The Columbus dispatch., 1919-05-07
ALLABOARD
FOR OVERSEE
SEAPLANE TRIP ACROSS ALLAN.
TIC WAS To BEGIN YESTER-
DAf-DESTfR0fERS Will
PATROL ROUTE.
The Azores Route VIII BE Used on
Account OF Breaks i'm Flight.
No Ceremonies Had Be
fore the Start.


ROCKAWAY BEACH, May A..
Three big seaplanes in which United
States navy aviators will attempt a
flight across the Atlantic will "hop
off" for Newfoundland on the first
leg of their journey at I o'clock
Tuesday morning if weather permits.
it was officially announced at the
Rockaway. Beach naval training sta
tion tonight.
Stop az Halifax.
The first stop on the flight to New
Foundland is scheduled for Halifax,
n. s., $40 nautical miles from Rock
away beach. The hiers expect to
reach Halifax by 8 o'clock Tuesday
afternoon. After lying there over
night they will fly early Wednesday
morning to Trepassey, the New
Foundland base of the flight expedi-
tion.
At Trepassey the big planes will
tune up for their across-the-ocean
attempt, probably remaining in
Trepassey bay for ten days. May
be less or maybe little longer" the
announcement by commander John
Fl. Towers, expedition leader. said.
There will be no ceremonies or
fuss when the time arrives Tues
day morning for the hop on" at
Rockaway. The public will be ex-
cluded from the area adjacent to the
planes moorings, and a strictly
business" getaway will be made.
The planes will travel about So
knots an hour. which was said to
be comfortable cruising speed" At
the start the American flag will
fiutter at the-tail of each plane. and
the American jack at the front but
these will be taken in Immediately
after the hop Off" as they would
be whipped TO shreds by the rushirz
wind ~
"Our three entries are all ready
to go except that the NC-1 and the
NC-4 will be given further tests to-
morrow" said Commander Towers
The NC-3 is entirely ready. Each
of the machines will carry $4,000
pounds from Rockaway when we
start We will get what fuel we
need at Halifax as ships have al
ready dropped gasoline there
Effects Limited.
I'VE shall carry five gallons of
drinking water on each plane, in ad-
dition TO twenty gallons for the radi-
ators. The personal effects of each
man of the crew will be limited to
five pounds, including a tooth brush,
comb and brush, shirt, shaving kit,
fresh underclothing and socks. There
will be no additional accommoda-
tions for even a p0cketknife.
Our trip. with the exception OF
very short distance. will be over or
on the water. The only time we
expect to fly over land as when We
go over the southern tip of Cape
Cod. We plan to keep in touch with
Washington the same as any ship in
the navy. We have tested our in
struments, and they have demon
strated that we shalI be able to keep
up land communications during the
greater part of our trip"
The assignment of the crews to
the three planes will be definitely
announced tomorrow, Commander
Towers said. Although there will
be no change in the personnel an
nounced several days ago, Com
mander Towers said he was not yet
able to state which crew would go
on which plane
The NC-1 was given two test
flights this afternoon, taking eleven
passengers on the first fight and
twelve on the second Officers said
the flights were most satisfactory. "