Unfortunately, the small propeller which drives the dynamo and generates the current for the wireless radio instruments had jarred loose and blown away shortly after the machine ascended into the air, and the atmosphere was so surcharged with electricity that Lieutenant Brown could not get any radio messages through, and the airship was lost to the world for over sixteen hours. During the flight the men experienced many thrills, primarily because they had no sense of horizon, due to the thick fog which prevailed most of the way over. Under those conditions the navigation was remarkable, and when the aviators saw the aerials at Clifden they were delighted. In landing they mistook the bog for a field, and consequently made a bad landing, for the machine sank into the bog and stuck there badly damaged in the wing.
Captain Alcock’s Story
Describing the experiences of himself and Lieutenant Brown, Captain Alcock, in a message from Galway to the London Daily Mail, which awarded them the $50,000 prize for making the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic between Europe and America, said:
“We had a terrible journey. The wonder is that we are here at all. We scarcely saw the sun or moon or stars. For hours we saw none of them. The fog was dense, and at times we had to descend within 300 feet of the sea.
“For four hours our machine was covered with a sheet of ice carried by frozen sleet. At another time the fog was so dense that my speed indicator did not work, and for a few minutes it was alarming.
“We looped the loop, I do believe, and did a steep spiral. We did some comic stunts, for I have had no sense of horizon.
“The winds were favorable all the way, northwest, and at times southwest. We said in Newfoundland that we could do the trip in sixteen hours, but we never thought we should. An hour and a half before we saw land we had no certain idea where we were, but we believed we were at Galway or thereabouts.
“Our delight in seeing Eastal Island and Tarbot Island, five miles west of Clifden, was great. The people did not know who we were, and thought we were scouts looking for Alcock.
“We encountered no unforeseen conditions. We did not suffer from cold or exhaustion, except when looking over the side; then the sleet chewed bits out of our faces. We drank coffee and ale, and ate sandwiches and chocolate.
“Our flight has shown that the Atlantic flight is practicable, but I think it should be done, not with an aeroplane or seaplane, but with flying-boats.