The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-05-08

New York, May s.-The first trans
Atlantic fight was begun when three
NC (navy Curtissl hydro-airplanes left
the governments air station at Rocka-
way beach at 10 a. m. to-day on the
first leg Of the iourney--Roekaway to
Halifax, a distance of $40 miles.
The NC-3, with Commander John H.
Towers, chief of the expedition, was the
first plane to take to the air.
The NC-l, with Lieutenant Command
ct P. N. L. Bellinger, and the NC-4. with
Lieutenant Commander A. G. Read as the
commanding officers, were close behind
the NC-3.
The planes were escorted to sea by a
squadron of navy scout planes.
Proceeding northeastward the trio of
giant air and water birds should reach
Halifax before nightfall, barring mis-
haps Thence the route runs AGO miles
to Trespassy, 1850 miles to the Azores,
another 500 miles to Portugal, and on to
Plymouth England
The total distance between Rockaway
beach and Plymouth is 1926 nautical
miles.
The NC-3 cruised for a minute north
erly in Jamaica bay, moving at half
speed through the water and then turned
west for the open ocean. The throttles
were thrown wide open and with roar
Of the 1900 horsepower motor the plane
took to the air.
One minute later the NC-l lifted her
self from the water, followed within so
seconds by the NC-4 and the worlds
first trans oceanic flight was actually in
progress.
After rounding Rockaway Point the
squadron turned east, heading for Mon
tauk Point, which is the tip of Long Is
land, where the course will bend north
east to Chatham, Mass, on the elbow of
Cape Cod, thence continuing over long
stretch of coastal waters to Halifax.
When the planes were fully mile away
the even toned roar of their motors as
sured officers that they were working
perfectly. The escorting scout planes
turned back about three miles from
Rockaway and the three trans Atlantic
fiers speed away on their great adyen
ture.
No Ceremony at Start.
About 200 persons, including the 900
officers and men of the naval air sta
tion, watched the three great planes rise
from the water and soar out over ia
maica Bay.
No elaborate ceremony marked the
start. The only thing of the kind was
the presentation Of four leaf clover to
each member of the crews by Captain
Nj. Airwin of the aviation section of the
naval bureau of operations.
Commander Towers expressed the con-
fidence of all that the flight would be
successful As he took his seat in his
flagship, the NC-3 he waved his hand to
the spectators and shouted:
Good d-bye, boys. There is nothing we
can see now that will prevent us being
in Halifax by o'clock We are con-
iident the American navy viii be the
first to fly across the Atlantic ocean"
Lieutenant Commander Bellinger, skip
per of the NC-l, offered as his parting
salute: with the help of God and in
spite of the devil we will do this little
thing" Lieutenant Commander Read,
the third skipper, said: Nothing has
been overlooked in the construction of
these planes They'll do the trick"
Each seapane carries six men. CON
sisting OF the commander, navigator,
two pilots, an engineer and reserve pi-
lot. The reserve pilots will only go to
Newfoundland, not being included in the
transatlantic complement. The planes
weigh 2S,500 pounds apiece with the load
and are driven by four Liberty motors
of 400 horsepower connected with in
dividual propellers. The wing spread is
l26 feet. Crew and equipment are car
ried in the hull, a 40-foot boat, on which
the plane rests vixen it alights on the
water.
From the time the planes rose from
Jamaica Bay they win not rest on land
until they reach the other side of the