FROM EAST TO WEST

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19286, 16 April 1928, Page 9

FR OM EAST TO WEST

Atlantic Crossed by Air.

brlmen' 8 successful flight.

Wild Enthusiasm at German Success.

'' After a long and anxious wait, during which conflicting «Jta Served to throw thousands of people in America, i ' Kad, Ireland, and Germany into the extremes of joy ; - 2? despondency, word was officially received in New York on Friday morning that the German attempt to fly the : - Kntfc had been successful, the Bremen, piloted by Herr i&Mhl having made a forced landing on icebound Greenley "S3 Newfoundland. The Bremen is the first aeroplane f ' ,'JJ Achieve the trans-Atlantic flight from the east to the - 'west •

I> • ."-_.< TUBS iSSCOAtIOK-BT BLMTBIO (Beeeived April 15th, 5.5 p.ra.) ,'\ ' NEW'YORK, April 13. I „ Ooflirmstidn of the safe landing of '■■'&"Bremen at Greenley Island, Labraf4r'*M.rieeived by * wireless mes- ' qiit to the North German Lloyd Co.'s vfiptip Baron »« Hoenefeld, one Mlf'tte erW ' read: "Made safe interkjjaiateJ landing on Greenley Island, no(Njilifitool b V laclt oi fuel grinds encountered on the way." New York "Times" received a raw from tne Halifax radio statiou iijfitfl that the Canadian Press and lliidlan Pacific Railways confirmed Pptodlng of the Bremen on Greenley %MJI The machine is undamaged and B'fifotew are-safe. ' New York correspondent of the -■ Twein Agency of Berhn has just adfSiito hig proprietors by wireless teleII follows:—"All circumstances -tbjt the report that the Breled on Greenley Island, is true, ying to get confirmation by and as soon as this is obtainjker's aeroplane, the only one tod in the United States, and is been kept here as a sample Swill probably try to reach no other means of getting to d Quickly exists. Greenley Is- | heavily icebound and trading rill probably not venture into "waters for a month. The ier jposaibility is sending dog m from Qnebeck." the North German |rfl!entatlve, has sent the folipssage to Baron von Hueneof reported damage, of lack of fuel in your |JB|dß!!shtf Junker Fl3 will be sent to sjm*&mi^ conflicting reports concernl§Mf|liM Of landing. Furthermore, that the machine is I y damaged. Although the f>iifi!i* e nnm J are d> efforts are being ,',;•• f||ras3te'ctire an aeroplane equipped -.''JTOHiufrat -Boston or Quebec, in an Opf§|w? ac h the fliers. It is likeyl^^l^ppey,.will be brought to New |Mi|ijphjri the course of the next iill ete is Bom - e belief that if B§fll§ispn if not too seriously damag■|lpf|p%y .-be able to continue the 'Greenley Island to New of Greenley Island, on landed,'is ems de^a y which occurred their safety reaching Messengers had to Hpplptthe. 20' miles between the Island station either oh foot or Hllillf?^' 16 team > over the ice. ■^^^ffi^ n ' P fes 9 Association. , , B|piEN LOST IN FOG. HR£&ifyKßß WILL LEND ■ ■HfNKij'ApU 15th » 5.5.p.m.) 'QUEBEC, April 14. detailing the flight. .Bremen wandered about a-dense fog for four 'forced to land at 5.30 time. The machine » possibly will delay ■' l if*&jPsr to JfcwjYork for some day* > K*BHW ,i, " tter, # ,w obtainable." .t&Mwonrment ice-breaker MontJtmatiSti* n«u» «# c| t- Lawrence tol for Point Aring the' airmen I* Monday. Two aving to-day or i airmen. s from the fliers so badly damntinue the flight airmen are in lian Press Asso3NOWSTORM. th, 5,5 p.m.) A, April. 14. a sent a telegram the safe arriven on Canadian i was held up id. ounced in Paraen was forced on Greenley Isse was situated. Id be well cared smployees.—AubI WOMEN. th, 5.5 p.m.) UN, April 14. >in Germany are 8 aged mother mounded their The former reher porch, over plowed horseshoe, 1 acclamations. 1 congratulation* a special tribute plane industry, was able to conile of performing ian Press Asso-

; Germans gave themselves over to unrestrained rejoicings. The scenes were reminiscent of' Paris on the occasion of the false ' Nungesser-Coli rumour. Crowds i stormed Roehl's home", his wife's face beaming with delight. She said: lam overjoyed. I always knew he would win through and I will tell him so presentely when I speak to him over the Atlantic"telephone. •■'■,■ Even broadcast stations' sent out vivid descriptions of the landing, and the welcome news also spread by thousands of loud speakers in parks and open places, but the joy was turned to anger on the realisation that the reports were without foundation. — .Australian Press Association, United Service. '

PREMATURE REPORTS. BERLIN CELEBRATES TOO SOON. (Received April 15th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 14. The effect in Berlin was electrical. Earlier in the day, when the machine was overdue at Newfoundland, German papers published the gloomiest series of circumstantial reports. Towards evening they transformed Berlin into a city of wild joy. An uncontrollable crowd seized the newspapers and rushed into cafes wildly proclaiming an Atlantic victory. Thereafter a second report definitely annqunoed that Bremen crossed the Atlantic at four o'clock, Greenwich mean time, and was due at New York at 8 p.m. The cruel wirolesß telephone rumour is thus far unaccounted for, but it is attributed to the desire of New York irresponsibles to set lingering doubts at rest.

THE IRISHMAN'S PART. FREE STATE JUBILANT. v (Received April 15th, 5.5 p.m.) <'. LONDON, April 14.' The Irish Free State is jubilant at the Bremen's success. Mrs Fitzmaurice was overcome by emotion on hearing the news of the safe arrival of the 'plane. She said her husband had achieved his life's ambition, as he had talked for ten.years of flying the Atlantic. , "But he will do no more stunt flying if I can stop him. I have not slept gince my husband left," she added. The Governor-General (Mr T. M. Healy), the High Commissioner in London (Mr James MacNeil), and the President (Mr; W. -T. Cosgrave) issued a statement'praising the achievement and expressing gratification that an Irishman was associated with the venture. The civic guard and Free State Army jointly pay a tribute to the success as a combination of German thoroughness and Irish courage. Mr Sempill, president of the Royal Aeronautical Society, / while warmly congratulating the fliers and admiring their pluck, initiative, and skill, says the public must not be led to believe that the day of frequent crossings of the Atlantic in either direction is necessarily nearer. Personally, he is inclined to the view that an Atlantic air service' will only bo made practicable by airship. Though aeroplanes are not ruled out, flying boats must be used to ensure safety and regularity.

Mrs Hinchliffe Optimistic. Mrs Hinchcliffe said that Captain Hinchcliffe told her before.starting that he might have to strike in a nor'-west-erly direction. This was exactly what had happened to the Bremen. Fifty miles to the north of Greenley Island lies desolate eskimo country, where it is likely Captain Hinchcliffe landed. . "If, as I expect," she said, "Eskimos are taking care of him, I will not -resign hope until mid-June, when melting snows will enable him to communicate with us."—Australian Press Association. '

ODDS AGAINST THEM. •TOOK A SPORTING CHANCE. (Received April 15th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 14; The "Daily Express's" aviation correspondent reveals that Commandant Fitzmaurice, on the night before de- > parture, said to him: "I there is a sporting chance.' Nevertheless he was desperately keen. He knew the odds were against success, but he went into the adventure with his eves open. He added: "For a aefe't 'cuanTwe want three engines and sixty'hours' fuel, and wireless. Personallv I think navigation will be the chief cause of failure. There is noEg to go on when one is flyinguncharted seas against, the rotation of the earth. Nobody knows what magnetic Sect ■ this will have on the instruFitzmaurice scoffed at +>.« idea that paraffin oil would avoid the pVrU of ice P 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 S the altimeter might be so affected as to register thousands of feet hS when the 'plane was actually flying close to' the sea.-Australian Press Association.

CONFLICTING NEWS. LONG WAIT FOR CONFIRMATION (Received April loth, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 14. Dublin reports state that after a nighi of anxiety, Mrs Fitzmaurioe was informed at two o'clock to Saturday morning that her husband was safe, and she expresesd deep thankfulness'. Every Atlantic flight has been responsible for an extraordinary series of circumstantial reports, unfortunately without foundation, but watching iJie progress of the Bremen from London was thrilling in the extreme. When she disappeared from Ireland, absolutely, no word was received in England until 4.10 a.m. on Saturday afternoon, approximately 35 hours after the start. After the evening papers had published the fact it was feared that another tragedy had occurred. It was an urgent message from New York stating: "The Bremen passed over King's Port, Nova Scotia, at 3.45, the position and- time corresponding approximately with where the 'plane should be." Believing it to be merely another rumour, small attention was paid to it, but in the succeeding hour came message upon message from various centres along the American coast that the Bremen had been seen and heard. It was reported that she was flying so high that she was a mere speck in the sky. In every case the time and position were approximately right. The reports aroused widespread interest and the climax came at night, thrilling all with anticipation, when this dramatic message was flashed out by the news agency tape machines at 9.45: "A direct wireless telephone message from New York to Berlin announces the arrival of the Bremen at Mitchell field, New York, three-quarters of an hour ago. An enormous crowd greeted the flyers and bands played the German and American National Anthems "as the machine landed." There followed a vain wait for direct confirmation from New York. An hour passed without result, when came the stunning announcement that each and every message was without foundation.—Australian Press Association.

SUCCESS STIRS NEW YORK.

(Received April 15th, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YOBK, April 14. With the possible exception of Colonel Lindbergh's flight to Paris, no aviation event has so stirred this city and the rest of the country as the Bremen's hop. Apart from thousands crowding Mitchell Field in expectation of the flyers' arrival, such news as was available throughout the night and day. was broadcasted by radio. The newspaper offices received thousands of messages of enquiry, and even at thisi late hour it is difficult,to make telephone connexion with any metropolitan journal, due to the continuous flow of requests for information. The flyers' safety is now apparently assured, and messages of felicitation are being sent to them and to Europe, British war veterans here, being the first to send wireless congratulations to Commandant Fitzmaurice, and Commander Byrd cabling congratulations to the German nation. There is a complete lack of details as to the manner of, and reason for, the landing on Greenley Island.—Australian Press Association.

DASHING FITZMAURICE. (Received April 15th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 14i John Redfern, a linotype operator of Sheffield, and father-in-law of Commandant Fitzmaurice, says: "Fitz is a regular daredevil—a typical dashing, good-humoured Irishman. His marriage was a real love affair. My daughter was only sixteen when she met Fitz, ' who joined the British Army when he was only fifteen. He served in France with the 17th Lancers and West Kents. Unknown to each other Fitz and I were in the same trench in the Somme in 1916. Fitz later joined the Air Force and earned the reputation of being a daring pilot. He was one of a party selected to raid Berlin .in 1918, but the project was cancelled by the Armistice. He .joined the Free State Air Force in 1921.''—Australian Press Association, United Service.

ALTERATION OF TAB COURSE. (Received April 15th, 11 p.m.) NEW YORK, April' 14. Calculations made here indicate that the distance between the point of departure and the landing of the 'plane is 2125 miles, although the .machine probably flew further due to fog.. The flight took 34 hours 32 minutes. Wind and not compass variations are believed to have been the. chief contributing factor which threw the plane out of her course, a sidewind probably taking them further and further north every, hour after their departure.— Australian Press Association.

MR COSGRAVE CONGRATULATED. (Received April 15th„ll p.m.) LONDON, April 15. Sir Samuel Hoare and the German Ambassador at London sent congratulatory messages to Mr W. T.-Cosgrave on the success o£, the flight.—Australian Press Association, United Service.