighrS the fliers, the vessel will i'm
mediately stop smoking or firing star
shells will take tfkevact course to the
next station arSsAfll steam slowly on
that course to indj8te the proper route
and will keep in fadio communication
with the flying g.
Planes forced land ON the water
during darkness iii Indicate their 30.
sition and condition by radio. rockets
and flares with the following meaning
Green star-can get off the water again,
no assistance required red start or
'lare-assistance required. I'm the
event that one plane is forced to land
the others will remain in the vicinity
antil a report of her conditions is re. ,
.eived or assistance arrives
Display Mileage.
During the flight an destroyers sta. ,
Toned all along the route are to dis
play a number which Will indicate TO
he fliers the distance they have
covered. Careful precautions have been
aiken 10y the navy department to keep D.
he air clear Of all except emergency D.
radio messages during the time of the a
flight. If while off station. destroyer q
sights any plane, whittier known to loo
engaged in the Transatlantic flight or n
not. it is ordered to signal to the plane (.
the duty it is on, and if desired. the "
true course to the next vessel on sta- "A
ton. All ships i'm the vicinity are IN
structed TO proceed with all possible "a
speed in answer to :. O. $. calls and to q
make every effort to assist in repairs &c
necessary to continue the flight In the a
event that the disabled plane cannot "a
proceed and conditions make towing p
il back to the base hazardous or i'm W
possible the destroy is instructed to O
rescue the crew and to salvage all parts f,
IF the plane possible y
As soon as the seaplaneS left Tire. n
oassey. the battleships Utah and Fl
Florida discontinued meteorological oh 81
'ervations and proceeded back TO this
country. The Texas and the Wyomlne t
will continue observations until the "
planes reach the Azores but will send p
reports to the base ship L. :. :. Ne $,
vile at Punta Delgado. The battleship 7
Arkansas. which has been at Plymouth Il
England. Immediately upon receiving in
word that the flight from Trepassey had di
'tarted. proceeded TO take station be. N
ween the Azores and Lisbon to report e.
conditions for the fourth di
eg of the long flight. G
The planes are following a Mer. Il
ator's course from Mistaken Point on al