The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-09

said some days before that good luck
tokens would not be carried on tho trip,
save as part OF the precious Ave pounds
of personal effects, he carefully slowed
his away in his pocket and the other
members of the crews also handled the
clovers with the respect due from n man
risklng the perils Of sea and of air at
the same time.
After a ten minute spin the motors
OF the NC-4 relapsed into silence, and
the NC-3. which Commander Towers
had boarded, took up the roar. Then
as 10 o'clock drew near the other power
plants again went into action and the
volume of sound was so great as to
be almost unbearable. The noise made
by the twelve Liberty motors filled the
ears of the spectators as the thunder
Gus low notes of a dozen organs might
have done Then the Ness engines
rose to a climactic tumult her engineer
in response to an order from Towers
waved imperatively to the beach crew
straining on the ropes holding her back
and the NC-3 glided away from shore
with a ruffle OF white waves appearing
and growing more frothy as the hull
Kissed more and more rapidly from the
water. cheer rose from the spectators
on shore-a full sized American cheer
at first. which dwindled into almost i'm
was contrasted to the thunder of the
engines.
The NC-4 next slid down the ways
into the water and followed the flagship
at an interval OF precisely one minute
| After a similar interval the NC-l,
veteran OF the NC planes, and the only
one which had made trip OF any
length--to Hampton Roads and back
| tore away from land. Wheeling at high
speed on the waters OF Jamaica Bay
for perhaps a minute longer. II seemed
that the three huge craft would surely
run into one another.
But suddenly, perhaps in response to
a radio order by Commander Towers.
the other two seaplanes slowed down
and the NC-3 alone shot down the bay
heading for the open sea. AS she gath
cred speed her hull split the water
ahead Of her into a frothy white spray.
half air. half water. For almost a mile
she SKINNED along. and then suddenly,
fifty seconds after she had speeded up
on the straightaway dash, the spray
died away and thin dividing line ap-
oeared between hor hull and the bay.
Instantly the NC-4 was off on the
Same course. her bow ploughing and
| then skimming over the waves She
too took OF in fifty seconds. and the
NC-1. following at an exactly similar
hibci val, kOt tne Whltr III HIty-IOuT
seconds. Straight TO the sea the air
planes roared along, and before they
turned at the western end OF Rockaway
Point they had faded into the dull. gray
clouds about horizon. Only their
me tors could be heard hummins along.
A fast F-5-L seaplane followed its
larger sisters into obscurity But the
station was to have another glimpse of
the seaplanes. for when they rounded
the point and sailed back eastward out
at sea they could be plainly seen for
time against the lighter clouds The
sun slinted through the thin mists for
few minutes but long before the
thunderous chorus OF the 1900 horse
power engines died away the planes
again were enshrouded in vapors
To the Fire Island beach the F-5-L,
piloted by Gunner C. d. Grimm. with
Ensign ]. r. Biggs and several photog-
raphers aboard. escorted the three NC
boats. which had Immediately struck
their SO knot (75 mile) gait. The planes
had spread out, seeking the most favor
able altitude and distance from shore
for the Night The NC-l few parallel TO
the coast twenty miles from shore at an
altitude OF 500 feet, while the NC-4
| sailed along ten miles from shore and
twice the altitude OF the NC-1. The
flagship struck a medium distance from
shore, fifteen miles, but rose TO 1900 feet
at Fire Island Light seeking for favor
able winds. Despite the ten miles be-
tween Lieutenant-Commande Bellinger
In the old NC-l and Lieutenant Com
mander Read in the NC-4 they could
speak to each other at any time simply
by throwing a switch.