The Alaska daily empire., 1919-05-16

ar lllSHC, DuL as dH for the advancement of science anu seamanship, the American Navy haS placed it's own vast resources at the disposal of the aviators, ana ehilst- ed those of other Government de partments in an effort to assure the safety of the crews and to re duce to a minimum the element or chance in the project.
 A flotilla 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 vessels failed to Junction. formed chain of communication across the Atlantic while the planes were pro ceeding to their base here The fleet will remain on station untli the birdmen have passed, the de stroyers so close together that an hours steaming would bring one Of them to the alightng place or any of the aircraft forced to descend. Mother ships, tenders and other Ma val units, at intervals along the course, have mechanics, tools, extra parts and gasoline on board, ready to give aid which would make pos sible resumption of it's journey by plane put out of commission by slight defect.
 The patrol fleet, in wireless con tact throughout it's length and in touch with the United States Weath CT Bureau, as well as ships of var ious nationalities cruising the Mid dle Atlantic, will keep the aviators posted on weather conditions in the area they are approaching, also co operating with the navigators aboard the planes in directing the flight.
 Give us no luck, good or bad and the transatlantic voyage should be made without trouble" said Com mander John H. Towers, Chief of the expedition, commenting before the "hop off," on the completeness of the Navy's preparations. We are not undertaking the impossible, we are not banking on chance. We are attempting flight wholly within the possibilities of the NC planes, hop ing to demonstrate, without reckless risk of life and valuable property that an air cruise to Europe IS practical proposition"
 One of Commander Towers broth CT officials declared that a new branch of the science of navigation was growing up around the N-e planes, thus making the flight an undertaking expected to contribute materially to the advancement ol the profession of the sea. Giant strides have been made in develop ment of the steering and weather charts to be used on the flight ano the crews expected to accomplish worth white results in the experl ments above blue water.
 The Naval aircrafts the NC-1, NC and NC-4, huge flying boats whicf ascend from a "take-off' in the wa ter and Hand" also on the surface of the sea, are driven by Libert! motors. four to plane and aggre gating 1900 horse power They ar' d the biplane type, with a wini span of 126 feet, length over all 6' feet and length of hull A feet. Xh' craft weigh 15,100 pounds, with naVi gating and wireless equipment oi board, but without crew and fuei The total flying weight is 2S,5o' pounds.
 The planes have dual contro system. with seats side by side an' forward of the gasoline tank, TOT th' pilots. each of whom has com plete set of instruments, inciudln' compasses The navigating station outfitted with the regulation marih instruments, is in the bow, whll the engineer and radio operator oe cupy the main compartment at tn tanks. The planes are expected t cruise. without winds, 75 Qand miles an hour and the gasoline ca pacity of 11,40O pounds will carr them upwards of 1,5O0 miles, consic erably in excess of the longest Ia of the ocean flight-from Irepass to the Azores without refueling.
 With Commander Towers in charg of the expedition. the two plane set out in command of MT Towers Lieutenant Commander A. c. Req and Lieutenant Commander r. N. Ballinger.
 | Commander Towers is 34 years age, was born in Georgia ana el tered the Naval Academy in lso
 After service on various warsh:I he was assigned to the aviatio
 section for instruction three year
 before the outbreakof the war. Mi
 winter of 1912 found him in charf
 of the aviation camp at the Qua
 tanamo maneuver grounds of .le A
 lantic fleet. and in September lsl
 as a Lieutenant, he went to l. 'nd'
 as assis tant to the American Nav
 attache After a tour of duty ',a II
 staff of the chief of operations
 Washington. during which nc par
 ci2a.ed in the selection of aViatit
 stattns and won his comm ssie
 as commander. MT. Towers "'s q