The sun., 1919-06-09
COULDN'T SAVE
DIRIGIBLE c.,
NAVY IS TOLD
Precautions Taken After
Flight of 1,022 Miles in
25 Hours so Minutes.
MANY DIFFICULTIES NET
Crew Suffered From Cold
Smash Averted in Sharp
Dive of 400 Feet.
MANY DIFFICULTIES NET
Special Despntch 10 TIE srx.

opett" DceDutCH 10 lHE Sun.
WASHINGTON, June S.-The Navy De-
partment made public here tonight the
first official report of Lieutenant Com
mander f. w. Coil, who commanded the
navy drfgible C-5 on her recent flight
from Montauk TO Newfoundland, where
she afterward broke from her moorings
drifted to sea and was lost.
Commander Coil tells in detail of the
flight of 1,022 sea miles made by the
C-b and says that II was not due to any
lack of precautions that she broke away
and was swept out to sea. He gives
credit to the Governor-Ge General of New
foundland for providing a landing place
for the dirigible and says without II she
could not have been held so long as che
was. Praise is given also to the COM
mander and the crew of the U. s. s.
chicago. which was at st. Johns, N. F..
and was to be used as base ship.
After reciting the preliminary wo:k
the report says:
Start was made from the naval air
station. Montauk, L. l.. N. Y, at s A. NJ,
May II, 1919. Departure was taken
from Montauk Point and course laid for
the naval air station at Chatham, Mass.
which point was passed over at 10: 10
A. VI. Air conditions at the time of
start were generally excellent. A south
west wind of eighteen miles an hour was
blowing. A light haze prevailed No
particular incidents of interest occurred
In this part of the trip. Everything
about the CO was functioning properly,
engires running. at 100 revolutions a
minute.
After passing over the naval air sta
ton at Chatham course was set for Cape
Sable, taking departure from Chatham.
The course was checked by a series of
bearings of points on shore and compass
error found by azirnuths Of the sun.
Due TO haze visibility was not very good.
landau was made on the southwest
coast OF Nova Scotia, about twenty miles
north OF Cape Sable, at 2 80 P. NJ.
smooth Trip to Nova Scotia.
THE passage from Chatham to Nova
Scotia was smooth and without incidents
out OF the ordinary. After sighting the
coast of Nova Scotia course was set
10 cross overland to the eastern coast
of Liverpool. During this passage ex-
tremely rough air conditions were en-
countered. the C-5 yawing, diving and
Climbing at all angles.
Every part of the structure was SUBJ
jected to strains of tho severest pos
sible nature in the air. but no failures
of any kind occurred. In one sharp dive
Of about four hundred feet the tail fin
nearly struck the ground. the C-5 an
swering her controls just in time to
avoid a smashup.
'The east coast OF Nova Scotia was
reached at Liverpool at 3:45 p. NJ,
where the C-5 passed to sea for a dis
lance of about ten miles and course
was held along the coast of Nova Scotia.
Air conditions even over sea were rough
and steadily becoming worse. The wind
was increasing and shifting toward
west Passed abeam of Halifax at 10
p. NJ
THE sky was overcast and darkness
prevailed. Air conditions were growing
worse and some difficulty was expert
enced In holding the CO to her course
A rain squall was encountered at 10
P. NJ. and lasted until 0:45 p. NJ
AT II is p. VI. passed over Scutari
Island. from which departure was taken
and course set for st. Johns, y. F.
Continued on this course until daylight,
when land was sighted on the port bow
This proved to be Great Miquelon Island
Then skirted st. Pierre Island and pro-
ceeded up Placentia Bay.
Radio communication was estab-
lished with the L. s. S. Chicago and
with various other ships and stations
Difficulty was experienced in receiving
due to much interference from the many
stations all working on 600 metre wave
length The readings OF the radio di-
rection finder were followed for about
certain errors existed. Comparisons of
charts and visible land esta blished the
position of the CO to be in the extreme
northern end of Placentia Bay.
Compass Course Is impossible.
Course for st. Johns was set. This
carried the C-5 over n railroad which
was identified and followed Air con-
ditions were so cough that It was next
tn it,,pn Ia 20 FOL
At one point where the railroad forked
the CO was brought low enough TO
inquire the proper direction to follow TO
st. Johns.
Continued along the line OF the rail-
road to Topsail. Newfoundland when
departed from it and made for the sea
outside the harbor of st. Johns. Then
came in over the harbor and landed at
at Pleasantville at $3.50 A. NJ, having
been in the air for 25 hours and 80
minutes
The overland trip over Newfoundland
was under extremely rough air condi-
tons and with wind OF about forty
miles an hour and stronger in the
gusts. The general wind direction was
west though gusts seemed TO come
from all points OF the compass The
landing at Pleasantville was perfect
Great credit Is due Lieut.. Lawrence
and Ensign Campbell, who made It. The
ground crew. under command of Lieut.
c. q. Little. L. s. n. r. F.. had been
thoroughly instructed in their duties
and carried out their part OF the land
Ing in a most satisfactory manner Had
such not been the case a wreck would
probably have resulted at this time.
after landing the C-5 was turned
over TO the ground crew. In charge of
Lieut.. Little. The C-5 was secured and
the work of refueling and gassing
started. This was carried on only with
great difficulty on account OF the roll
ing and pitching OF the C-5. The
wind made it impossible to hold her
steady.
C-5 Breaks From MoOrings.
Every possible effort was made TO hold
the CO. but this finally proved TO be
impossible and she broke adrift from
her mornings. No possible precaution
had been overlooked. The loss OF the
CO was wholly unavoidable.
THE total duration OF the night was
twenty-five hours and fifty minutes. The
distance covered was 1.022 sea miles.