New-York tribune., 1919-05-07

the full day without sleep to prepare
the giant craft for the flight to Hall
fax with her sisters.
Only twenty yfour hours previously
the charred remains of her right wings
had strewn the NC hangar, yet at
o'clock yesterday morning she was the
first of the transatlantic trio to be
hauled out Of the hangar for launch
ing A weeks work had been done in
twenty -four hours and the sleep-weary
mechanics had the satisfaction Of see
ing her ready on scheduled time. Even
the new wings had been painted to
conform to the battle gray color of the
seaplane.
In her fight yesterday she rose from
the spume fecked, winddriven waters
of Jamaica Bay in twenty-seven and
one-half seconds-the quickest get
away with a full load yet accomplished
by any of the NC boats. She headed
to sea right into the stiff gale that
was churning the ocean.
For twenty minutes Lieutenant Com
mander P. N. L. Bellingar and his
pilots, Lieutenant Commander M A.
Mitscher and Lieutenant l.. BARN,
drove their craft through the air, and
then returned to Jamaica Bay. The
big seaplane made a landing as per-
feet as was her getaway.
At dawn yesterday it looked as II
the three big seaplanes-NC-1, NC-3
and NC-4-would get away on schedule
despite the accident of the previous
day. Exactly at 5 o'clock the big
tractors hauled out the NC-1. Then
followed the NC-4, which also had
been damaged.
During the night slight defect had
been discovered in one Of the Liberty
engines on the NC-3, but this, too,
had been remedied. All three sea-
planes were ready.
On the concrete pier the three
crews, wearing their aerial clothes,
stood ready to board their ships the
moment Commander Towers gave the
word. Towers looked anxiously at the
skies, but said that even the stiff
delay them, provided the weather re-
port from Halifax was encouraging.
About them were the relatives of
the crew, including wives and mothers
who had been granted the privilege OF
witnessing the start of the aerial
voyage.
Every minute an orderly rushed up
to Commander Towers with kilograms
that were being rushed to the station
with the latest information regarding
the weather along the course. At 7
o'clock Commander Towers announced
the weather conditions at Halifax
showed possibility of fog, in addition
to the high winds, and he thought it
would be necessary to postpone the
start. He declared, however, he would
wait until 10 o'clock before making
final decision.
In the mean time test balloons were
sent up from the Rockaway station to
test the wind at various attitudes. On
ba 4 HI frO
north-northeast.
1T is a funny thing" said Com
mander Towers, "our balloons show
that at 5000 feet the wind is east
northeast the current at that altitude
almost cutting across the current be-
low it,
Shortly before 10 o'clock Commander
Towers made the following formal an
nouncement: "The fight will be off
for to-day. Weather conditions are not
unfavorable here, but along the coast
a storm is blowing up with increas-
ing winds. We will go as soon as we
receive favorable weather reports. We
will try out the NC-1 and the NC-4 to
make sure and be on the safe side.
There will be flights around the bay,
but not attempt to go to Halifax In
this wind it would take us about fifteen
hours to get to Halifax, besides putting
Later in the day he said: eve are
sorry not to get off to-day as sched-
ulcd, but the weather played trick
on us. The men of the three NC planes
are worn out, and the postponement
will give them time to rest. The
weather outlook for tomorrow is not
very favorable, but we intend to make
the flight as soon as the weather per
rnits"
All the men connected with the NC
Seaplane Division No. / showed signs
ol the tremendous exertion and lack
Of rest. Commander Towers, who also
has worked throughout the period Of
repair, showed least fatigue of all.
Just before the decision to postpone
following telegram from Franklin b. D.
Roosevelt, Acting Secretary of the
Navy: Congratulations on speedy re-
pairs. The navy wishes you, your Of
ficers and the men all success in the
first organized effort to cross the At
lantic. wish ! were with you"