Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-17
AMERICAN FLYERS
/. EXPECT TO REACH
FIRST STOP TODAY
Machines 500 Miles Out
at 1927, Wireless
Report Shows.
AviATORS ARE STICKING
CLOSE TO EACH OTHER
Three Ships Less Than lively.
Minutes Apart at Last
Message From Ocean.
LEAVE TREPAssEY AT 7:sa
Racing Mechanical Birds Are FIX.
ceeding Schedule on First Lap
Of Journey.
LEAVE TREPAssEY AT 1889
Racing Mechanical Birds Are Ex.
ceeding Schedule on First Lap
OF Journey.

the NC-3, NC-4 and the NC-1-rose
late today from the waters Of Trepas-
seE Bay and headed for the Azores to
make by air in the twentieth century
journey as dangerous as that Colum-
bus made by water five centuries ago.
The naval seaplanes passed station
ship No. 6. the desi t-r at
miles from Trepassey tgo
NJ, Washington time.
Navy officials estin ta; z-
made by the seaplan c!pLa. ta t..
the time they passed LiDu stsa Np
8. at seventy miles a hulr Nt tni,
rate they would reach .a ,|f4s
about on the schedule OF nineteen
hours or o'clock tomorrow afternoon.
Washington time.
Pass Station No. 3.
a delayed message said the planes
had passed station ship No. at s:0a
+. NJ, flying with twelve minutes diff
ference between the passing of the
first and the last of the trio. The NC-1
was leading when station No. 8. the
In passing station s, ao5 miles out,
the planes had covered one-quarter OF
the journey. The message said tina,
70 formation as when they took their
"hop-of" and all had experienced no
engine trouble.
Are 500 Miles Out.
tne Iaolo STATION AT Bar ikdrbSF,i
Me, Intercepted direct mesa ges from
two OF the sea aplanes shortly after mid
i2:ai O'Clock. was from the 'eSe Sc-l. call. i.
500 miles from TreDassey Bay
The frst message from the Bar Har,,
sor Be station ITO to the Navy 9epa.tment
sending on four fifty-meter say: Passed
4l4, signals very weak"
ut II was not certain at the departmsnt
second message read: "l2:as heard the he
Nc-4 tell Cape Race british radio
5ta'sGn2; Go sheaa asain Am receiving interference
AT 1927 heard the Nc-l call No.
- Commanded by Commander John Fl.
Towers, Lieutenant-Comma A. c.
Read and Lieutenant Commander 2. N.
Beliinger.. the planes left their moor
na s esS ar TFeRssseT ns napS9
Then, The. ,ort rushing min into r Ess,erly wind,
utes later and the NC-i al III tMew New.
and thirty minutes ahead OF OF New New
York;.
Natives Watch the Flyers
AS they passed from view natives
Of New Foundland, who lined the
with Yankee sailors stationed here in
the American aviators starting on the
epochal voyage.
Commander Towers. In NC-3. led the
his plane was more difficult to llft from
the water than the others
The starting arrangements. made in
The three, planes were alongside the
moorinS buoys at the Northern end
s,ne OH each plane was started after
the crews had climbed to their posi-
lions from the motor launches that
sped from the side of the mine layer
Slowly the big plenes were turned
towara low the narrows between, the har-
AS they taxied past the cheering crews
OF the Aroostook and Prairie the port
and starboard engines. were started;
None OF the three planes was driven
fast 'as they SKINNED through the
water, swerving frequently in their
portant matter
Directs NC-a In Wide Curves.
Commander Towers directed NC-3 In
%lde % curves N TO watch the progress of
then headed into the o9@ns faes of s ,he Wind and
The white tall lights 'es tiiekePPed PedIfs fsint,y
dimly at starboard and port Of each
plane.
The airmen all wore waterproof pat
ented fabric suits drawn over their
phone instruments were attached, The
commanders In the cockpits were able
TO talk to all members Of the crews
simultaneously or Individually
Neither lifesaNing suits nor lifebeits
were used nor were any of the mems
garments artiticially heated. The sug-
gestion that such precautions might be
necessary In case OF accident was
smiled away with the reply OF the
commanders that they did not intend
to aliGht in midocean, and did not anti
cipate any accident.
Even the cranks were removed from
the propellers as unnecessary, as tina
self-starters were found to be perfect
and any one or even two OF the an
S!nes OF any OF the machines may be
repaired in the air and started again
by merely gliding against the wind.
shape Course Towards Corvo.
The seaplanes shaped their course
towards Corvo, westernmost- island of
the Azores from which they expected
TO fly TO Horta, on the Island of
Fayal. where they will descend a.
hcu!ties make, IL necessary but they
viii so on to PoEta del Gada on san
Miguel Island, 1889 nautical miles
from this port This log OF the cruise
from RockaWay Beach, ~ T., the
planes home station. 10 Plyrnouth.