THE ATLANTIC FLIGHT.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16528, 21 May 1919, Page 7

THE ATLANTIC FLIGHT.

ANXIETY ABOUT HAWKER

FATE IN DOUBT.

.-7 Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Au«tr»)ion and 2*. Z. Catlo Association.) LONDON. May 19.

H. G. Hawker, who set out from Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, on Sunday at 1.55 p.m. (New York time) in a Sopwith machine to cross the Atlantic, is overdue. A vigilant watch is being kept off the Irish coast.

One report is to the effect that he was sighted 400 miles from Ireland, and later it was reported that he was 150 miles off the coast. Other messages say that he was sighted west of Dingle Bay (south-west coast of Ireland); that he was picked up 40 miles to thfe west of Loop Head, opposite the mouth of the river Shannon; and further, that Mr Lloyd George, who is in Paris, had been advised that he flew over Waterford (Ireland) at 4.30 p.rif. today en route to England. A further report states that the machine has been found, but Hawker is missing. News was received from him at 8 a.m. to-day (New York time), and the Sopwith Airplane Company, of which he is a partner, is said to have received a message from him, stating that ho was then 150 miles from Ireland. His petrol was nearly exhausted, and he would bo forced to land in Ireland. It is officially stated, however, that he was carrying sufficient p.etrol to last until 7.30 p.m.

The Air Ministry, at 8 p.m., had not received news for five hours.

Strong westerly winds are blowing off Ireland, and naval salvago parties are held in readiness for any emergency.

Notwithstanding the growing anxiety Mr Sopwith is confident, apd says that the absence of messages is not surprising. Licut.-Commander Grieve would not be likely to want to talk if he was satisfied with the course. Hawter had insufficient petrol to carry him to Brooklands, and must land in Ireland.

Mrs Hawker, who is awaiting her husband's arrival at Brookands. is eaually confident. "She attributes the absence of news to his determination not to assist the Americans by reports of his progress. FORCED DESCENT AT SEA. UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH FOR MACHINE. GOVERNMENT'S LACK OF HELP CRITICISED. (Received May 20th, 7.35 pjnJ LONDON, May 20. The Admiralty ordered many vessels to proceed to sea to assist in the search for Hawker. No success was reported at 11 o'clock last night. The search was continued all night. Admiral Tupper, commanding afc Qiieenstown, in a message received early this morning, states that the earlier report concerning the descent of the Sopwith plane 40 miles off the coast is now considered unreliable. In the House of Commons, on the motion for the adjournment, Captain W. E. Elliott asked whether the Government had any information regarding Hawker. Colonel Wilson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Shipping. Controller, reined, "None whatever." Captain Elliott condemned the Government's inaction. The House and wio country would feel that the Government had been lamentably remiss and desperately careless alike of the country's honour and of the life of a very gallant gentleman. Mr J. W. Pratt, one of the Lords of the Treasury, replied that he did not seo how the Government oould be held responsible. He could only promise to convey to the Government what had been said.

Captain Wedgewood Bonn asked what stops tho Government had taken to assist Hawker duxing tho flight, by the provision of pilot or rescuo ships. No reply was forthcoming. Admiral Tuppcr, having received a wireless message that Hawker was down, despatched a wireless to a warship at sea to proceed immediately and search tho area around the position given—s2.3odeg. north, 11 dog. west— for a radius of thirty-eight miles.

Limerick received a wireless message at 7.30, stating that Hawker had been compelled to descend to the sea 100 miles off Dinglo Bay. He was evidently heading for the Shannon estuary. Official confirmation of this was lacking at 9 o'clock.

The' Admiralty announces that tho Sopwith machine came down 40 miles west of Loop Head, near the mouth of the Shannon. All ships wore advised by wireless, but there was no information whether tho pilots had been rescued. HOPING FOR THE BEST. (Received May 21st, 12.30 a.m.)

LONDON, May 20

The net result of enquiries in official quarters shows that no news has been received of Hawker since ho left Newfoundland. Considerable regret is expressed that he was left to do the journoy unaided, and contrasts are made with the American accounts of how tho naval dispositions worked like clockwork. Day and night until the Azores were sighted the airmen were ablo to see the destroyers' star shells forty miles distant. Occasionally fog came up and was tho only source of trouble, but this was serious while it lasted, and emphasised the difficulties of Hawker's track along a far worse route. Few events in recent years have so stirred the imagination of Great Britain as Hawker's and Griove's great adventure. If the existing fears are unhappily realised, they will bo regarded as a national loss. Th© prospect regarding their rescue overshadows all other topics.

• The machine used by Hawker is a two-seater Sopwith biplane, of standard design, and fitted with a RollsKoyce "Eagle" engine, developing 400 h.p. In a test before the trans-Atlan-tic flight this machine covered a distance of 900 miles in a fraction over 9 hours, on 146 gallons of petrol, this amount being only one-third of the fuel capacity of 2ie machine. In place of the usual landing wheels, a special fuselage, on the lines of a boat, is used. The American machine now at the Azores is a product of the recent experiments in bier passenger-carrying airplanes. It Is a biplane with a wingsproad of 126 ft, the width of the wings is 12ft, and the distance between the planes is also 12ft. A boat body, as large as a fair-sized launch, holds the crow, and 300 gallons of fuel, whilo the taree 12-cylinder Liberty motors, which drive it, are contained in three nacelles, set between the upper and lower planes. These motors eaclx drive a four-blade propellor, and together they develop 1200 h-p-, » nd . a B P<*d of 80 m.p.h. Unloaded,_ an S* 0 +V"g jnachinfr-weighs 10,000 lbsj

its flying weight is 22,0001b. A special feature of the craft is a streamlined coning tower, above the upper wing, from which tho navigating officer makes his observations.

Another prospective Atlantic flyer is Captain Hugo Sundstredt, a Swedish aviator, who intends to attempt the flight in a flying boat by himself in America. In general design his machine is like a Handley-Page. with a living boat fuselage added. Two sixcylinder motors of the "pusher" type, with a combined power of 440 h.p., drive the craft at an average spenl of 80 m.p.h. Tho wings have a lifting area of 1537 square feet, and the .total weight of the machine—including 700 gallons of fuel —is 19.000 lb. MISSING AMERICAN MACHINE TURNS UP. PONTA DELGAJDA (Azores), May 19.

The United States seaplane N.C.3 has been rescued, and is proceeding under her own power.