Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-05-08
NAVAL PLANES
]. START FLIGHT
OVER OCEAN
Three Giant Air and Water
Birds Begin Trip
Overseas.
FIRST LEG NEW
YORK TO HALIFAX
Planes Get Away in Good Order and
Start Indicates Flight May Be Sue
esssfui--sarrins Accidents Airmen
Should Reach Halifax by Nishtfali
will Seek to Cross Seas BY Way
Of Azores and Portugal.


atlantic fight was begun when the
n. c. tNavy Curtiss) hydroplanes left
the air station on Rockaway Beach at
10 a. m. today on the first leg Of the
o,lrney--Rockaway to Halifax, a dis
tance Of $40 miles.
The y. C.-S, with Commander John
Towers, chief of the expedition, was
the first plane to take the air.
The n. C.-1, with Lieut.. Com. Pat
rick n. l.. Beiiinger, ana the n. C.-i,
with Lieut.. som. 4. G.. Reed. as the
comma nding officer. were close behind
the n. C.-3.
The planes were escorted to sea by
a squadron of navy scout planes.
Proceeding in a general northea st =
erly direction the trio of giant air and
water birds should reach Halifax be-
fore nightfall, barring mishap.
The route runs $50 miles TO Trepas-
sey, 1850 miles to the Azores and
then 500 miles to Portugal, and on to
Plymouth. England
First reports from the three navy
fliers came from the coast guard sta
lion at Long Beach. l.. T.. where the
life guards observed the seaplanes fiy-
ing in close formation at an altitude
of about 500 feet.
Too Impressed to Cheer.
The three transatlantic fiiers were re-
ported passing between Fishers island
off New London, Conn. and tho end
of Long Island at about II o'clock.
About 1900 persons. including the
1000 officers and men of the naval air
station. watched the three great planes
rise from the water and soar out over
Jamaica bay. There was no cheering.
the spectators seeming too profound
ly impressed to give utterance to their
feelings.
The only ceremony was the pre-
sentation of a four leaf clover to each
member OF the crews by Capt. A. NJ.
Erwin. OF the aviation section of the
naval bureau of operations. AS Com
mander Towers took his seat in his
flagship. the n. C.-3, he waved his
hand to the spectators and called out:
Good bye boys. There is nothing we
can see now that will prevent us being
in Halifax by s o'clock. We are con
tident the American navy will be the
first to fly across the Atlantic ocean,"
Grow Of Six on Each.
Each seaplane carried six men, con-
sisting Of the commander. a navigator.
two pilots. an engineer and a reserve
pilot. The reserve pilots will go only
to New Foundland. not being included
in the trans atlantic complement. The
planes weighed 2s.50O pounds apiece
wi !, full La 4
four Liberty motors OF 400 horsepower
each. connected with individual pro-
pe!lers. The wing spread is 1876 feet
Crew and equipment are carried in the
hull. forty foot boat on which the
plane rests when it alghts on the
water.
From the time the planes rose from
Jamaica they will not rest on land
until they reach the other side of the
ocean. AT the appointed stopping places
they will he moored in harbors, and il
they are compelled to alight on the
line OF the warship ocean patrol they
are capable Of riding any ordinary sea
while being overhauled or repaired.
Balloon Also in Flight.
Taking the air with the three sea
planes, the hig navy dirieible airship
Go sailed away from Rockaway Point
today, with destination unannounced.
She started off in an easterly direc-
ton. At 1880 o'clock a naval ballon
was reported passing over Bridgeport,
Connecticut. heading northeast toward
Derby. a
The departure of the naval balloon
in an eue, Tern direction led to the re-
port that the dirigibe. was to fly to
Halifax Independently, but investiga-
tion disclosed that the dirigible's fight
was in connection with the victory
loan