WHEREABOUTS STILL A MYSTERY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 88, 12 January 1928, Page 10

WHEREABOUTS STILL A MYSTERY

f - SEARCH 4 BYiSEA AND AIR COMMENCED WARSHIP DUNEDIN ORDERED TO LEAVE . DID AVIATORS REACH NEW ZEALAND? There are grave reasons to fear that the attempted crossing of ihe~Tasman, Sea by Lieutenant. J. R.' Moncrieff and Captain G. Hood, in the monoplane Abtea-roa,. ended in mishap late on Tuesday afternoon. O'f what has - happened- since the airmen took off from Richmond Aerodrome,/-Sydney; before dawn oft', Tuesday all that is definitely known of the movements, of .the ’plane is that it was seen at 3.17 a.m. (5.47 a.m. New-Zealand time) by the Maunganui, then nearing Sydney Heads on her way from Wellington;; and that the automatic • wireless signals sent out .by the 'plane were picked ,up more or less continually up till about midday, once again at’ 333 p.nt,- when the note was loud and clear, and for the last time by a Christchurch station at 5.22 tun. After that came complete silence. There?.has been no news of the .’plane f since that time, and in the case of an aeroplane flying over a wide stretch- of ocean, no news is bad news. Regarding ; the numerous reports-of; the ’plane having been seen after dark on-Tuesday night,-careful inquiries have been made by the Post and Telegraph Department, and the statements of the persons interviewed are full of’ interest, though they do not shed much helpful light on the situation. The most'-definite statements received are those 1 -from, the lightkeeper at Stephen Island'’ the master of the ssteamer" Kaiwarra,: and the two-observers at Paekakariki, who strongly adhere to "their belief that they saw an aeroplane. If the airmen were forced to descend to the sea at any time on Tuesday there is little hope of their- survival now, unless they came down close inshore and were able to land at some -isolated .part of the coast-line. The most definite hope is that the airmen, 1 having flown wide of theft course to Wellington, were able to reach the land and make a safe descent on some beach at the south end of the Westland Bight, between the Waiho River and Jackson’s -Bay, or. on the west coast of the North Island to the northward of the Mokau River. The Post and Telegraph Department - has ordered all postmasters in the outlying :parts 'Of the west coasts of both islands to make the fullest..inquiries, and to request a close look-out by settlers and others for sighs of the missing airmen, (and. .‘prompt; reports if any signs of them are seen.' There are: many little./frequented stretches of coast-line on the west side'of New Zealand, where the airmen if they landed might be marooned tor'days, especially in View-of'-'Captain , Hood’s physical disability, he having lost a’ leg in the war. Coastal ships will keep a close look-out for signs of the airmen. ■ ; : Iml, accordance ,'with' a Government, decision an aeroplane was sent up from Christchurch yesterday afternoon to assist in a search of the coast-line >n and about Cook Strait.- ■■ Owing to bad weather the machine was unable to Sfnate-Wellington,'-and alighted at- Blenheim» from which it will operate. The Minister of. Marine also/arranged with the Wellington Harbour Board to .send; the tug Toia'but to-'search an area to be decided upon in consultation'with the Air Department. 1 ."./.'' WAS THE AEROPLANE SIGHTED ON 1 1 r ~~ TUESDAY NIGHT? REPORTS FROM MANY POINTS ANALYSED positive ..Statements by paekakariki y. ; - RESIDENTS - - T/7 ■ 'i'- '■ - - . .. ... • */ ■■ The fullest inquiries were made yesterday by the Post and Telegraph Department concerning., the reports and rumours of an aeroplane (having been seep..at’different (places.-on ..Tuesday, night., In several instances the observers, were unshakW .im ffieir (belief Ifiat' they actually saw the aeroplane or its lights, but'when read'together, especially in conjunction with'the report from Syd-, ney ■rggardihg";th'e'"equipm‘ent‘7pf ;the''plane, it will be seen that there are many discrepancies ..in the_st6ries.l'./’_'C" 1 Following are the replies received by the. Secretary of the General Post Office":— '’ ‘ ".. "■

REPORTS ‘ FROM COOK ' • . STRAIT In reply to ? question about ibis report: last-night,. the lightkeeper..at Stephen Island states That the - aeroplane'was not actually seen, but-lights were, plainly distinguishable. No motor roar : was audible. Light travelling; direction .S.S-E. ‘ i- r-.'.T In reply' to, an-inquiry about his >re-: port-last' night, the. master of the ' Arahufa states that:he, -knows ■ nothing about: seeing the aeroplane. He neither saw nor heard anything about itt-gThe wireless operator of the Arahura states that last.nigHt’s message.was'only rumour. SeveraPpissehgersl.tepiirtfid .seeing a.red,light passing. eastward high over -the land;’ The'message; was.'sent because : 'it-tnay -have-helped;' 'Those' on the.bridge did net . see..anything. FURTHER; REPORT FROM ;the*;kaiwarra'"7; . in repljh to further ;'radfg'- inquiry’ sent to the steamer” Itaiwarra, which left~Wellington _ 75ii~Tuesday for Sy® nev. about the statement made last .of .-.the. vessel makes, the following, report :— . , , ~ . ... "Distfijetl/- ( fsaw u Jighf; :off - ’plan?: for a^utfi^e':m&rtftcs'flnd'e'i , .'lci'w,Tohg cloud, circling round, then disappeared'.he-T hind'cloud. Heading over the land. Saw two., flares drop; could not-be mistake® for--lightning." — — .Signed- by . the . master of the Kai- ; ■ ■■■•>.■■ - ; THE FOXTON REPORT In reply to a telephone inquiry, the postmaster, Foxton, reports as follows: “From--inquiries made by me at the Heads, where the report- originated, they were mistaking a very bright star for the ’plane’s light, Mrs. McDonnell said she heard the'hum.of an-.engine,..but I feel sure she: heard a car. The wife of the postmaster at the, Heads said, she saw the-’plane’s outline, but, : when questioned, she was uncertain. . Actual-ly-iio one.saw anything, but a light/ I dm certain they were; dll; mistaken.". PAEKAKARIKI - - ACCOUNT - In reply to further inquiries, the postmaster, Faekakanki, stated endeavouring get into touch with Harris Und Pepperell again, and will report as soon as possible,, ..Harris..is an engine-driver on the railway, and saw hundreds of ’planes when’on active service. He was very positive that he saw the , ’plane against a bank' of' clouds. , f He knew that it was a monoplane by the two wings (sic) and could see the under-carriage. Pepperell is a builder, and is equally certain he- saw the machine. After-losing sight of the: machine they rushed home to hear the announcement of the arrival of the .’plane by wireless, but as nothing was broadcasted they reported, to me. They'are both sensible unemotional men. They were on a hill •by themselves.

At 12,12. p.m. the postmaster reported follows- ' - "Have had . independent, interviews with' Messrs. Pepperell and Harris. For. me'r states picked up monoplane flying low and fast shortly before 9 p.m. by direction Harris enabled -to pick up ’plaire also; Mr,;• Pepperell left to call his wife 1 and was unable to locate - again.: Harris'’"states "followed ’plane until lost to view behind ’ PnkeruU Eay point. . It appeared to him. that the. machine .had a downward tendency. .The statenient by Mr.--Harris last evening “that the machine was noticed to pass through the fiirrge of the bank of ■ cloud -at - intervals” docs not coincide with jyir.":,

perell’s estimate given' this ; morning that the machine appeared to be four or-.-Scmiles from shore. Kapiti Island is nine miles distant from the coast, and the bank of cloud mentioned was some distance further to seaward. Both state that they conscientiously believe the object sighted to have been an aeroplane. Mr. ’ Harris has recently been'.passed first-class as regards. • eyesight, and is an engine-driver. He-states he has had considerable experience with this type machine at front, and could pick out single span of wings under carriage and peculiar formation of. tail. Am reporting shortly as regards their preparedness to sign statement on oath if necessary. ...... .->■ At 12.40 p.’m. a further report was received as follows:— ' "Messrs,. J. E. ,G. Pepperell’, and A. C. Harris, of Paekakanki, state that they-are-both prepared" to sigh a statement on oath that they actually saw an aeroplane off the coast shortly before 9 pm. on 10th .instant?’ IN THE WAIRARAPA The.’following, report was ■received yesterday afternoon from Martinborough:— - . . : . i Mr. ‘ L. H. Burt, farmer, ? resid-ing—on-the- eastern- side--of ■ WairarapaLake, -was, harvesting with his hands late last night, and-the hands observed a light travelling over the Masterthe district to the neighbourhood of Kaitoke, along the eastern ranges. At 1 a.m. Mr. BUrt. distinctly paw an unusual light in the air between his house and the Rimutakas. The light appeared to be heading in the direction .of Martinborough, about 100 feet above the lake. On the eastern side of the lake there is about 1000 acres of dense flax and manuka. Captain Hood, who has a relative farming in this district, knows the locality well. ; . L . The following-telegram was also received from the postmaster, Martinborough.:—. . Mr. Adam. Wright and others in his company report to me: “At 11.20 p.m.. last evening, they sighted over the Rimutakas, in the vicinity, of Kaitoke, a verv bright light about 4000 feet in the 'air. The object appeared to be flying and turning, and the light would be lost. The dropping of the object was distinctly noticeable, and was heading along the hills on the western side of the Wairarapa Lake, and then observed to come down to the skyline and disappear over Orongorongo Point. Before disappearing it dropped in three distinct motions.” The night was beautifully clear and starlight. No wind. At 11.22 a.in. a telegram was received from the postmaster, Eketahuna, as follows: — " "Three persons, apparently -reliable, claim sighted an aeroplane over Rongomai,- six miles N.E. Eketahuna, 10.45 last night, living south-east, but changed course to south and disappeared in that direction.” Further inquiries were then made from postmaster, Eketahuna, who reported as follows : — .- "Interviewed thqse people personally, and am not favourably impressed. Tliev stick to their storv, but light, which resembled powerful headlight of motorcar, was not directlv overhead. It was off at an angle, and T think it might possible have, been a motor-car breasting a hill. Thev do not claim to have seen’ anvthing but a light. Persons are Mrs. (name given) and two sons, aged 19 and 22. T think they were mistaken Thev sav hum of engine distinctly heard; this, I consider,, was a motor-car?*