The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-05-29
HAS CLAIM
OF FAMOUS AIRMAN.
Lieut.. Commander p. \. Lynch Bel
linger A PrOtege of the Rev.
Father Dubois Wood.
Florence Times:


Lynch Bellinger, in command of the
Naval Seaplane NC-1, one OF the
great air ships in the transatlantic
flight is a protege OF Father Dubois
Wood of this city.
The famous airman is we'll known
here and great disappointment is felt,
over the mishap which prevented him
from making a landing in the Azores,
when he had practically completed
the dangerous flight from Trepassey
Bay.
Lieut.. Commander Patrick n. Bel
Fingers ship, the NC-I lost her way
in the fog and was forced to descend
at 11:40 a. M Washington time. She
sent an S. o. S. call stating that she
was landing and asking for her posi-
ton. Four destroyers Immediately
were dispatched to her assistance.
1t. Bellinger and his crew are now
safe aboard the Cruiser Columbia at
Horta, Azores. The sea plane was
badly damaged by the high seas run
ming, and may not be salvaged.
Yesterday at the Florence Catholic
church there was offered special
Mass and Litany prayers for the bene-
fit of an illustrious son Of the Floren-
ce catholic missions, Lieutenant Com
mander P. n. Lynch -Bellinger, who is
in charge of the NC /, Naval Plane in
its Ttrans Atlantic flight.
The Novena and prayers have been
going on since May 1st. They began
at a personal Mass celebrated by Fa-
ther Wood at the RockaWay Naval air
station. The mass was served by 1t.
Lynch Bellinger at which he received
Holy Communion and at its conclu-
sion both Priest and Air Commander
knelt in prayer to ask of God to give
His blessings and His Divine protec-
ton for the trial trip across the At
lantic.
It is a matter of great satisfaction
to Father Wood, as Pastor Of the
Florence Missions, that Lieut.. Bellin-
ger has been under his personal su-
pervision ever since he was boy OF
eleven years of age. 1t was also at
the Florence church that he received
his final sacrament of Confirmation
from the hands of the Venerable and
much loved Bishop Northrop. At the
same ceremony, participating as
| Sponsor to Bellinger, was DR.. Francis
| C. Clark, who has since also become
famous in the service of his country
during the past great war, as Lieut.
enant F. C. Clark, NJ. c., United
States Navy senior grade, in charge
of the Naval Quarantine of the Port
of New York.
The NC l commanded by Lit.
Comdr. Lynch Bellinger, is consider
ed as having. made a remarkable
flight from Rockaway to Trepassey
Bay, covering 1000 miles. The total
flying for the seaplane over this
course was sixteen hours, or an aver
age o"more than sixty two miles an
hour.
The people of Cheraw are given
great pleasure in knowing that 1t.
Lynch Bellinger is one of their towns
folk. He was born and reared in
Cheraw. His sanity mother, Miss
| Eleanor Lynch, daughter of Francis
Lynch, was also born, married and
died in Cheraw. She left her orphan
boy in the care Of her sister, Miss
Marie Lynch, and it is owing to the
cultured and refined example of her
life. and the tender influences OF her
home, that he owes his success. The
religious part of his life he received
from his Pastor Father Dubois WOOD,
who prepared him for his first Con-
fession, his first Holy Communion and
his serving at Mass, and his final Con
germation which took place in the
Catholic church in Florence.