The Washington herald., 1919-05-17

Of the squadron. scared into the a
eading from the inner to the outer
In the order named.
Towers Leads on.
Commander Towers. in NC-3. led
the flight from the mooring buoys.
because his plane was more difficult
to lift from the water than the
others.
The starting arrangements made
in advance were carried out liter
ally. The three planes were along
side the mooring buoys at the
northern end of the harbor. The
center forward engine on each plane
was started after the crews had
climbed to their positions from the
motor launches that sped from the
side of the mine-layer Aroostook.
Slowly the big planes were turned
toward the narrows between the
harbor and the outer bay of Trepas-
sey. As they TAXED past the cheer
ing crews of the Aroostook and
Prairie. the port and starboard en-
gines were started: theh the rear
pushers went to work
Make LeIsureIy start.
None of the three planes was driven
fast. as they skinned through the
water, swerving frequently in the
course to warm up their oil, an inn
portant matter.
Commander Towers directed NC-3
in wide curves to watch the progress
of NC-1 and NC-4. following him.
and then headed into the face of the
wind to obtain maximum lifting
power.
The white tail lights f1ickered family
and the full red and green showed
dimiy at starboard and port of each
plane.
The airmen all wore waterproof
patented fabric suits drawn over their
uniforms. with helmets to which tele-
phone instruments were attached. The
commanders in the cockpits were able
to talk to all members of the crews
simultaneously or Individually
Lack LifesayIng suits.
Neither Iifesaving suits nor life belts
were used. nor were any of the mems
garments artifcially heated. The sug-
gestion that such precautions might
be necessary i'm case Of accident was
smiled away. with the reply of the
commanders that they did not intend
to alight in midocean and did not
anticipate any accident.
Even the crankS were removed from
the propellers as unnecessary, as the
seIf-starters were found to be perfect
and any one or even two of the en-
gines of any of the machines may be
repaired in the air and started again
merely by gliding against the wind.
At dawn the mechanics were at
work on NC-4 to fit her for the fight
this evening. They had begun an
hour after she arrived and labored
continuously through the night.
PropeIIers Are Replaced.
All the propellers were removed
and three forward engines were fit
ted with Paragon tractors, built on
naval designs. while a Lange pusher
was set on the rear engine. The
forward control engine. which had
been set in as a makeshift at Chat
ham when the original motor devel-
oped trouble. was removed and a new
Liberty motor installed.
The new propellers are ten feet
across, copper tipped, and very sturdy.
so as to stand a run through rough
seas before the take-off They are
less efficient than the light propel-
lers, which brought the seaplanes
here. but the latter were found too
delicate to stand the battering of
the seas. Even the copper sheath
ing on the tractors of NC-1 and NC-3
was scraped, as though by a file, as
a result of contact with the water.
In Thursdays trip down the bay
the cockpits Of the planes were
flooded. and Commanders Towers
and Bellinger and the crews were
soaked by the spray.
signal Men Stationed.
Members of the signal squad were
stationed on roofs of buildings and
on hills around the bay, to inform
the fleet of the progress OF the planes.
and launches were manned and
equipped to tow the machines in case
of accident.
Comdr. Towers and his fellow offi-
GERS admitted that the flight was a
tough problem. even with the aid of
the destroyers. The change of pro-
pellers on all the planes since Ieay-
ing Rockaway Point threw askew all
estimates Of gasoline consumption
and the margin of safety. All the
pilots and navigators conceded their
ignorance Of even the Approximate
" HAas