113 MILES BY AIR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 133, 7 June 1910, Page 4

113 MILES BY AIR.

MR. WHITE'S FIRST GREATPLIGHT. STOPPED-BY WIND. (From Oar Special Correspondent.) , LONDON, April 29. Mr. Gra.Tin.Tne White's first attempt to wim the "Daily Mail" £10,000- prise for a fliglit from London to Manchester w&s made on Saturday last, and it overshadowed even the football cup final at the Crystal Palace in the' newspapers. Those who know what a hold Association football' ihas on j;he public- here can realise what that means.

: Whab particularly" pleased English people was the discovery that they had in England a really fine flyer who was one of themselves.. Literally at a bound, a. comparative novice had. lifted himself into the ranks of the men who had done big things in the air. Mr. White's cross-country flight from. London to Rugby was easily a record for England, and although M. Paulhan has beaten it since, it stands as one of the finest aeroplane flights yet achieved., Mr. White on. this journey covered 113 miles by air, descending, finally at Hademdre —fiS miles from Ms goaL

He started from Park .Royal at 5.12 on. Saturday morning, and circling round Wormwood Scrubs, so as, to get within ihe five mile limit of London prescribed by the conditions of the contest, he winged his way northward, following the railway line. The start was accomplished with the utmost ease. Three_rninutes later the aeroplane was over Wormwood Scrubs, and then ■ circling gracefully round, it started off on its long journey. Mr. White averaged- 40-miles- an hour, and xeached Rugby, at 7.20 a.m., landing quite gently in a field where his attendants were- him-. ' : BLUE WITH COED. Mr. White was- blue with cold, and walked rather painfully for a few moments. He tried to smile in answer to the cheers with -which he was greeted. His hands were- numbed and his teeth were chattering. He asked for food and fire, saying: "I am. etarving." Lady Denbeigh, who was present witlL Lord Itenbeigh, lent him her muff, and another lady put some furs round his neck. Then, -whale the mechanics- took his machine in hand, guarded 'by a squad of boy- scouts from the attentions of the growing . crowd, the a-viator was driven away in a motor-car to a farm house. When- he had recovered from the effects of his and while he was eating a, few biscuits, i.c gave a short account of his journey. "It was wretchedly cold all the way," he said** "and I was cold at the start- My eyes suffered towards the end, and my fingers were quite numbed,"

He- added that he never had any hesitation .about the route, as lie was quite familiar with the country between London and Rugby. He saw the first, patch of whitened railway sleepers at Roade, indicating to Mm the line to- follow. Here there -was a gusty wind. He had overtaken and passed three or four railway trains, and he could see groups of people all the -way cheering him. His highest altitude was about 1,100 ft., but his average height was about 400 ft. His speed varied according to the directions of the line. As some places he was hindered by the wind, at others it increased his speed to more than.. 60 miles an hour. BEATEN BY THE WEST). Ascending again at 8.25 a.m., the aviator fiei right over Rugby.,. ■■ This second flight northwards was another splendid, exhibition, Mr. White goin<* over towns and woods and" MH S without attempting to keep to. flat country. - But be was not destined t& reach Crewe, his next appointed stopping-place. Thirty mileg beyond Rugby the motor gave trouble-, amir a small screw in the inlet valve of a cylinder broke. A stiff breeze was *hen bkwing, and- it tvas not without difficulty 4h.at a. laadiaig was' made,

this time in a field at Hademoro "t xofles south of Inthed4c°? which was made at 9.20 -sun, * broken.. ~ - wa *

Long", and anxiously the atri.* waited for *6e wind to ****£?£*■: the weather grew steadily worse 4k 7 pjn. he.Was obliged to admit that l further ascent could not be made. \r Farman, his adviser, declared that flyh£ in such a. wind was quite out of ttf question. There was nothing for it but to wait for morning. Mr. White d clared lie would start at 3 ajn. on Snnl day, -which would give him time fc>reach Manchester before 5.15 ajn., wW the 24 hours' -time limit would ejmire But it -was not to be. The wind iiwstead of falling, grew stronger, 'w White climbed into his seat: on 'the' aeroplane at 3.30 a.m., but found that an ascent was out of the question. Sβ •the great effort had perforce to remait unfinished. During Sunday night th* aeroplane was badly damaged by ths gale, bat by Tuesday it had been, brought back to London and repaired. FLTDJG AND THE LITANY. Mr. Grahame White accompanied his mother and sister to divine service at St. Mary's Parish Church, at Idehfield, 05 Sunday. The service was especially m, teresting. _ , Sj When the general thanksgiving part o { the service was reached, the vicar axt< nounced that Mrs. WMte desired to rei turn thanks to Almighty God for thg safety of her son in Ms flight. A striking addition was also made tt the supplication in the litany, a prayej being offered for the preservation of aXi who travel by land, by water, and by air. ' .vi

Mrs. White followed her son's fugh| ■ in a motor-car. "On reaching liehfielii :■ she burst into the room where he was lunching at the hotel, embraced him, ahdi congratulated him upon having unscathed from his fight with the- winct "You have done splendidly! It is nificent!" she cried in her joy. "