Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-27
Covers First Half of Trip
Travelling at Rate Of
100 Miles an Hour.

POnta Delgada, May 27.-
(By the Associated PreSs.)-
With Commander A. c. Read
confident that he will reach
the coast of Portugal before
darkness, thus achieving the
coveted honor of making the
first transatlantic flight, Unit
ed States seaplane n. Ca
started for Lisbon this morn
ing at 10:1S o'clock Green
Wich time, or Gals New York
time (5:lS Rock Island time.)
The crew of the seaplane, which
was the same as that which made
the flight recently from NewfounG-
land to the Azores, boarded the
plane an hour before sunrise. but
it was not until several hours
later that the giant machine TAXED
outside the breakwater, headed TO
windward and rose gracefully
into the air. She circled the har-
Dor and then headed for her des-
tination amid cheers from the sail
ors and soldiers who lined the
decks of the ships in the harbor,
together with the shrieks of whis-
ties from all the steam craft with
in sight
Weather is Perfect.
The weather was almost perfect
with a warm spring sun shining
on the waters Of the bay. There
were a few clouds and the slight
northwest wind was favorable to
the flyers. Weather experts pre-
dicted that the plane might en-
counter clouds and possibly occa-
sional rain squalls midway Of the
course.
Lieutenant Commander Read in
tends to remain in Lisbon over
/ night and start for Plymouth, Eng
land. tomorrow morning. weather
permitting.
II DestrCyeTs on Route.
The course between here and
Portugal is marked by "A Amer
ican destroyers, to guide the flyers
| and if necessary give them assist
ance.
The departure of the n. Ca.
which was set for an early hour,
was delayed by trouble with the
fourth engine.
(On a successful flight of the
United States naval seaplane n.
CA from Ponta Delgada to Lisbon
today depended the completion Of
| the transatlantic flight started
from Trepassey, n. F., on May Is.
this seaplane being the one sur
vivor of the three that assayed the
! trip. The n. C.-1 and y. C.-3 and
! y. CA started from Rockaway
| Point, n. Y, on May S. on the pre-
liminary leg of their flight across
| the Atlantic The n. C.-l and n. C.-3
made a continuous flight to Hall
fax. The n. ca, however, encoun-
tered engine trouble and was forced
to alight on the sea off Cheatham,
Mass. 1t was towed into the harDor
and repaired.
Left Trepassey May 16.
| On May IA the n. CA arrived at
Halifax. The next day it continued
to Trepassey, where it Joined the
J n. C.-1 and N C.-3 which had ar
rived there May 10. The three sea-
| planes left Trepassey May 16, and
/ the n. CA arrived at Horta, in tns
Azores the next day. having been
| in the air 13 hours. The n. C.-1 lost
/ her way in a fog and her crew was
/ picked up by a Greek steamer and
/ taken to the Azores, the plane ne
/ ing lost. The n. C.-3, after losing
her bearings. alighted on the sea,
and 50 hours later entered the haT-
| Dor of Ponta Delgada. Azores, uL-
der her own power. She was so bad
ly battered by the seas she encoun-
tered, however, that she was retired
1 from the contest
In charge of the n. CA are Lieu
tenant Commander Albert Cushing
Reed, and five companions.
From Ponta Delgada to Lisbon
/ is approximately 7S6 miles.)