Arizona republican., 1919-05-18


 destroyers were searching early today for the third of the trio which left Trepassey Bay, New Foundland, late Friday, in an attempt to reach Europe through the air.
 The navy department at 3: 30 a. m. today was entirely without information as to the NC-3, the flagship of the commander of the squadron, Com mander John H. Towers. Although the last report from the lost plane was received nearly 24 hours ago, officials were not apprehensive as to the safety of Commander Towers and his crew and believed that reports would come within a few hours, telling of the discovery of the three
 NEW YORK, May 17.-Before leav- ing for Washington tonight, Secretary Daniels, who arrived today from France, addressed the following wire less message to Commander Towers at the Azores:
 My good wishes and confidence in you and your associates. I only wish it were possible for me to be with you now, as it was my pleasure to take flight with you in 1s1s.-
 WASHINGTON May I7.-Acting Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt late today sent to Lieutenant Commander A. c. Read of the NC-4 the following messages:
 Navy congratulates you upon this | splendid achievement"
 TREPASSEY BAY, N. F. May f6- Arrival of tho NC-4 at the Azores aroused great enthusiasm at the navy air station here today.
 i Some anxiety is felt for the NC-5- l The mother ship Aroostook sailed late today to catch the planes at Pfym- outh, England.
 WASHINGTON, May 17.-One Of ! the three American naval seapianes ! which set out last evening from New | Foundland in the first attempt at g l flight across the Atlantic ocean, still was missing late tonight; another was 1 being lowed to an Azores port by de- | stroyers after her crew had been put aboard the steamer Iona; and the third was safe at Horta F'ayal, after estab-
 fishing a record flight for heavier than-air machines.
 The missing plane is the NC-3, flag
 ship of Commander John HenFy Tow CTS, commander of the squadron, but
 the fact that the last report came from
 here at 5:15 o'clock this morning.
 Washington time, did not cause naval
 officials to entertain any apprehension
 for the safety of Commander Towers
 and his crew of four The last mes
 sage from this ship showed her off
 her course, in a fog some $50 miles
 from Fayal, and naval officials believe
 that it was only the mist bank which
 enveloped the sea around the Azores
 throughout the day, that prevented all
 three of the planes from reaching port
 on or ahead of schedule time.
 Lieutenant Commander Patrick N
 Bellingers ship, the NC-1, also lost her
 way in the fog and was forced to de-
 scend at 11:40 a. m., Washington time
 She sent an s. c. s. call. stating thai she was landing and asking for hel
 position. Four destroyers immediately were dispatched to her assistance anC
 a message to the navy department jus
 before midnight. said they were taking
 her to port, probably to Horta- Com mander Bellinger and crew wer,
 aboard the steamship Iona. The ont
 plane to reach port was the NC-f
 which led her sister ships practically all the way, and descended into Horts , harbor at 9:20 o'clock, Washington time. Her official time for the fligh . was fifteen hours and thirteen minutes and the average speed was approM !, mately so miles an hour. The per
 fOrmance of the plane was all the nor satisfactory to officials here, because 0 . the fact that she suffered a series O l mishaps on her voyage from Rockawa. r Beach, Long Island, to Trepassey Bay Completes Daring Journey . To Lieutenant Commander Read | commanding the NC-4. goes the honO 5 of having made, without interruption
 the most daring journey ever attempt
 ed in an airship of any kind. Risin, - from dinner last night in the ward Q room of the mine layer Aroostook a . Trepassey Bay, N. F., he and his me . breakfasted soon after o'clock thi S morning aboard the Cruiser Columbi Il at Horta. But for the fog that clampe Q down on the NC-4, as it sighted Pic
 Heights, across from FTorta, the s would have boarded the U. S. $. Mel - vile before noon today, and bee - ready to jump again tomorrow-thi - time for Lisbon, the city marking tn
 end of the actual flight over the At d lantic.
 n Acting Secretary Roosevelt sent tn f congratulations of the navy to Com if mander Read today, when it appeare f certain that the NC-3 and NC-1 ha q been indefinitely held up by the fog r The story of the long flight, as tol
 by the radio waves that filled the al
 over the North Atlantic last night, { q be gathered in by the navy departmer IT from many quarters, shows that Com O mander Reads hard luck on precedin e legs of the transatlantic dash appear t to have turned from the start He le n all the way, after rising first at Ire l. passey bay, only to come down agai n to give his commanding officer, Com e mander Towers, the honor of startin
 first. The NC-4 was nearly 30 min l, utes ahead of the NC-1, just befor s Commander Read sighted land at tt is Azores, and the flagship, the NC le Jagged still father behind.
 e That 80 minutes, officers believe -e saved the NC-4 from the fog. By vii L. tue of that narrow lead, he seems 1 j. have slipped through the moorings l. Horta harbor, only to have the fo n. pail roll down heavily behind hir ,- barring the way for his adventuror of companions on the history -makir to voyage. Commander Bellinger ws g caught with land almost under h d eyes. but Commander Towers VIZ s- blanketed well out to sea, showing Il
 speed with which the fog bank sprea of Naval officials here were somewh; d in doubt tonight as to Command ,n Reads plans for continuing the fligl le to Lisbon. One message from the C.
 lumbia at Horta said the NC-4 wou