Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-05-28
AMERICAN SEAPL ANE FIRSTTO
MAKE TRANS ATLANTIC FLIGHT
Lieutenant Commander Albert Read Successfully Pilots
NC Into Libson at 4:0l +. NJ, Tuesday
Afternoon

way of the first air trial from the
western to the eastern hemisphere,
the United States navy seaplane NC-4
under Lieutenant Commander Albert
Cushing Read swept into the harbor
at Lisbon, Portugal, today, the first
srship of any kind to have crossed
Atlantic ocean under its own power
end through its natural element.
Taking the air at Ponta Delgada,
Azores, at 6:18 a. m. Washington time
on the last leg Of the trans oceanic
portion of the voyage from Rock
away Beach, l.. l., to Plymouth, Eng
land, the NC-4 covered the 800 miles
in 8 hours and AZ minutes, maintain
ing an average speed of better than
80 knots an hour. The total elapsed
flying time from New Foundland to
Lisbon was 26 hours and al minutes.
At the first opportunity the big
plane will continue to Plymouth, IT'S
nautical miles to the north Possibly
Commander Read can start tomorrow
10 the navy department, however, it
makes little difference when he COM
pletes the journey. The great object Of
all the effort lavished on the under
taking-the navigation of a seaplane
acros sthe Atlantic through the air
has been accomplished, twentieth CEN
fury transportation has reached
new pinnacle and the United States
navy has led the way
Weather Caused Delay.
Naval officials emphasized that
the long delay at the Azores was due
to the weather and to no weakness of
the machine or its daring crew, nor
to any failure Of the carefully laid
plars for the department to guide the
flyers to their destination. The IA
destroyers strung from Ponta Del
gada to Lisbon reported with machine
like precision today as the flight pro-
crossed. The plane was neve: off it's
course, and there was no moment
when officials in Washington did not
know to within few miles where it
was in the air.
TO maintain ADEQUATE communicate
ion for this stage OF the journey, the
destrovers stuck to their posts after
the flvine boat had passed, relaxing
back to Ponta Delgada. reports from
ships farther eastward. The chain was
not broken until after the plane was
safely moored for the night near the
cruiser Rochester at Lisbon.
For the next few hundred miles of
this epoch-marking journey. Com
mander Read and his crew will be in
sight of the Portuguese or Spanish
coasts in the sweep northward. Skirt
inc the coast of Cape Finistcrre. they
will head out across the Bav of Bis
cav. to sioht Brest. the most western
point of France. thence direct to Plv-
mouth. The destrovers which will
guide them across the Bay were al
ready in nosition tonight, provided
with the flares and bombs that have
made the trip safe thus fer except
for the fog that forced the other
two machines of the seaplane division.
the NC-1 and NC-3. out of the flight
after they had safely negotiated vir-
trally the entire distance from New
Foundland 70 the Azores.
Had Same Crew.
Commander Read had with him on
the flight to Lisbou the same crew
as that which left New Foundland on
the NC-4 on Nav 10th. Lieutenants
F. F. Stone. of the coast guard, and
w. X. Hinton. were the pilots, with
Ensign R G. Rodd. as radio OPERATOR,
and Chief Machinists's mate E. s.
Rhodes. as reserve pilot engineer.
The crew was met at Lisbon by most
members. of the crew of the NC-1
and NC-3. who had preceded them on
DESTROYER.
The chart of the flight. as shown
bv the reports of the station ship de-
stroyers of the meas progress to-
dav. shows how the winds helped her
helped her alone. At times Comman-
der Reads shin apparentlv was
whirlinp through the air at n 90 knot
clip AGAIN her speed fell off to less
than 60. only to pick up aoain as she
reached the zone of influence Of
other breezes. Probably the machine
overlook and passed winds that had
stirred the waters about Ponta Del
gada the day before, preventing an
earlier start.
Following is the brief log of the
flight, as it was told by the guard
ian destroyers:
1920 a. m. NC-4 left Ponta Del
pada for Lisbon at 1918 G. M. T. to-
day, (6:10 a. m. Washington time)
jackson"
1858 a. m. NC-4 passad station
ship one at 11:13 G. M.
Jackson"
"9:O1 a. m. 8 a. m. weather report.
Flying from Ponta Delgada to Lis
bon very good. Dav fair weather and
moderate and to fresh southwesterly
at flying altitude prevail over the
entire course with the barometer ris-
ing slowly. Weather clearing and wind
nearly west. Favorable flying condi-
tions should continue over. Wednes-
idav.
ADD American Seaplane-TAke g.
$3.50 a. m.-NC-4 passed station
ship number 2 at 1850 G. M. t.
Jackson"