The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-20

ing q sense of equilibrium in the smo,,
ering gray. But unlike CommanS.-
Reads craft, the NC-1 did not catd
gliplpse of land through a rift in ths o..
ANA see one OF the sharp peaks OF rs
islands projecting above It,
Plane AliEhts without InIu,,
The fog thickened as the plane ss,.,
downward through 1t and the wind cyr
rents changed their direction. but nevs,
theless, according to the commsnd.t
Pilots Mitscher and BARN dropped N,
veteran plane OF the division down ~
the sea without injury. when, rfter tvO
hours OF blind flying, he reluctantly yayo
the order to descend. 1t appears thar,
fore that in the Ave hours on the va,sr
which was trough and choppy. W.T.
heavy swells," the leaping waves din co
much damage that the plane was nei,to.
sea nor airworthy when the steamsbin
Ionia was sighted. Commander pe1.
linger omits all reference to damage IA
the plane, but IL Is certain that Il vo,
considerable, or, as the captain q, a
duly commissioned naval Ship" Ia
would not have left her.
Reports from other sources state tb,,
the right wing OF the NC-1 Is bsdI.
broken, the wing tip pontoon carried
away, the elevators broken and tho
fabric and left wing ribs badly dan.
aged. The hull liz leaking also
Commander Bellinger's statement fo.
lows:
The NC-1 was the last plane to tax.
the air at Trepassey, doing 80 at 10 10
p. NJ. Friday Greenwich time New.
foundlapd time, 6 10 p. NJ. We pro.
ceeded on the course, being guided b.
the smoke and searchlights from the de.
stroyors ard the star shells they sent IN
After passing most of the station shin,
We did not meet with any trouble unit
we got into fog at II: 10 A. NJ. Green.
wich time Saturday, when we were near
station IS. Destroyer Craven. After being
in the fog for some time We alighted OF
tho water at 10 P. NJ. Saturday
I'VE kept to our course until we struck
tho fog when we lost our bearings We
deemed it advisable to head into IL.
wind toward land TO get our bearings
before proceeding We were then flying
about 5000 feet up. We dropped 10 nifty
feet in order to sight water and found
that the wind was in a different direction
on the surface of the water than It was
above and also that the fog wa. mora
dense at the lower altitude.
1--WE made q good landing on the sea.
which was rough and choppy. with heavy
swells. The strong wind continued un'i
we were picked up.
at 6 y. NJ. Greenwich time we
sighted the nlasts OF the Ionia Oil rs
way to Tayal and Gibraltar above tne
horizon. We were unable TO see the hull
of the Iona and as she did not have
wireless we were unable TO communicate
with her. We therefore started taxing
tIfo IN Innia eivlitaI
US and lowered a boat which picked us
up at 6 30 P. NJ. Our position when we
were picked up was latitude 20 degrees
So minutes north, longitude 80 degree.
Is minutes west. City miles east
northeast of Corvo 1875 miles northwes.
of Horta). We tried TO salvage the
plane, but the tow lines of the Ions
broke and we were forced to give UP tie
attempt.
I'VE were rescued with difficulty be
cause the small boat of the Ionia was
tossed about like q cork All of US were
seasick, but otherwise we did not suffer
1--WE sent out 8 o S calls after land
ing. but the radio sending radius was
only SO miles on the surface OF the
water. While awaiting rescue We inter
cepted ges between destroyers
We last heard the radio of the NC,
at Gas O'Clock Saturday morning
"If thu fog had not been so thick ~.
could have continued to- Ponta Deissda.
Our engines worked splendidly through
out. The average altitude Of the figh.
was between 500 and $500 feet"
Lieutenant-Command Bellnger and
his crew, much refreshed after fftee7
hours sleep. are OF course out Of the
transatlantic race, but they will return
TO the United States with the knowledge
that they accomplished a nonstop flight
of more than half the distance to En-
rope ana failed in the whole distance
only because of the one obstacle which
30 far neither mariners nor aviators
have completely overcome-fog.
The wreck of the NC-1 was still ahoal
drifting thirty miles east OF Corvo. sc-
cording to a despatch received to-day
from Rear Admiral Jackson at Pon'a
Delgada.
The Fairfax Is standing by the NCl
thirty miles east OF Corvo," the messsgA
states. Both wings smashed and ore
pontoon missing Bellinger reports
NC-1 will not be In condition TO be
! IA 20 o.