The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-05-05
u. S. PLANES
SINCED BY FIRE
Flames at Rockaway Beach
Threaten to Destroy Trans
ocean Machines.
|ONE OUT OF CONTEST
|NC-4 to Be Repaired in Time
for Jump Off" Tuesday
to Halifax.

M New York, May 5.--(A. P.)--Fire al
the naval air station at RccKaway
peach today damaged the naval sea
Mclanes NC and NC 4, which were tc
start tomorrow morning on the first
|leg of the transatlantic flight.
The wings of the NC / were Gem
pletely. destroyed and this plane may
pc unable to attempt the ocean fight
II was believed that the NC could
pc repaired in time for the Jump
The fire, which Commander John
n. Towers. in charge of the expedi-
tion, declared was accidental, started
from an electric spark which ignited
gasoline on the NC /. The flames
developed the wings and spread TO
those Of the NC 4, which occupied
the same hangar. The air station em-
ployes extinguished the fire after
slight damage had been done to the
INC A..
Commander Towers announced that
the start for New Foundland, where
the transatlantic flight Is scheduled
10 begin, would be made tomorrow
weather permitting. with the NC 8,
very likely with the NC 4 and possi-
bly, with the NC /.
All Helped oueuch Flames.
Rockaway Beach. l.. T., May S. u.
N. S.)--The United States naval sea-
planes NC / and NC 4, which were
READY to hop off, tomorrow to Hall
fax, on the first leg of the transat-
dantic flight. were badly damaged by
|fire at the naval station here today.
The flames threatened to destroy all
three planes on which America is
basipg her hopes, but the NC 8 was
wheeled to safety.
Sparks flew from the electrically
driven gasoline pump and ignited
|gasoline on the head of the big drum.
I'm their eagerness to save the giant
plane, the mechanics disconnected the
hose through which the gasoline was
being pumped and the flames spurted
forth, setting fire to the lower end of
the NC 1, which had made perfect
dight yesterday. The entire personnel
|of the flying station helped quench
the flames, but not before the wing
surfaces of the NC 1 were burned
away.
Wipas Burned From Frame.
The blaze started when workmen
were filing the gasoline tanks OF the
NC-1. Both the upper and lower
right wings, which only recently were
transferred to the machine from the
NC-2, were burned from their frame
work, necessitating complete refit-
ting of this part of the big craft.
More British in Race.
st. Johns, N. r., May 5.--Another
British team of aspirants for trans
Atlantic fight honors has entered the
|London Daily Mails $4,000 prize
|competition. Word was received to-
day that Capt. Alcock. pilot, and
|I@ieut. Brown navigatnFs are on the
steamship Mauretaniaf having lett
Liverpool May 3, and that their ma
chine, Vickers- -Vimy bomber plane,
will follow soon on another vessel.
Advices said also that the Hand
Iiey-Page machine, another contest
IAnt. and its crew have left Liverpool
+ on the steamship Digby for st. Johns,
the final destination being Harbor
|Grace, where the start is to be made.
The Digby is due here May II.
Meanwhile Raynham and Hawker,
awaiting favorable weather in order
Ito start. were uncertain this morning
whether they would HOP OFF, TO-DAY:
bright skies and a northwest wind
made good flying conditions early in
1.-The day, but there were indications
The breeze would swing to the south
|by afternoon. Reports from over the
Atlantic were slow in arriving.