The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15

have passed within sight, their watch
fulness was futile.
The very ship that brought this
news, regarded almost as ominous by
many OF the anxious people. brought
also another man eager TO stake his
life in an endurance dash across the
Atlantic. Lieut.. c. H. Biddlecombe
arrived to navigate Capt. Raynham's
Martinsyde. Another who arrived was
Major Fisk, manager of the Boulton
& Paul Company, who came to select an
aerodrome for three airplanes his com
pany intends to try a hop" with in
the first week of August. Some new
radiators for the Handley-Page ma
chine were also on board. The install
latiop Of these may delay the giant
bomber several days
Weather Ideal for flight.
Although the weather here was ideal
for the fight. the fiiers headed east
ward into the fog which shrouds the
Newfoundland. banks. a fog which Is
one OF the many dreaded obstacles
which win beset the Vickers plane on
her day long flight. To Capt Aicock
the fog meant doubled difficulty In
keeping the laden plane on an even
keel and to Lieut.. Brown the shutting
of Of land from which to reckon and
from the sun by which he must steer
his course.
The ODDS. It 10 generally admitted, ex-
cept among the youthful optimists who
themselves are hero to make the great
flight. are against tho venturing air
men, as they were against Harry Haw-
ker. Nevertheless Capt Aloock and
Lieut. Brown were smilinsly confident
that they would get across. Confidence
indeed is the keynote of the venture, for
each of the two flyers. confidence in the
heavy plane, the straining motors. In
the ability Of his tsammats to do his
share and In himself. Should the navi-
cation Of Lieut.. Brown fall. the bomber
would fy aimlessly in the general direc-
ton of East, driven about by winds oil
unknown strength and direction.
Appeals Sent Through Fog.
As the afternoon proceeded the great
wireless at Cape Race and ut the other
stations along the coast talked with
steamships Ear at sea, warning them to
be on the lookout for the Vickers plane
They answered that they were feeling
their way along in a dense fog ana could
zee or hear nothing.
II 10 probable that Capt Alcosk will
end.avor TO fly above the fog so that
Lieut. Brown may get his bearings. but
should 1t be too high 1t may be difficult
to surmount It at the start of the jour
ney. As the journey continues the plane
win become lighter and will fly faster
At the start, Capt Aicock estimated. his
speed would not be better than seventy
or seventy-five miles an hour plus the
easterly speed Of the wind. Toward the
end OF the journey the lightened plane
viii be pushed ahead at ninetyfve or a
hundred miles An hour. The average
Capt Alcock hopes to make is eighty-five
miles an hour.
Although 1t 10 possible that the wait
ing world will hear no word direct from
the speeding plane. radio flashes may
come In from ships at sea that the voy-
ayers have been sighted. Every vessel
In the North Atlantic equipped with q
radio set has been warned by the British
Air Ministry from London to be on the
lookout for the voyagers.
At least two ships beside the Digby
are known to be in the North Atlantic
somewhere near the course Of the fiiers,
and II is probable that there are q mum.
Der more such as the little Danish tramp
steamship which picked UP Harry Haw-
ker.
ships In Path Of Flight.
The ships known to be In the general
line over which the vickers bomber will
fly are the cable steamship Mac
kay Bennett, some $50 miles from
Newfoundland at work repairing ocean
cables. and the steamship Saehem. about
75o miles from shore. II the wireless
outfit OF the vickers-vimy has failed the
ta&S OF Lieut.. Brown of keeping the
plahs headed direct for ireland will be
much more difficult, for he depended. a.
did Commander Grieve. Hawkers navi-
gator. on radio flashes from ships en-
countered TO give him hts latitude and
longitude at intervals to check up his
own figures.
The difficulties o. navigation In the
air are many times those of the ordi'
nary type. For speed Lieut.. Brown car
only reckon the revolutions OF the en-
CINE. This OF course varies according
to the weight carried by the plane. He
has no way Of accurately determining
how far the wind Is bearing him away
from his course. The use OF the sextan'
is much more difficult upon a bobbins
unsteady plane than upon the deck oil
a ship. Lieut.. Brown has obviated thi:
difficulty to some extent by the use ci
the Byrd bubble sextant which guided
the American seaplanes to the Azores
II a head wind should be encountered
on the Journey eastward the plane ma!
exhaust It's gasoiene supply before reach
ing Ireland. although IL carries enough
for 1900 miles. which gives the voyager,
q margin OF 200 miles. II he finds hi,
gasoiene supply running out Capt. Al
cook Is able to husband 1t by shuttini
off one OF the two motors This woult
cut down his speed TO little more thar
sixty or seventy miles an hour. but tn,
gasolene consumption would be cut al
most in half.