June 5, 1919] 



NATURE 



267 



munication with distant stations from a motor- 

 bus in motion. The aerial fixed on the bus 

 was only a rectang-ular coil about 3 ft. 

 square, containing- a few turns of wire. The 

 bus drove some miles towards Colchester, 

 and then its position was accurately located by 

 the Marconi direction-finding device, which was 

 so useful in other days for locating" the position 

 of enemy aircraft. Now it promises to be 

 very useful in connection with navigation 

 by sea and air. In the English Channel, 

 for instance, a ship furnished with direc- 

 tion-finding- gear can check its position at 

 frequent intervals by taking- bearings on the 

 numerous shore wireless stations without disturb- 

 ing- them in their work. The relative position of 

 other ships also can be ascertained, and the 

 dangers of navigation in fog- g-reatly lessened. 



The Marconi Co. is erecting- a huge aerial in 

 Buenos Aires, and it seems probable that in two 

 or three years' time telephonic speech will be 

 possible between this country and the Arg-en- 

 tine. Unlike ordinary telephonic waves trans- 

 mitted over wires which travel with speeds 

 depending- on their wave-lengths, aerial waves all 

 seem to travel with the same speed, and so it is 

 hig-hly probable that, even over this distance, 

 there will be no "speech distortion." 



THE ATLANTIC FLIGHT. 



THE American seaplane N.C.4 has completed 

 its flight to England, via the Azores and 

 Portug-al, and arrived at Plymouth at 1.26 p.m. 

 G.M.T. last Saturday. The honour of the first 

 Atlantic crossing by air thus falls to the Americans, 

 though the yet greater honour of the first direct 

 flight from continent to continent remains to be 

 won. The feat accomplished by the N.C.4 clearly 

 illustrates the advantage of the seaplane for long 

 flights over the ocean, owing to its ability to 

 alight on the water in any calm locality and carry 

 out minor repairs, if necessary. Even in mid- 

 Atlantic such an aircraft would have a fair chance 

 to rectify some slight defect and proceed on its 

 course, whereas an aeroplane is certain to be 

 useless for further flight if forced to descend on 

 the water. 



The three longest stages of the flight of the 

 N.C.4 were as under : — 



Miles 



Newfoundland to the Azores ... 1381 

 Azores to Portugal ... ... 904 



North of Spain to Plymouth ... 500 



The machine also made a flight of 190 miles in 

 the Azores, and proceeded from Lisbon to the 

 North of Spain in two short stages before making 

 the final flight to England. The last 500 miles 

 were accomplished in 5 hours, a fact that speaks 

 well for the condition of the machine after its 

 preceding long journeys. The seaplane was 

 obliged to fly very low on account of fog, and 

 the greater part of the last stage was covered at 

 an altitude of less than 100 ft. The satisfactory 

 termination of this trans-Atlantic flight reflects the 

 NO. 2588, VOL. 103] 



greatest credit upon Lt.-Commdr. Read and his 

 crew, who will ever be remembered as the first 

 persons to cross the Atlantic by air. 



In view of the length of the first stage of this 

 historic flight, viz. 1381 miles, it seems reason- 

 able to expect that a machine of this typ)e should 

 soon be able to attempt the direct passage — a 

 distance only 420 miles greater than that already 

 accomplished. An aerial voyage from England 

 to Australia also seems well within the reach of 

 such a seaplane, convenient harbours or lakes 

 en route being selected as halting-places. A sea- 

 plane has the disadvantage, for such a flight, that 

 a forced landing on terra firma is as fatal as is 

 a descent at sea to an aeroplane, and it is con- 

 ceivable that the future will produce a machine 

 capable of alighting either on water or land. 

 Such a machine would have vast possibilities, but 

 the design presents many diflficulties. 



Meanwhile, another great triumph has been 

 added to the record of flight, and it seems likely 

 that the present year will witness even greater 

 achievements in the aeronautical world. 



NOTES. 



The honours announced on the occasion of the 

 King's birthday on June 3 number several thousand, 

 but are confined almost entirely to the fighting forces. 

 A further list will be issued in "a few days. We notice 

 in the list published on Tuesday the following distinc- 

 tions conferred upon men known in the scientific 

 world:— X.C.5./.: Dr. Michael E. Sadler, Vice- 

 Chancellor of the University of Leeds and chairman 

 of the Calcutta University Commission. CLE.: Lt.- 

 Col. J. Stephenson, principal and professor of biology. 

 Government College, Lahore, and Mr. R. S. Hole, 

 Imperial Forest Botanist, Dehra Dun. Knights 

 Bachelor: Mr. Charles Bright and Dr. J. H. Mac- 

 Farland, Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. 



With the approval of H.R.H. the Duke of Con- 

 naught, president of the Royal Society of Arts, the 

 council has awarded the society's Albert medal for 

 1919 to Sir Oliver Lodge "in recognition of his work 

 as the pioneer of wireless telegraphy." The medal 

 was instituted in 1864 to reward "distinguished service 

 in promoting arts, manufactures, and commerce." 

 The presentadon will be made by the Duke of Con- 

 naught at Clarence House on June 6. 



The annual visitation of the Royal Observatorv, 

 Greenwich, will be held on Saturday,' June 14. 



Lord Bledisloe has been elected chairman of the 

 governors of the Royal Agricultural College, Ciren- 

 cester, in succession to Lord Moreton, who has 

 resigned. 



Dr. Joseph Burrf.ll, who, after serving for five 

 years as assistant professor oif geology at Yale Uni- 

 versity, was appointed to a full professorship in 1908, 

 died recently in his fiftieth year. 



Mr. Harold King, of the Wellcome Chemical 

 Research Laboratories, has been appointed by the 

 Medical Research Committee to the post of organic 

 chemist in the department of biochemistry and phar- 

 macology. 



A conference on -The Benefit to the Workman 

 of Scientific Management " will be held under the 



