The Washington herald., 1919-05-12
"NANCYS" ARE READY
FOR AZORES 'HOP-OFF
WHEN MORNING COMES
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

WHEN MORNING COMES
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.
eye all day. and every eye carried an
imploring interrogation.
They wanted him to say Lets 60"
and he knew it. but he evaded the
unuttered question with discussions
OF the repairs and the weather and
the personnel. The most important
OF the discussions was the decisiot to
reduce the crews to FIVE on each
plane, instead OF keeping six on the
NC-l and seven on the NC-3. which
the planes carried here.
Identity of the men to be dropped
was not made public, but IL is ru-
mored that Lieut.. Com. Byrd. who
came on the NC-3, and Reserve En-
gineers Christensen and Rhodes, will
not go overseas. This may be mere
rumor, for Lieut.. Com. Rhodes spent
the day with scarcely any sleep.
working on the NC-3 with Machinist
Moore, and it is thought unlikely that
either will be deprived of the honor
of taking the long leap.
Smiles for British.
All the American aviators smiled at
the mention of the British planes
waiting on the weather in st. Johns.
They were unanimous in the belief
that neither will be successful. since
both the Sopwith and the Martinsyde
land planes lack the organization and
the equipment necessary to leap the
gap OF the ocean. The Handley-Page
bomber, which arrived at St. Johns
yesterday, and the Porte boat, soon
to come over. are regarded as the
only real rivals of the American
planes.
Both these big multiple-engined
planes will succeed" Americans
agreed, ''but''-and smiles vanished as
they said it-''both will follow in the
wake OF the Nancy Sisters"
But what pleased Comdrs. Towers
and Bellinger. now captains, as skip
pers OF the commissioned aircraft,
was that the NC boats drove through
the weather from Halifax. which the
British machines considered too Sc
we're TO face in long lights. The
American planes behaved beautifully.
all agreed. flying as low as 40 and as
high as $500 feet, in the lumpiest
weather. with the wind veering in
nearly every direction.
Motors Prove Worth.
The British airmen, who dubbed the
Amer can adventure as a Cooks tour
and scoffed at tho possibility OF Lib
erty motors making good, will now
take notice how the multi-enRined
boats proved flexible and responsive
to an unexpected degree in rough 60
ing, and several times swept back to
the course two minutes after they were
blown off the true line.
So certain are Capts. Towers and
Bellinger of success that they will pro-
ceed with caution now. They regard
Trepassey as the actual starting place
of the fight and. with tanks filled, will
risk no accidents at the getaway. Even
after starting the planes will be pre-
pared to return If the conditions out
side of the bay make it wise. though
no trouble may develop in flying by
virtue OF eliminating unnecessary hu-
man weight.
Additional lifting power for fuel will
result, and the engines may be pushed
to ninety miles an hour. Gasoline,
however. is precious.
Americans now believe II is likely
hours. instead OF twenty. as scheduled.
NC-4 Sends No Word.
Capt. Towers has heard nothing
from NC-4 at Chatham. and could
not say whether the sister planes
here would delay starting until her
arrival. The decision depends on
how soon the disabled craft can re-
port here, and probably on the
wishes of the Navy Department,
which have not been made known.
The general desire of the brother
officers is to fly the ocean three
abreast. figuratively speaking, and
this sentiment may count in the
getaway. Toward evening the storm
signals were still flying on Boston,
and the barometer showed huctua-
tion of points indicating extremely
unsettled weather. Capt. Towers
then conceded that no flight would
be made today.
Hope also has been deferred on
the NC-4 leaving Chatham before
tomorrow. Meanwhile mechanics
have cleaned and tested every part
of the planes and have announced
that both boats here are ready for
the word to start. To safeguard
the planes from unintentional dam
age when the Azores is reached and
Portuguese boatmen are expected to
flock around the planes, arrange
ments were made last night for a
discharge of flash pistols to signal
picket boats to surround the Allan
tic hiers- .r.-
Roosevelt's Message Pleases.
Capt Towers expressed pleasure at
receiving Assistant Secretary Of the
Navy Roosevelt's congratulations by
wireless. which were picked UP In the
air yesterday. II is significant that
as yet no message of congratulation
from either the British pilots at st.
Johns. though Mai. Partridge Oliver.
of the British air force, sent q wire
of congratulations.
Hundreds of gobs and officers at
tended the mass at the local church
this morning and mixing with the
populace increased their popularity.
American medical and dental officers
are giving services free to the viii
layers and are kept busy overtime.
Capt Crenshaw, flag officer Of the
fleet here. entertained American Con-
sui James S. Benedict from St Johns
and was himself entertained at dinner
In the American correspondents' priv
vate car. q
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