GUSTAV HAMEL'S FATE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 161, 8 July 1914, Page 8

GUSTAV HAMEL'S FATE.

1 BRITAIN'S GREATEST AIBMAN

LO*T IN THE ENGLISH CHAXXEJL. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON. M-ty 21. It w,u only l.i-t week th.it the newspapers werp -peculating upon Gustar Haroel's design to fly the Atlantic; to-day they are [-peculating on "hat manner or uo.uh !i.i.« overtaken that intrepid and popular aviator. Hamel was to have taken part in fie Aerial Deruy round London, which had been arranged to -tart ami lini-b a; Hendoil on Saturday. hut nliirli. owing to the neither condiIrion?. was postponed. During Lvt week Iho went to Paris to brin™ back a new IMorane-Sauluier monoplane, driven by a. J 160 hor.-e power Gnome motor, vrita which ho intended to compete, in the 'r.i.e. He started from Villacoubliy at 'half past four o'clock on Saturday mornJ in?, and landed near Lille about an hour jla in. He was afterward? reported to iiavo left Uoulosne .v half-past one :,.Mork. .in.l iOterwards to have iieen -•.vii Ui Ciilai.*. iiut alter tii.u all trw-itf ul .us Ilijiht have Itcen 10-i. The weather in tire lliaiini-1 on Saturday *.•- extremely uiifavouriblß lor Hying. There a thick mirt, and a strong westerly windconditions with which no one could be better acquainted than Mr. Hamel. who has flown acrois the Channel nearly a sr:ore of times.

As the day passed and there was no further news the mystery causod the deepest anxiety. Inquiries wore made in every direction. and Mr. Winston Churchill. First Lord of the Admiralty. i-au*ed instructions to be to the ships of the fleet in the Channel to make. a thorough search, both in the Channel and the North Sea. for traces of rh P raif,Miig aeronaut, and all ships within wireloj, i each were informed of the occurrence and .requested to keep a sharp lookout lor the aviator. Also all manner of aircraft were -cut aloft in every direction to find -ome signs of Haniel. But. beyond the statement of a ship's raptain" that he had soe:i an aeroplane of some flyinz towards England from Ihe direction of Calais, no* a. trace of thft mtsius aviator was obtainable anywhere, and to-day it is utterly impossible to entertain the faintest hope that Haniel has escaped an ocean grave. Xo man has done more tlyinp than Guatav Hume! since the sprin-r of 1911, when he (|ualilied for his aviator's eertißcate at the Bleriot Svhooi. Pan: nor has any man shown greater versatility. He has displayed equal brilliance a.s a oross-country aud as an exhibition flyer, thrillinff onlookers by startling dives, wonderful spiral descents, and "looping' the loop." Ho has handled many machines of a »idR variety of horsepower, bu: he had almo.-i invariably favoured the monoplane rrpc of construction. Hamel. who «ai iweaty-five years of Arc was. of Scandinavian otscen , .. He •irs: became really k".i»'n to Lie Eng-i:.-h public a_- the pilot who carried pet from Hcndon to Wind.K)r. He made :rnr.y tv'.ps of this scr,. and so.jn bc<:-:ime A.dlv known a crc-'-coun:ry flier.

Hp «a> the first pilot :a crosi ihv Gliailnc'. a i.i a lidv and with Mii-i, D.r.:(-i aiadr ;!ss fin-t acrojJanc tri.i i'ro.n Loud ai t> Piri- with a pasit'r.£l? in .1 lijv. An it.icr lino perform-.in.-o '.:' h> «j? in thy French Grand Vr;\ Race la*i year, when he wa* the only pili»; u> tike a aloft. in :'.io person "f x !i'- X- V. >af-oon. in * wiiiJ t'.ta- LiUaed many l! t.ie be*; fliers rii£ag?u io refrain from cum petit ion. Ki'flen- from Dover :o Co'ojno in rhrre hours and ten milinres, and during the brilliant and venturesome , exhibition Sights in jil parts of Groat Britain. He was second in \hc Acri.il Derby round London of 1012. and fastest rauud the ?amo circuit laei year. He "looped the lnop' , ar for the Jv.~; time in November. 1913. and has on many icca*'.on* performed ;liis feat wit.i a pas*en.3.;. Early n> year lie gave a romni.iii.i i'\'.ii'.>itiuii fif : '.■,--> ;it:Ul m.i;:-

Iu3!;!i jiroj: .iai.):'.io:i ia- : a .10 I.IC llr-et man r.i fl> tJC Ailant!-.-. an.; a 'iiiigi , Marilu llaai-.i.-y.l.' monoplnuo. fil-tcJ »ilh a 1- cylinder ±ii hor.-r-powcr motor oonetruotod .ir Brook\nn\U ••■■- .ii- pro.icvte.l trip from Xewfr.undi.ind ; j the Iri-'a .ojjr in the mmins autumn. Thciigj Hamel «j« a very ilirina: aviator—to* prone to lake uuin the opinion of many of Vi:n i-onteraporarif—he mr; with iV v n:i:-bar~. anJ only line of a sfiriou-. rliar;i.tcr. T!iiri in the ',i0i.1..n-Benn?;t ai'roplani , rave held a. Ea-uliuivh by '■!■ Royal At-ro Cluiv in lire muvnicr ot It'll, ilauul \v.is oue of the Bleriu: pll ctr. "aud at i.i.it lime a compaiaiivc l.oiiri!. hi hanking viry .-I.>r;>l> to take h :un hit mai-liir.e -i.ie ■•Hppri and i-"a*'.n.i r,.-.-e-f.i-,.-.ui..-t to :.ie The nia.-'.v.ne v,ji r.mjr'n-; 10 ]ii".-.---. i'.i? f»;'i.' bvini liuug yarrf* away, and srpii; hole* i;i :ae jrrriuud ai; wen:. Ilainpl »m.< up for dojd, : >ui tti I'le amazeraPßt nf pvprvbodv ' c

"a> no;, only alive hut .vi uo: m 3 minu as a i-.rnio broken or i c-rriou- wound: indocd. iHMaEijjfsligh: uon>«»=ion a:;a a \cry s'.iakinp;. he net a great uci! .he WO.-C? for h;~ adventure.