The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-15

carry out the comparison. pulled hastily
away from under her. Half way up
the harbor nearly opposite the ordnance
wharf, she settled lightly into a wide
stretch of clear water. The NG-t slack
ened her speed and was almost notion
less at the northern end OF Georges
Island. ''.-i-s-
Picked Up by Launch,
A launch from the supply ship Balti-
more caught up with her and towed her
back to the base ship. The plane was
fnoored TO the stern of the ship and as
the aviators, tired from the nervous
strain OF the flight and practically deaf
from the continuous roar of the motors
clambered aboard the Baltimore. EnA
sign O'Connor led q crowd OF mechanics
over the rail on to the flying boat to
put her in shape for the flight at dawn.
They found very little to do.
The propellers were taken OF. exam
ined with particular care--for propellers
are giving more trouble than any other
part Of the equipment--oiled and re-
placed. Although the propellefs OF both
the NC-8 and mel were Clipped and
battered on their arrival at Halifax,
those of the NC-4 seemed little affected
by their $40 mile. journey and by the
showers OF spray which struck them
both on the take off, at Chatham and
the landing here. Sometimes even drops
OF water no bigger than ordinary rain
will eat into the flying tips Of the pro-
pellers and make them UNIT for use.
.. Never Said Good-by.
When the weather appeared favorable
this morning at Chatham preparations
were begun shortly after sunrise. When
tho NC-4 FIRST took the air not even
-. H. 4, oNft To- ZIxa "a
OF the Chatham naval station knew
whether or not the fight was merely
q trial or a start to Halifax. The two
new motors on the plane, as we'll as
the two old motors which had been
thoroughly overhauled during the days
IN which the NC-4 was stormbound at
the Cape station. roared in perfect
rhythm and synchrony
So evenly did they spin and 80 helpful
was the breeze on the tail Of the machine
that Commander Read decided that his
visit to the Chatham station was over. At
s;25 she was on her way. Two small
seaplanes from the station also took the
air and followed her ten minutes later.
They were under orders to convoy their
late visitor as far as the first OF the line
of destroyers stationed in the open sea.
about fifty miles northeast of Chatham.
The northwest breeze and the four we'll
for the smaller and speedier seaplanes
to catch up. but they travelled along to
see the big flying boat pass over the nrst
OF the destroyers.
Lieut. Commander Read was not GER
tain at this stage Of the night whether
to stay at Halifax all night or not. He
had determined to make >Trepassey I,
possible, but realized that a stop al
Halifax. even for a few minutes, would
be wise in view OF the newness of two
of the engines. Over Seal Island. Me.
where the seaplane was making eighty.
fvo knots an hour. the seaplane wireless
sent her position. She reported the time
OF sighting the island at IL :22 A. NJ
The message was in response to a query
from Acting Secretary of the Navy
Franklin D. Roosevelt. Mr.. Roosevelt's
message, members of the crew of the
NC-4 said, reached them by wireless,
telephone from the Otter Clin radio sta.
ton at Bar Harbor.
what Is your position? All keenly
inter ested in your progress. Good
luck" was the message Ensign H. c,
Rodd, wireless operator on the NC-4 re-
ported to Commander Read.
THANK you for your good wishes,
X Read said in reply. "NC-4 is twenty
miles southwest of Seal Island. making
eighty five miles per hour"
The wireless was also used on the
trip to notify the wireless man on the
cruiser Baltimore here that the naval
seaplane would stop at Halifax only a
few minutes. Later word was sent
through the air that the stop would be
a longer one. s.
The BIimp Is There to stay.
The naval dirigible C-5. on whose
showing In the flight from Montauk
painf m 81 J0hn'a NJ danendad her
chance to fly across the ocean, was still
moving along late tonight on her long
journey.
The wireless of the bfimp Is silent. but
Indications were that Lieutenant-C Com
nionder E. w. Coil would keep her NOV
ing along just as long as her gasolene
and hydrogen held out, or until ht
reached his destination. For besides Of
fetal orders, the six men OF the little
two hundred foot blimp are Influenced by
the fact that the lighter than air mer
are friendly but irreconcilable rivals OF
the heavier than air men-the men oil
the NC planes.
II they can get their little bImp-un
strengthened by aluminium framework
and unsteadied by a metal keel-tC
Newfoundland unchanged after the s0(
mile flight from Moniauk they may re-
ceive permission to enter the trans
ocean competition with their deauly
rivals, the heavier than air men. The
seaplane men won glory and showed
their daring in patroliing European
waters and fighting submarines, Will,
the humble blimp remained at HON,
prosaically patrolling our own coast
Consequently. SO naval officers here say
the lighter than air machine was COINS
at livelier pace than ever when 4
was sighted at 7:40 P. M.-around dusl
off Liscomb. eighty-fve miles furthel
up the coast OF Nova Scotia in tn,
direction OF Newfoundland than Halifax
The steamship Lady Laurier wirelesset
the position of the navy dirigible to tn,
Canadian marine department here.
The steady progress of the blimp al
along the coast OF the United States and
of Nova Scotia have led aeronautica
authorities here to calculate that the