The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-28
LAST LEG COMPLETED
By AssseIatsd Press


 Washington, May 21-Blazing the way of the first air trail from the western to the eastern hemisphere. the Inited States navy senpiane NC-4. un- der Lieut.. Commander Albert Cushing Read, swept into the harbor at Lisbons Portugal, today, the first airship of any kind to have crossed the Atlantic ocean under it's own power and through its natural element.
 Taking the air at Ponta Del Gada, Azores. at CHS a. m. Washington time. on the last leg of the transoceanic DOT ton of the voyage from Rockaway Beach, Long Island, to Plymouth, Eng laud, the Nc~4 covered the 500 miles In hours and minutes, maintain- ing an average speed of better than 90 knots an hour The total elapsed fiy- ing time from Newfoundland to Lis bon was 26 hours and Al minutes
 At the first opportunity the big plane will continue to Plymouth 7,5 nautical miles to the north. Possibly Commander Read can start tomorrow. To the navy departmenti however, st makes little difference when he com pletes the journey. The great oject of all the effort lavished on the under aking-navigation of seaplane across the Atlantic through the a,r--- has been accomplished. Twentieth century transportation has reached a new pinnacle and the United States navy has led the way.
 DELAY DUE TO WEATHER
 Navy officials emphasized that the long delay at Azores was due to the weather and to no weakness of the ma chine Tor it's daring crew. nor to any failure of the carefully laid plans of the department to guide the flyers .o their destination The II destroyers strung from Ponta Del Gada to Lis bon reported with machine like pre- cisior today as the flight progressed. The plane was never off it's course, and there was no moment when officials in Washington did not know within few miles where it was in the ar.
 To maintain adequate communication for this stage of the journey the de- stroyers stuck to their posts after tne flying boat had passed. relaying back to Ponta Del Gada reports from ships farther eastward. The chain was not broken until after the plane was safe ly noored for the night near the cruiser Rochester at Lisbon
 For the next few hundred miles of his epoeh-making Journey Commander Read and his crew will be within sight of the Portuguese or Spanish coast in the sweep northward Skirting tee coast of Cape Finistere, they will head out across the bay of Biscay to- sight Brest. the most westerly point of France Thence direct to Plymouth. The destroyers that will guide them across the bay were already in posi- ton tonight provided with the flares and bombs that have made the trip safe thus far. except for the fog which forced the other two machines of the sea plane division, the NC-f and NC-3. out of the flight after they had safe ly negotiated virtually the entire dis lance From Newfoundland to tne
 ORIGINAL CREW
 Commonder Read had with him on the flight to 1.isbon the same crew as that which left Newfoundland on the Nc-4 on May IS. Ileuts. F. F. Stone of the coas. guard and W. K. Hinton were the pilots with Ensign R. z. Rod1 as radio operator and Chief Machinisrs Mate F. $ Rhodes as re- serve pilot engineer The crew was met at Lisbon by members of the crews of the N1-1 and NC-3, who had uie- cedec them on destroyer.
 The chart of the flight, as shown H tue reports of the destroyers on the Nc-fs progress today shows how the winds helped the NC-4 along At times commander Reads ship apparently was whir'ing through the air at so-knot zip. asaln her speed fell off to less than 1 only to pick up again as she reached he zone of influence of other breezes. ProhA bly, the machine overlook and passed winds that had stirred the waters about Ponta del Gada the day before. preventing an earlier start
 LOG OF FLIGHT
 Following is the brief log of the flight IS it was told by the guardian destroy srs:
 S:ao A. M.-NC-4 left Ponta del Gada for Lisbon at 10:1S c. M. T. today (6:lS .. m. Washington time). (Sig.) Jackson
 ''S:5s A. M.-NC-4 passed station ship No at 1i:i3 G. NJ. T. Jackson
 '9;o1 A. M.--Eight a m. weather report Flying conditions from Ponta del Gada Q Lisbon very good. Today, fair ather and moderate to fresh south winds at flying altitude prevail over the entire course. with the barometer rising slowly. Weather clearing ana wind nearly west. Favorable flying con-
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