The Cordele dispatch., 1919-05-18
WILL BECOME HISTORIC CON-
TRIBUTION TO SEAMANSHIP
LIBERTY MOTOR DID WORK
Each Plane Had Four Mo
tors, 1000 Horse Power to
Machine and Covered 80
Miles per Hour.

lrepasSey, \. f., May 17.-When
the great American hydroairplanes
sped away into the east, over the
Grand Banks and the broad Atlantic.
they entered upon course not only
well charted, but patrolled by rescue
and repair ships all the way to the
Portuguese coast
Locking upon the cruise not as ii
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 aviltOrs, and enlisted those
Of other government departments in
an fort to insure the safety OF the
crews and to reduce to minimum
the element of chance in TIE project.
fiotilla of destrOyers, reinforced
by battleships whose more powerful
wireless equipment was intended to
pick up messages from the flyers in
case the radio sets of the smaller YES.
sells failed to function, formed a chain
of communication across the Allan
tic while the planes wers proceeding
to thIer base here. The feet will re-
main on station until the birdmen
have passed. the destroyars so close
eogether that an hours steaming
would bring one of them to the alight
ing place Of any of the aircraft forced
to decend. Mother ships, tenders and
other naval units, at intervals along
the course, have mechanics, tools. eX-
ira parts and gasoline aboard. ready
to give aid which would make DOS.
Slble resumption of its journey bv a
plane put out of commission by slight
defects
The patrol fleet, in wireless contact
throughout its length and in touch
with tie United States Weather Bu.
Tt2u, as well as ships of various ma
tionalities cruising the Middle tlantic,
will keep the aviators posted ON
weather conditions in the areas they
are approaching, also cooperating
with the aviators aboard the planes
directing the flight
Give us no luck, good or bad, and
the tranS-oceanic voyage should be
mad without trouble" said comman-
der John Fl. TOwres, chief of the ex
pedition, commenting before the "hop
or on the completeness of the navy's
preparations. I'VE are not under
taking the impossible, we are not
banking on chance. We are attempt
ing fight wholly within the Mccain
ical possibilities of the NC planes,
hoping to demonstrate without reck
less risk of life or valuable property,
that an air cruise to Europe is a prac-
tical proposition"
One of Commander Towers brother
officers devlared that new branch
of the science Of navigation was grow
ing up around the NC planes. thus
making the flight an undertaking ey
pected to contribute mterillv to the
advancement of the profession OF the
sea. Giants strides have been made
in development of the steering and
water charts to be used on the flight
and the crews expected to accomplish
worth while results in the exprimnts
PDCve buewater
y The naval craft. the NC-1, NC
and Nc huge flying boats which
ascend from take off, i'm the water
and land" also on the surface of the
sea, are driven by Liberty motors,
/ four to plane and aggregating 1900
horsepower. They are of the biDlane
type. with wing span of 1913 feet.
length over all 60 feet and length of
pull, Al feet. The craft weigh 1900
pounds, with navigating and wireless
I equipment aboard but without crew
and fuel. The total flying weight is
| 2S,500 pounds.
The planes have dual control sys-