FRUITLESS SEARCH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 82, 17 January 1928, Page 6

FRUITLESS SEARCH

THE MISSING AIRMEN. SOCKBURN MACHINES RETURN. (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Both Captain J. L. Findlay, officer in charge of the Wigram Aerodrome, and Captain Buckley, who have been engaged in making aeroplane searches tor the missing aviators, returned to Christchurch yesterday. * Captain Buckley reached the aerodrome shortly after 4 p.m., and Captain Findlay, who left Wellington at 4 p.m., landed at 6.15 p.m. Both had good trips down, the weather being favourable for flying. It is considered unlikely that the services of the airmen will again be needed in the search for the missing men.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER. WELLINGTON, January 16. The Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. •J. Rolleston) stated to-day that the report from the master of the Kaiwarra had been, carefully perused, and while it was very definite regarding the sighting of the plane m the vicinitv of Porirua Harbour at li , Ao trace bad been found on any of the beaches or surrounding country to indicate that a. landing had been made. The searching aeroplanes hacl covered the whole of the country between Cape Palliser and TV anganui Heads and as Captain Findlay had the assistance of two observers with powerful glasses and visibility was perfect, there is no reason to think now that the airmen are anywhere in that vicFindlay even _ flew l°wer over the valleys than could be deemed •:afe to convince him that every valley should be viewed. Practically every portion of the country along the coast L stated above and inland from east of Otaki to Palliser Bay has been searched.

SEARCH IN TASMAN SEA.

WARSHIPS FIND NO TRACE. AUCKLAND, January 16. With her funnels blistered by excessive heat, and giving the appearance that she had been through heavy weather.- H.M.S. Diomede returned at /.dU this morning after a search lor the missing airmen. , , Until the area of search was reached, the Diomede kept a steady 24-knot pace, and that speed was not alteied until the search was abandoned. At daylight on Saturday the vessel was in 37deg. smin. south latitude and 171 deg. 30min. east longitude. While searching the area, a man was stationed in the foretop, and the officers kept a lookout from the budge. 4t no time were the watchers able to see more than five' miles away, nor was any other vessel sighted dunn o t]) Yesterday the Diomede raninto heavy weather, and last night on the run clown the East Coast, the seas were so high that they swept over the bl One officer told a reporter that it was the roughest night he had known foi the trip, 430 tons of oil were used and the money spent on fuel alone will amount to £1505.

SOUTH ISLAND BEACHES SEARCHED. WELLINGTON, January 16. The Post Office reports that all the beaches on the West Coast of theSout Island from Farewell Spit to the box River and Tiromoana have been searched without a sign being found.

SUPPOSED TENT ON RANGES. PROVED TO BE A WHITE ROCK. WELLINGTON, January 16. The following message was receiveu at, 6.4 C to-night by the Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department (Mr G. McNamara) from the postmaster at Featherston: —

“Chief-Guide Cross reports that the obiect sighted by Dir G. Phillips and pointed out to me proved on investigation to be a grey: rock, almost covered by a white lichen.”

NO FLARES CARRIED. WELLINGTON, January 16. The Director of Air Services, Maior T.. M. Wilkes, made the followin'1 ’ statement with reference to Captain Davies’s statement that two flares were seen to drop from the aeroplane: “It has been definitely established that no flares were carried, and the suggestion previously nmde that cotton waste soaked in petrol was lighted and thrown from the machine can be dismissed, as toe great danger of a naked light m an aeroplane" would certainly not >h& entertained by pilots of Lieutenant Moncrieff’s and Captain Hood’s experience. No navigation lights were carried as part of the aircraft’s equipment and the light of small pocket torches, stated to have been handed to Lieutenant Monorieff before taking off > could not bo seen from a distance from which the engine could not be heard. In any case a beam of light would, in all probability be directed on the instruments which were situated in the front of the cockpit, well forward of the leading ed-m of the ’plane, and therefore could not illuminate it. In his statement, Captain Davies refers to the upper part of the ’plane, but no light in the cabin, however powerful, could light up the upper surface, and observers from below could not so? it.”'