The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-09

up its mooring on The nrst try.
Commander Towers and the others
went on board the cruiser Baltimore
tired out but very enthusiastic over the
performance OF the planes. Capt w. T.
Ciuy erius Of the Baltimore said he ex-
pected TO receive word at any moment
that the NC-t was approaching Halifax.
ILLS vessel Ia In communication with the
destroyers which were stretched along
from Cape Cod to Cape Sable. He would
give no reason why he expected the
NC-4. except to say that he believed the
only trouble was some slight difficulty
with an engine.
Soon after making a landing Com
mander Towers saw that his planes we're
refilled with gasolone for the night to-
morrow. The planes were towed by mo-
tor boat to the Baltimore. which has in
her hold n large quantity of Rasolene.
About 500 gallons OF ga1olene was taXen
aboard for the next leg Of the flight
which while shorter by eighty nautical
miles than the stretch covered to-day,
ts still a Night OF no mean distance.
weather conditions are much moro like
ly, by reason of the climate, to delay
or hinder the flight than was the case
In to-day's trip
To aid In the search for the missing
NC-< three destroysrs left port here to-
might. One will search the Maine and
New Brunswick coasts for the NC-4
while two others II Ia said. are taking
their positions In the line OF flight be-
tween this city and Newfoundland De-
stroyers on this stretch will be about
nifty miles apart.
Commander Towers would not talk
about the exploit OF the NC ships to-
night He said, however. that the
weather was mot bad" and that he
planned TO sail tomorrow morning.
The success of wireless telephony was
plainly proven by the fact that at no
time during the Journey were the NC-3
and mel out OF talking radius with
land stations and with the three de-
stroyers McDermot. Kimberly and
Delphy. which were stationed at sixty
or seventy mile intervals In the stretch
OF more than two hundred miles of
ocean between the tip of Cape Cod and
Cape Sable, Nova Scotia.
For this reason some uneasness has
been felt here concerning the missing
NC-f and Its passengers. The radio
apparatus, which was handled by En-
Ggn II, &. Rodd a wireless expert is
suficiently powerful to send 900 miles
while In the air but when on the water
the radius OF sending Is cut down to
from 100 to $50 miles because the trail
ing serial must be taken in and the
shorter wire on top of the plane used
This may account for the silence of
the NC-4. although II Is not thought
likely that the seap'ane could have
} wandered 100 miles away from the coast
or from tho destroyers now hunting for
her. One theory is that the wireless
apparatus is oat of order, while another
Is that tho plane lost her bearings and
speeded too far out to sea after possibly
: repairing her injured motor.
Engine Reported Repaired.
Just before reaching the McDermot.
nrst OF the three destroyers which was
stationed sixty miles north OF Cape Cod
the NC-4 reported by radio telephone to
Commander Towers that one Of the mo-
tors was giving trouble and that the
plane might have to come down to Ak Il.
The plane then Jagged behind the other
: two. which maintained their speed.
Z knowing that their sister ship wac in no
/. danger. Later Lieut.. Commander Read
/! notified Commander Towers that the
4, trouble had been fixed
The performance of the two NC-boats
which reached here made a deep impress
, sion, for the hopes of the British air
| men are pinned to one engine machines
Of very little weight while that Of the
Americans to the heavy. multi-engined
seaplanes. 1t was not thought likely
that the planes could make so long a
trip without experiencing trouble and
being compelled to land
The ease with which Commander
Towers kept In communication with the
land and with his superiors In Wash
inston is seen by the fact that even
h such comparatively unimportant mes
sages as congratulations from Acting
Secretary OF the Navy Franklin %
Roosevelt. and relayed cable assurances
from London that every facility Of the
British Admiralty would be offered to
L-the--A-aArtcaa-a Altman reached- hina-IIis-
ability to get last minute weather re-
ports, warnings of sudden storms, &c,
gives him a great advantage over his
rivals. The NC-3 and NC-l were in
communication with the cruiser Balti-
more. acting as supply ship here for the
expedition, long before the sharpest eyes
could see them. They first established
connections when forty miles away.
During their stay here the NC flying
boats will not be brought on land, but
Will anchor at moorings already placed
in the harbor near the Baltimore. It is
stated that from the time they leave
Rockaway until the end OF the flight at
Plymouth. England. they will remain
either on water or in the air. There
are no facilities for handling the great
planes. whose wing spread Is 126 feet
II II should seem necessary to put them
on land for repairs.
Cape Sable was sighted soon after
o'clock. and the last stretch Of the four
ney, 122 miles. made within sight of the
New Brunswick coast, was begun. The
122 miles were covered in an hour and
forty-fve minutes by the two seaplanes.
A strong northwest wind WAS blowing
here this afternoon. but this did not
materially hold back the seaplanes.
The huge numbers painted on each
side and on the bottom of the hull of
each seaplane made II extremely easy
to distinguish each seaplane from each
other. The destroyers likewise are Ia
belled conspicuously according to their