Evening star., 1919-05-10
NC-3, Forced to Return
to Halifax, Makes
Ne.u Start 1885.
NC4 Expects to Continue
Flight From Chatham,
Mass, Today
By the Associated Press.

HALIFAN, n. S., May 10-Two of
the American hydroairplanes assign
ed to the transatlantic flight We're
aloft this afternoon en- route to Ire
passey. n. F., starting point of the
projected cruise to Portugal via the
Azores, and thence to Plymouth, Eng
land
The NC-f. with Lieut.. Commander
7. n. l.. Bellinger, was more than 200
miles on it's way. when the NC-3.
Commander John II. Towers. chief of
the expedition. took the air for the
second time at 1885 pm. after hay
ing been forced by propeller trouble
TO return to the base here. The NC-3
had flown fifty miles on its original
journey begun this morning.
With the ideal weather conditions
prevailing. Commander Towers hoped
to reach Trepassey before n1ghtfail.
HALIFAX. n. s., May 10.-Two of
the three giant American naval ny
droairplanes commissioned to attempt
q transatlantic f1ight-the NC-1 and
the NC-S-took the air today on the
second leg of their cruise from Rock
away Beach, \. V, to TrepasSey,
n. F., where they are expected to
start next week for Portugal, with
a stop at the Azores
Commander P. n. l.. Bellinger, set out
for sea at S:44 a. M, followed at
9:07 o'clock by the NC-3. carrying
Commander John H. Towers. chief of
the expedition. The start was made
under an almost cloudless sky with
a gentle northerly wind cutting
across the course, which lay slightly
north of east
Mishaps for NC-3.
The NC-3. flagship of the expedition
and ordinarily the leader in the fly
ing, broke a propeller while her en-
gines were being warmed up in a
surface cruise around the Baltimore
before the start. Installation of the
new propeller required more than
forty-five minutes. Meantime the
NC-1 was cruising along the waters
of the hay.
When repairs to his machine had
been completed Commander Towers.
from the deck of the Baltimore, sig
nailed the NC-1 to get under way.
Lieut.. Commander Bellinger at once
headed for the mouth of the harbor.
his plane taking the air opposite the
Baltimore and disappearing from view
as 1t turned eastward a mile or more
from shore.
NC-3 Returns, But Starts Again.
lie ucT new pIOpcllcT WOt
ing perfectly. got away twenty-five
minutes after her sister plane. At
1:03 she returned to the cruiser Bal
timore. after new propeller trouble.
She had cruised fifty miles.
At 1885 pm. the NC-3 made fresh
start.
The apiators were awakened at
am. today. and before o'clock were
in their machines and warming up the
engines. All were in high spirits and
confident of success. not only in the
cruise to Newfoundland, but also in
the fight across the Atlantic and
thence over European coastal waters
to Plymouth, England.
Halifax Throng Sees Start.
Satisfactory motor tests were made
last night when the machines took the
air after darkness had fallen. The
people of Halifax, many of whom wit
messed the brilliant spectacle when the
lighted planes sailed over the harbor
and city in the moonlight were out
In large numbers to watch the start
for Newfoundland. distance of $50
nautical miles. eighty miles less than
the nine-hour cruise from the planes
home station at Rockaway Beach,
n. Y. on Thursday.
The aviators' plans call for start
from Trepassey for Lisbon, Portugal.
via the Azores. in about a week. By
this time it was expected that the
NC-4, forced to descend at Chatham.
Mass, because of engine trouble,
would reach the Newfoundland base
SO as to participate in the ocean
cruise.