ATLANTIC CROSSED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 158, 16 April 1928, Page 5

ATLANTIC CROSSED

THE GERMAN AIRMEN

, THEIR FLIGHT AT GREfiNLY. I

THE DIFFICULTY OF RESCUE

(Received This my 8.50 am) NEW YORK, April 14. The outstanding fact of a day, fiUed -with reported efforts to reach the aur men on the Bremen is that they are as completely isolated as if at the Nevrfh Pole They are unahle to get -Sfandtone ialfe to teach Green*. The ice-eutter -Montcalm may Jet there even before aerial efforts can though one machine fas started from Canada and others may start to-snetrow. The really serious effort to send a. 'plane to Labrador now. rests with <£mmander Byrd, who has been strongly urged to fly one of his skiSSS 'piaffes to Greenly. He, howexpressed grave doubts as to his ability to land his machine there without doing it serious damage, thus in no way remedying the situation. The prospects of'the Bremen being ? repaired f&nd continuing its 'flight unaided are small. There is neither equipment nor petrol at Greenly. Efforts to charter sealing steamers rgfcfc Newfoundland to make the trip to Greenly have been unsuccessful, skippers declaring it too great a risk to trust 'their vessels and crews to the dangerous ice-jams, and expressing scepticism as to the Montcalm s ability to overcome the ice.—Australian Press Association.

BREMEN LOST IN FOG. QUEBEC, April 14. Tho first message detailing the flight stated- "The Bremen wandered about ihe *ddes lost in a dense fog for four hours, and was forced to land at 5.d0 .eastern standard time. The machine was damaged and this,possibly will delay tiie hight to New ifork lor some d4ys. * ,<xxi and siielter are obtamabie " ilie Government ice-breaker Mont«aim left the Gulf of St. Lawrence today under iorced steam for Point ArWur, Labrador, to bring the airmen ±o<Canada on Sunday or Monday. Iwo Canadian 'planes are leaving to-day or to-morrow to rescue the airmen. The first definite news from the flyers says that the 'plane is so badly damaged she is unable to continue the iUtsht for several days. The airmen are , in good condition.—Australian Press Association.

FORCED DOWN JN SNOWSTORM.

OTTAWA, April 14. The Prime Minister has sent a telegram of congratulation, upon the safe arrival of the German airmen on Canadian territory. All business was! suspended while the news was read. Colonel Balston announced m Parliament that the Bremen was forced <dov.n in a snowstorm ; on Greeniey Island where a lighthouse was situated Be said the flyers would be well oared for by the hghthouse employees..—Australian Press Association.

MESSAGE FROM EX-KAISER. GERMAN ABILITY PROVED. (Received This Day, 8.50 a.m.) NEW YORK, April 14. The fliers have received a message of congratulation from ex-Kaiser Wiliielm, containing the observation that the flight demonstrated German ability * 4 for defiance of all opposition to German aircraft construction. Per- aspera ad astra" (To the stars by a rough road). —Australian Press Association.

ODDS AGAINST THEM. TOOK A SPORTING CHANCE. LONDON, April 14. The "Daily Express's" aviation correspondent reveals that Commandant iFitzmaurice, on the night before departure, said to him: "I don't think there is a sporting chance." Nevertheless, he was desperately keen. He Imew the odds were against success, fcut he went into the adventure with his eyes open. He added:' "For a decent chance we want three engines and 60 hours' fuel, and wireless. Personally, I think navigation will be the chief cause of failure. There is nothing to go on when one is flying uncharted seas against the rotation of the «arth. Nobodv knows what magnetic «ffect this will have on the instruments."

Commandant Fitzmaurice scoffed at the idea that paraffin oil would avoid the peril of ice on the wings, saying it would all be evaporated before they left the Irish coast. A noted cross-Channel pilot advanced the theory that magnetic influences might so disturb the instruments that even the altimeter might be so affected as to register thousands of feet high, when the 'plane was actually flying close to the sea. —Australian Press Association.

NOTIFICATION OF LANDING. THE QUESTION OF RELIEF. NEW YORK, 'April 13. Confirmation of the safe landing of the Bremen at Gieenley Island, Labrador, was received by a wireless message to the North German Lloyd Co.'s office from Baron von Hoenefeld,. one of the crew.

The message read: "Made safe intermediate landing on Greenly Island, 1 by lack of fuel and strong le-°d winds encountered on the way."

The New York "Times" received a message from the Halifax radio station statin*? that the Canadian Press and Can?dian Pacific Railways? confirmed the landing of the Bremen on Greenley Island. The machine is undamaged and tho r-revr are safe. • The New York correspondent of the Tnistem Agencv of Berlin has just advised his proprietors by wireless telephone as follows: —"All circumstances indicate that the report that the Bremen landed on Greenley Island is true. I am trying to get confirmation by

Wireless, and as sc%n as this is obtain-1 ed a Junkers aeroplane, the only one of its kind in the United States, which j has been kept there as a sample machine, will pre'bably try, to reach there as no other means of getting to the island quiokly exists. Greeniey Island is heavily icebound and trading vessels will probably not venture into northern waters -for a month. The only other: possibility is sending a dog sledge team from Quebec." , ri Mr Henry Schopzel, the North German Lloyd representative, has sent the following message to Baron von Huenefekl: "in view of reported damage, and on account of lack of fuel in your machine, the Junker Fl 3 will be sent to you to continue the flight." There are conflicting reports concerning the time of landing. Furthermore,,; it is now stated that the machine is only slightly damaged. Although the, aviators are uninjured, efforts are being made to secure an aeroplane equipped with skis, at Boston or Quebec, m an effort to reach the flyers. It is likely that they will be brought to New York within the course of the next few days. There is some belief that if the Bremen is not too ,seriously damaged she may be able to continue the flight from Greeniey Island to New York. n . i _..... The remoteness of Greeniey Island, on which the aviators have landed, is emphasised by the delay which occurred in the word of their safety reaching the outside world. Messengers had to traverse the 20 miles between the Island and the radio station either on foot or by means of a dog team, over the ice.—Australian Press Association.

PROUD GERMAN WOMEN. BERLIN, April 14. The happiest women in .Germany are Baron von Hoenefeld's aged mother and Herr Koehl's young wife. . , Cheering crowds surrounded their houses all day long. The former repeatedly came on to her iporch, over which was nailed a gilded horseshoe, and acknowledged the acclamations. The ex-Kaiser cabled congratulations to the aviators, paying a special tribute to the German aeroplane industry, which, though gagged, was.able to construct a machine capable of performing such a feat.—Australian Press Association.

GREAT WELCOME PLANNED

(PRESIDENT'S CONGRATULATIONS

(Received This Dsy, -9,5 a.m.) NEW YORK, April 14. Interest in the Bremen's flight seemingly has doubled overnight, the safety of the fliers and their peculiar isolation adding to the interest. Literally hundreds of messages of congratulation from American fliers and men prominent in official life have been sent Jjy wireless to the fliers. Mr Coolidge's felicitations were sent by wireless immediately after the news of the landing had been confirmed. He is also congratulating tthe Irish and German nations.

In the meantime New York City is planning an official welcome to the fliers on their arrival 'here. The preparations are on an unprecedented scale. Efforts will be'made at a great State dinner to broadcast speeches by them around the world. Mr William Thompson, ; in the name of Chicago, has sent a wireless message to the aviators inviting them to be the guests of that city.—Australian Press Association.