Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-05-29

| Washington. May 27.-Blazing the way
to the eastern hemisphere. the United
states navy seaplane NC-4 under Lieu
tenant-Commander Albert Cushing Read,
swept into the harbor at Lisbon Portugal,
to-day. the first airship of any kind to
have crossed the Atlantic ocean under
it's own power and through it's natural
element. The coveted honor goes to a
machine designed, built and manned by
Americans.
| Taking the air at 'Ponta Delgada,
Azores. at 6:1s a. m, Washington time,
on the last leg Of the transoceanic por-
| ton of the voyage from Rockaway
Beach, Long Island, to Plymouth, Eng
land, the NC-4 covered the 800 miles in
nine hours and 43 minutes, maintaining
an average speed of better than 30 knots
an hour. The total elapsed flying time
| from Newfoundland to Lisbon was &c
hours and Al minutes.
UNITED STATES LEADS WAY
At the first opportunity the big plane
will continue to Plymouth IT'S nautical
miles to the north. Possibly Commander
Read can start tomorrow. To the navy
department, however, 1t makes little
difference when he completes the journey.
The great object of all the effort lavished
on the undertakng-navigatio of a sea-
plane across the Atlantic through the
air-has been accomplished. Twentieth
century transportation has reached a
new pinancle and the United States navy
has led the way.
Naval officials empha sized that the long
delay at the Azores was due to the
weather and to no weakness of the ma
chine or its daring crew, nor to any
failure of the carefully laid plans of the
department to guide the flyers to their
destination. The IA destroyers strung
from Ponta Delgada to Lisbon reported
with machine-like precision to-day as
the flight progressed The plane was
never off its course, and there was no
moment when officials in Washington did
not know to within few miles where
1t was in the air.
To maintain adequate communication
for this stage Of the journey, the des-
stroyers stuck to their posts after which
the flying boat had passed, relaying
back to Ponta Delgada reports from
ships farther eastward. The chain was
not broken until after the plane was
safely moored for the night near the
cruiser Rochester at Lisbon.
For the next few hundred miles of
his epoch-making journey Commander
Read and his crew will be within sight
of the Portuguese or Spanish coasts in
the sweep northward. Skirting the
coast of Cape Finisterre they will head
out across the Bay Of Biscay to sight
Brest the most westerly point of France,
thence direct to Plymouth. The DESTROY
ers that will guide them across the bay
were already in position tonight pro-
vided with the flares and bombs that
have made the trip safe thus far EXCEPT
for the fog that forced the other two
machines of the seaplane division. the
NC-1 and NC-3, out of the flight after
they had safely negotiated virtually the
entire distance from New Foundland to
the Azores.
Commander Read had with him on the
flight to Lisbon the same crew as that
which left Newfoundland on the NC-4 on
May 16-Lieutenant E. F. Stone of the
coast guard, and w. X. Hinton, were the
pilots, with Ensign r. c. Rodd, as radio
operator, and chief machinist mate E. s.
Rhodes as reserve pilot engineer The
crew was met at Lisbon by most of the
members of the crews Of the NC-1 and
Chs. who had preceded them on a de-
stroyer.
WINDS HELPED THE NC.4
The chart Of the fight. as shown by re-
ports Of the station ships destroyers help
ed her along. At times Commander Reads
ship apparently was whirling through the
air at a 9O-knot clip; again her speed fell
off to less than 60. only to pick up again
as she reached the zone of influence of
other breezes. Probably the machine
overlook and passed winds that had
stirred the waters about Ponta Delgada
the day before, preventing an earlier
start.
LOG OF THE FLIGHT
Following is the brief log of the fight |
as 1t was told by the guardian destroy |
ers: |
$50 a. m.-NC-4 left Ponta Delgada for |
Lisbon at 1918 @. NJ. T. to-day t6:ls p. m. |
Washington time).
s:5s a. m.-NC-4 passed station ship No.
I at 11:13 G. NJ. 7.
Jackson.
500 a. m,-Weather report: Flying
conditions from Ponta Delgada to Lisbon
very good. To-day, fair weather and
moderate to fresh southwestery winds
at flying altitude prevail over the entire
course with the barometer rising slowly, :
Weather clearing and wind nearly west
Favorable flying conditions should con-
tinue over Wednesday,
Jackson.
$40 a. m..-NC-4 passed station shin
No. at 11:33 q. NJ. T.
Jackson.
1910 a. m.--NC4 passed station ship
No. at 1854 q. NJ. II.
Jackson.
11:05 a m.-NC-4 passed station ship
No. at 1875 G. NJ. T.
jackson. /