Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1919 — U. S. DIRIGIBLE LOST AT SEA [ARTICLE]

U. S. DIRIGIBLE LOST AT SEA

Huge Balloon, Ready to Cross the Atlantic, Escapes From Moorings. DESTROYERS HUNT RUNAWAY Navy Seaplane* NC-1 and NC-3 Start to Azores and Then ReturnFuel on Board Holds Them to Water. St. Johns, N. F., Muy 16. —The cruiser Chicago reported that she had been in communication with a British steamer about eighty miles east of St. Johns by wireless, the Britisher reporting that she lias secured the American dirigible C-5 "Which blew from its moorings here and headed for sea. The British steamer is standing by the airship awaiting the arrival of the United States destroyer Edwards which was sent in pursuit of the "blimp.” St. Johns, N. F„ May 16.—Plans of the United States navy for a transAtlantic flight by a dirigible received a serious jolt when the giant “blimp,” C-5, burst from her moorings In a gale and was swept out to sea soon after she had arrived from Montauk Point, after being in the air continuously for 25 hours and 45 minutes. The destroyer Edwards immediately set out in pursuit, wdth orders to bring the big gas bag down with antiaircraft artillery If necessary. Even if the Edwards is unable to rescue the ‘blimp” before some serious misfortune befalls her, it probably will require some time to repair the damage which will result from her fall into the ocean. One Nearly Carried Off. < Lieut. Charles G. Little of Newburyport, Mass., who was given charge of the C-5 after her crew had beep bundled off to bed aboard the cruiser Chicago, was almost carried away by the fugitive gas bag, while making a nervy attempt to deflate it. Seated in the blimp’s nacelle when she broke away, he seized the rip cord and gave a tug which should have opened up the big envelope and permitted the gas to escape. The cord broke, however, and Lieutenant Little, realizing he would be unable to bring the ship down, leaped out from a height of 25 feet. His only injury was a sprained ankle. Follows Battle With Wind. The escape of the C-5 followed a long struggle by sailors from the cruiser Chicago to prevent Its Injury when gusty west winds swept across its mooring place in Quldlcldi Basin •nd began to swing it about. Several of the sailors, clinging to guy ropes, were thrown down by We dirigible s flna> tug, but none was injured. The loss of the blimp was a bitter disappointment to Lieut. Commander Emery W. Coll and his crew of five. Despite a heavy fog and unfavorable weather they had brought the big ship over a 1,300-mlie course from Montauk Point with a performance record which they were confident would have brought the coveted order from the navy department to attempt the overseas flight. Start to Azores; Return. Trepassey, N. F., May 16. The American navy seaplanes NC-1 and NC-3 started on the trans-Atlantic flight to the Azores, but after cruising off the harbor both planes turned back. The NC-1 left her moorings and taxied for the hopoff at 5:34 p. m (Newfoundland time), while the NO? left at 5:52 p. m. The planes moved into position for the start under their own power. Launches followed them toward the mouth of the harbor. The giant gray planes, with their red, white and blue rudders -flashing In the sunshine, darted from their moorings and shot by the mother ships Prairie, Aroostook and Hlsko, heading for the harbor narrows, several miles distant, churning up hug waves behind them. NC-4 Reaches Trepassey. The two planes came to a stop on the water and apparently began discharging excess fuel. The NC-2 and NC-3 refused to rise from the water with the heavy loads of fuel which had been taken aboard. While the NC-1 and NC-3 were returning to their moorings the NC-4 flew over them as she finished the flight from Halifax. She arrived here at 6:51 p. m.