Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-05-17

vessels. In addition to the radio
communication the destroyers are
provided with special illuminating
torches, star shells and flares to
mark the court at night.
Twenty-one destroyers are sta
toned on the Trepassey Bay, Azores
leg, with four additional vessels in
a destroyer the latter is to obtain
radio communication, ascertain the
condition of the planes and indicate
the true course to the next vessel.
Destroyers Illuminated
During the night the destroyers
on station one to sixteen will keep
brilliantly illuminated to provide
against the seaplane missing a ship
and thus losing the way. To guard
further against this contingency the
destroyers are ordered. if the sea-
planes have not been sighted at the
approximate time they should arrive
to make smoke clouds, show search
lights, fire star shells and notify
the next ship to the westward The
the same signals for three-quarters
of an hour before the planes are
due to arrive.
Upon being notified that it has
been sighted by planes, or when q
station ship sights the fliers, the ves-
sci will Immediately stop smoking
or firing star shells, will take the
exact course to the next station and
will steam slowly on that course to
H. 90 20
keep in radio communication with
the flying ships.
Meaning of Signals
Planes forced to hand on the
water during darkness will indicate
their position and condition by
radio. rockets and flares with the
following meanings: Green star, can
get off the water again, no assist
ance required; red star or flare, as
sistance required. If one plane is
forced to land the others will re-
main in the vicinity until a report
of her condition is received or as
sistance arrives.
During the flight all destroyers
stationed along the route are to dis
play a number which will indicate
to the fiiers the distance they have
covered. Careful precautions have
been taken by the Navy Department
to keep the air clear of all except
emergency radio messages during
the fight.
Ships to Speed at Signal
If while off station destroyer
sights any plane, whether known to
be engaged in the trans Atlantic
flight or not, it is ordered to signal
to the plane the duty it is on,
and, if desired. the true course to
the next vessel on station. All ships
in the vicinity are instructed to
proceed with all possible speed in
answer to S. O. S. calls and make
every effort to assist in repairs nee
essary to continue the flight. If the
disabled plane cannot proceed and
conditions make towing it back to
the base hazardous or impossible,
the destroyer is instructed to rescue
the crew and to salvage all parts of
the plane possible.
AS soon as the seaplanes left
Trepassey, the battleships Utah and
Florida discontinued meteorological
observations and proceeded back to
this country. The Texas and the
Wyoming will continue observations
until the planes reach the Azores
but will send reports to the base
ship, u. S. S. Melville. at Punta
Delgado. The battleship Arkansas,
which has been at Plymouth, Eng
land, Immediately upon receiving
word that the fight from Trepassey
had started, proceed to take station
between the Azores and Lisbon to
report meteorological conditions
there.
The planes are following a
mercators course from Mistaken
Point on Trepassey Bay to Corvo,
Landfall at the Azores, and thence
by the shortest route to Horta or
Punta Delgado. There they will re-
fuel, make necessary repairs and
start as soon as possible for Lisbon.
Departing from Lisbon in the early
morning the fiiers are ordered to
head for Plymouth, the objective
point of the long voyage.