Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-05-17
ORDER OF FLIGHT
MADE PUBLIC BY
NAVY APARTMENT

tBh MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WlFfi
Washington, May 16.-Coincidentt
with the start from Trepassey Bay, \.
~ today of the American navy sea-
planes in an effort to make the first
Transatlantic air passage, the navyi
department made public an order is
sued April Is, which governs the ac-
ton of every aircraft and naval yes
sells connected with the long flight and
provides against almost every possible
emergency which may arise during the
aerial voyage. The order containsI
more than 1000 words and is one of
the most comprehensive ever issued byi
the department.
When the plans for the Transact
lantic flight was first conceived theI
task of safeguarding the seaplanest
and obtaining meteorological data nee
essary TO the voyage was placed in thel
hands of the commander of the de-
stroyer force. The order which was
made public today thus was issued byl
Capt. Harris I.aning, chief of staff,
destroyers' force.
The order provides for the station
ing and subsequent movements of
sixty destroyers, four battleships and
q number of auXilar naval vessels in
connection with the flight. Although
issued at New York a month prior toI
the actual start of the hazardous jour
ney the details of the order have been
followed without the least hitch
throughout the project.
Marked by Desuoyers.
The route which the seaplanes are
to take to the Azores is marked by aN
ribbon of destroyers stationed about
fifty miles apart. These vessels have
been on their stations for several days
and have kept the department here
and the naval officials at TrepasSey
bay constantly informed as to meteor
illogical conditions along the course.
In addition to the destroyers, four
battleships, the Florida, Utah, Texas
and Wyoming have been stationed on
the outskirts of the course to furnish
meteorological data during the flight.
The seaplanes are in constant com
munication with the naval vessels at
all times, Every precaution has been
taken to safeguard the filters. In adj
dition to the radio communication the
destroyers along the route are provid-
ed with special illumating tocrhes,
star shells and flares for use at night
to mark the course and are in con
slant readiness to answer the s. Q. S.
accident befa1l one of the big planes,
Twenty one destroyers are stationed
on the Trepassey Bay-Azores leg with
four additional vessels in reserve to
replace any craft which may be called
upon TO answer an s. O. S. signal or
itself become disabled. AS the sea-
planes pass above destroyer the lat
ter obtains radio communication, as
OF hn nf tn1a &c
and indicates the true course to the
next vessel.
When Forced to Alight.
During the night the destroyers on
station one to sixteen will keep bril-
liantly Illuminated to provided against
the seaplanes missing a ship and thus
losing the way. To guard further
against this contingency the destroyers
are ordered in the event the seaplanes
have not been sighted at the approx
mate time they should arrive, to make
smoke clouds, show searchlights, fire
star shells and notify the next ship to
the westward. The next vessel in the
! line will make 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 a station
ship sights the filters, the vessel 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 indicate the
proper route, and will keep in radio
communication with the flying ships.
Planes forced to land on the water
during darkness will indicate their po-
Sitinn and condition nv radio rocket C