The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1919-06-16
B|PLANE CROSSES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
I'm Sixteen Hours and Twelve
Minutes. Makes Continu-
GUS Nonstop
HIT TO IRELAND

London, June 15.-The final goal
of all the ambitions which flying men
have ventured to dream since the
| Wright Brothers first rose from the
| earth in a heavier-than-air machine,
was realized yesterday morning
when two young British officers.
Captain John Alcock and Lieut. Ar
| thur w. Brown, landed on the Irish
| coast after the first nonstop fight
across the Atlantic ocean.
Their voyage was without acci-
dent and without unforeseen incident
so far as can be learned. 1t was
straightaway clean cut flight achiev-
ed in sixteen hours and twelve min
| utes, from New Foundland to Cliff
den, Ireland a distance of more than
1900 miles
But the brief and modest descrip-
tion which comes from the airmen at
| Clifden tells of an adventurous and
amazingly hazardous enterprise. Fog
lantic, and the Vickers Vimy bipIane
climbed and dove, struggling to ex-
tricate herself from the folds of the
| airplane's worst enemy.
| She rose to 1900 feet, swooped
down almost to the surface of the
sea, and at times the two navigators
found themselves flying upside down
only ten feet above the water.
| Before coming to earth near the
| Clifden wireless station, Alcock
circled the wireless aerials, seeking
the best spot to reach the earth, but
no suitable ground was found, so he
chanced it in a bog.
The wireless staff rushed to the
aid of the aviators. They found
Brown dazed and Alcock tenpcrar-
pact. AS soon as they were able to
be escorted to the wireless station
ahey telegraphed the news to their
friends; then had breakfast.
THAT is the best way to cro.s the
Atlantic" said Lieut.. Brown. after
he had eaten.
| London, June 15.-Capt. John AL
cock and Lieut.. Arthur W. Brown in
their vickers V1my biplane landed
at Clifden, Ireland, yesterday, com
pleting the first nonstop airplane
flight across tn e Atlantic. Their
trip from St. Johns, N. F., was made
in 16 hours and IL minutes.
/ The LANDING pnndo o% 0.An
O'Clock, British summer time In
taking the ground the machine
struck heavily and the fuselage
| ploughed into the sand. Neither of
the occupants were injured.
Much of the flight was made
through fog, with an occasional
drizzle. This hampered the airmen
considerably during their journey.
Captain Alcock explained the 81
lence of his radio instrument during
the trip by saying that the wireless
propeller blew off soon after the air
plane left Newfoundland.
| 1--WE were much jammed by
strong wireless signals, not intend
ed for u.s." he added.
F! When word was received here OF
| the accident to the machine in
landing arrangements were made for
mechanics to leave London imme-
| diately to make repairs.
Word came from CIifden this af-
ternoon that the pilot and the navi-
gator of the biplane were leaving for
| Galway whence Lieut.. Brown plan
ned to travel by train to London, ar
irving there on Tuesday morning
| Captain Alcock, however, hoped to
be able to fly to London in the ma
chine which made the record fight
as soon as it could be repaired. 1t
was planned to have him give an ex-
hibition over London in the machine,
if possible.
The Aero Club received a message
from Clifden not long after the trans
Atlantic f1iers landed, signed by
them, which merely stated that they
had completed the fight in sixteen
hours and had landed safely.