Arizona republican., 1919-05-20


 Gada, Azores, cabied the navy de-
 partment tonight that the Ameri-
 can naval seapiane NC-4, in com
 mand of Lieutenant Commander
 A. C. Read, would leave Horta.
 Fayal, tomorrow at o'clock
 Greenwich time (3 a. m. Washing
 ton time), if weather conditions
 permit. A stop will be made at
 Pouta del Gada, the message said
 The early hour set for the start
 of the flight to Ponta del Gada was
 interpreted by naval officials here
 to mean that Commander Read
 would attempt tomorrow to make
 the entire trip Of more than e25
 pauticsi miles to Lisbon, Portugal.
 the real end of the trans Atlantic
 flight. The stop at Ponta del 6ads
 was thought to De planned for the
 purpose Of obtaining supplies.
 WASHINGTON, May 1s.-A After weathering sixty mile gale and heavy seas, the missing seaplanes NC-3. flagship of the American naval transatlantic flight squadron, entered Ponta del Gada harbor today. under her own power nearly sixty hours from the time she was forced down by fog when almost in sight of the Azores, or the record breaking flight from Neu. toundland for Lisbon ard Plymouth England.
 Searching battleships and destroyer were securing the seas and naval off! cials had all but abandoned hope for the safety of the flying ship and her crew Of five, when warsfips at Pont., del Gada saw the plane taxing across l the water headed for the night oh- jective in the Azores.
 Rear Admiral Jackson frnmedis4eiv dispatched the news to the navy de partment by the cables. relieving the anxiety of officials and ending the long vigil Mrs. Tower had kept since nrst news came last Saturday morning, that : her husbands plane had been lost fin the fog, 300 miles from the Azores. | Story of Bravery Told l In a detailed report. received ar the | navy department tonight, from Com mander Towers, the officer said the ] NC-3 had Suffered severely The hui was slightly damaged and the forwar.l center engine struts were seriously 1 damaged in making the Landing. while later, the port pontoon was carried away. The report indicates the plane was thrown off her course py high winds and rain squalls, while between station ships 13 and fl. The repo-t follows:
 Arrived Ponta del Gada f7.5O G. M. T. 1:5o Washington time), May ia. Compelled to go above clouds at station eighteen, on account of failure Of lights on the pilots instrument board, and necessity of having heavenly bodies for reference Last destroyer sighted, No. l3 came through clouds at daybreal, , | f1f1f
 thrown off course by high velocity Of upper winds but lsyed parallel course. Encountered heavy rain squalls 7:4- G. M. T. (5:45 Washington time). May r. which continued until Is3O G. NJ. T. 1:30 Washington time), when weather cleared and we decided to land to make observations, as we only had two hours fuel left Discovered heavy sea running too late to remain in air. Slightly dam aged hull and seriously damaged for
 ward center engine struts on landing
 which made it impossible to leave water.
 { Observations showed this position to be 47:45 north, 30:25 west faprar- , entl-- this should be latitude s7 instead s Of fl. as given in the dispatch); gale g arose on evening 17th which was rid g den out successfully until g c. M. r g 6 a. m. Washington time) May lg h when lost port wing pontoon- Sea . plane suffered severely. but succeed ed f in riding out gale and by sailing tots ] distance of 205 miles; made moorfngs
 at Ponta del Gada under own power a ;, 17.50 c. NJ T. 1850 D. m Washington d time) May 19. Lost starboard ponrooT O just outside harbor."
 '' Meanwhile, Lieutenant Commando
 A. c. Read, with the NC-4, stin va c weather bound at Horta and the NC c thrid ship of the aerial fleet was Of e ficiaIly described as in almost sinkin, d condition thirty miles off Corvo Islam
 Azores, with the destroyer Fairfa ," standing by. Lieutenant Commande e Bellinger and his crew of the NC-I ar ;- aboard the Cruiser Columbia, at Hort y definitely out of the race, accordin
 to Bellinger's own report on the condi d ton of his machine
 T. With his arrival at Ponta del Gads re Commander Towers again took activ J. command of the flight situation j. Message Lifts Gloom 1t A dispatch from Rear Admiral Jack le son. announcing that the NC-3 had bee d. sighted approaching Ponta del Cad d on the water, under it's own powe to lifted the gloom that slowly had settle n over the navy department as the houi le passed with no word from Towers an
 his men. The air of anxiety hangin
 over the department passed in a me
 ment. as the good news ran like wild
 fire through the corridors when Al
 miral .Iackson's terse message Wa , received.
 :, As news of Commander Tower '. safety spread through the navy d, z, pertinent, a feeling of relief followe - ' it. for it meant that American seaplar ~. construction had stood the test = storm on the surface, as well as havir ." conquered the air. It had been a sayiT Ae of the service, that the planes we
 built to tide any seas in which tn,
 could land. The NC-3 rode out a ga e. that is said to have approached a nin' n- ty mile rate at times. and came seren 1- ly taxing into port, having kept stea'
 fly on her general course under gui, in ance\of her crew. This established, d. is said. record for the service, pro O. ably for the world.
 ". Daniels Cables Cheer ss. When Secretary Daniels got word Ill Towers safety, he personally tel he phoned it to Mrs. Towers, wife of Il til officer who had chung courageous .ir to her faith and hope through the en
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