The sun., 1919-10-27

Had not war come in August, 1914,
John Cyril Porte would have led the,
first effort to cross the Atlantic Ocean
in a flying machine He spent the spring
and summer Of 1914 at Hammondsport,
n. Y, while Glenn Curtiss was building
and assembling the largest flying boat
planned UP to that time for Rodman
wanamaker. Tho size Of the boat made
it an experiment, particularly with re-
gard to engines, fuel and the difficulty
of securing the initial rise from the
water.
There were many delays. Porte, then
a Lieutenant of the Royal Navy, en-
dured successive disappointments with
impatience. He was a big, deep chested
Irishman who had won honors In sub
marine work, and the ambition to be
first in the effort to CROSS the Atlantic
in the air consumed him. Curtiss. the
designer and builder, subordinated ro-
nance to practical details and refused
to turn the hydroairplane, which had
been christened the America, over to
Porte until everything possible within
the limits of flying as It had been de-
veloped before the war had been done
The America rose from the waters
Of Lake Keuka for the first time on
June 20, 1914. Porte then counted on
St Johns, Newfoundland, in July.
During her trial flights the America
underwent rough treatment owing to
the ineSperience of even the experts that
Curtiss had at his plant to handle such
a large boat. On July 25 Curtiss def
nitely decided that there could be no
transatlantic fight until october. Wan
| amaker backed him up.
Porte submitted reluctantly, but with
grace. He said he was disappointed. but
that Curtiss was right and that Wanna
makers sportsmanship made his wishes
deserving of compelling consideration.
AS soon as the war broke out he went
back to England
The route Porte planned to follow was
| similar to that later successfully negoti-
ated by Lleutenant-Command Read of
| the American Navy in the NC-4. Porte
originally considered a direct flight from
New Foundland to the cost of Ireland.
| but changed this for one from st. Johns
| to the Azores, to Oporto, to Queenstown.
Porte was born in Bandan, County
| Cork, in 1888. He was the son of a rec
| tor OF the Church of England. He was
| privately educated and entered the Brit
| ish navy in 1898. He entered the sub
marine branch and his achievements dur
| ing the period when the undersea boats
1
| him distinction in Government circles.
| Porte's hard work with the submarines
injured him permanently and he was re-
tired as an invalid in 1911. He had be-
come interested in flying and after his
retirement gave q scientific interest &c
the art. He was among the first tc
| supplement practical experiment b!
study of the mathematical principles.
When he recovered his health In 9
measure Porte became a pilot. For 6
time he was a military demonstration Of
the French Derperdussin machine. After
he had become an acknowledged exper
his thoughts turnd to the transatlantic
project. He worked with energy tC
bring about an attempt to cross thu
ocean with himself as the pilot Tha
he was able to go as far as he did and
yet be baked was very real TRACED,
to him.
Porte, as a squadron commander o
the British air forces, was in America
in 1915 on q tour of inspection of fly
ing machine plants. He brought wore
that the America was a member of &
British squadron and had made a mum
bef of successful flights.
He caused a Handley Page machine
to be sent to st. Johns in May las
with the idea of competing for thu
Daily Mails $4,000 prize. The priz'
had been won before he could follow