Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-05-17

rescue and repair ships all the way to
the Portuguese coast.
Looking upon the cruise not as q
sporting venture, nor as an attempt
merely to win for the United States
the honor of the first Trans Atlantic
air flight, but as an undertaking for
the advancement of science and sea-
manship, the American navy placed
its own vast resources at the disposal
of the aviators aud enlisted those OF
other government departments in an
effort to assure the safety of the crews
and 10 reduce to n minimum the ele-
mont of chance In the project.
A flotilla Of destroyers, reinforced
by battleships whose moro powerful
wireless equipment was intended to
pick up messages from the flyers in
case the radio sets of the sma Her ves-
sells failed to function, formed a chain
Of communication across the Atlantic
while The planes were proceeding to
their hnse here. The fleet will remain
on station until the birdmen have
passed tho destroYers so close together
that an hours steaming would bring
one of them to the alighting place of
any aircraft forced to descend. Moth
Cr, ships, tenders and other naval units
at intervals along the course, have me-
ChanicS. tools, extra parts and gaso-
line aboard ready to give aid which
Gould make possible resumption of its
jurney by a plane put out of commits
sion by slight defects
The patrol fleet. in wireless contact
throughout it's entire length and III
touch with the United States weather
bureau. as we'll as ships on various ma
tinoaIities cruising the middle Allan.
tic, will keep the aviators posted on
weather conditions In the areas they
were approaching. also cooperating
with the naviEators aboard the planes
in directing the flight.
Towers Is Confident
Give us no luck, good or Lad. and
the trans oceanic voyage should be
made without trouble" said Com
mander John II. Towers, chief Of the
expedition, commenting before the
hop Off on the completeness Of the
Nays preparations, 1--WE are not un-
dertaking the impossible. we are not
banking on a chance. We are attempt
ing a flight wholly within the possi
bilities of the NC planes, hoping to
demonstrate, without reckless risk OF
life or valuable property, that an air
cruise to Europe is practical propo-
sition."
one of Commander Towers brother
officers declared that Il new branch
of science of navigation expected to
COntriRute materially to the advances
ment of the profession Of the sea. Gil
ant strides havc been made in devel-
Opment of the steering and weather
charts to be used on the flight an the
crews expected to accomplish worth
white results in the experiments above
blue water.
The naval aircraft. the NC-1. Nc )
and n. e. I, huge flNing boats which
ascend from a take Off in the wa
ter and land" also on the surface of
the sea, are driven by Liberty motors,
-four to a plane and aggregatng 1900
horse power They are Of tho biplane
type, with a wing span of i26 feet.
length over all 80 feet and length of
hull, ~ feet. The craft weigh 5000
pounds, with navigating and wireless
equipment aboard, but without crew
and fuel, The total flying weight is
2S,500 pounds.
The planes have dual control
system with seats side by side and
forward Of the gasoline tank, for the
pilots, each of whom has complete
set of instruments, including conf
passes. The navigating station, outfit
ted with the regulation marine inStru-
ments. is in the bow, while the enGi-
neer and radio operator occupy the
main compartment at the tanks. The
planes are expected to cruise. without
winds seventy-five OandD miles an
hour and the gasoline capacity of H.
100 pounds will carry them upwards
of l,500 miles, considerably in excess
of the longest lap of the ocean flight
from Trepassey to the Azores-with-
out refueIing,
Men in Charge.
With Commander Towers in charge
of the expedition, the three planes set
out in command of Mr.. Towers. Lieu
tenant Commander A. c, Read and
Lieutenant Commander z. n. L. Bel
linger
Commander Towers who is 81 years
of age, was born in Georgia and en-
tered the naval academy in 1909, Af-
ter service on various warships he was
assigned to the aviation section for in
lConunued on PaSe TWo.l