THE WIRELESS NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 53, 11 September 1928, Page 12

THE WIRELESS NEWS

NOT VERY INFORMING TRANSMISSIONS INTERRUPTED Wireless did not play anything like the part designed in the flight of the Southern Cross. Radio, Wellington, picked up the aviators' signals almost immediately after they left Sydney, ana at times received and replied to messages asking if such signals' were being heard. Contact with the airmen was lost after the announcement at 11.3 p.m. that the operator was transferring to 600 metres, on which wave, owing to his low power, he was inaudible here. The operator, intimated that he would call later, presumably on. a different wave. About half an hour prior to this, advice of the first of tho copyright messages for which the Press Association had arranged was received, but it was incomplete, and merely described the departure from the coast at an altitude of 3000 feet, the sky being slightly overcast. Slight bumps were being encountered, and the speed, standing at 77 knots. After 11.3 p.m. communication was not established until 2.35 a.m., when Radio, Wellington, announced: " 'Plane signals again O.K. About thirty-four metres." In a scrappy message, picked ■up through heavy atmospherics,, the following details were obtained: "Latitude 38deg> 17m south, longtitude 164deg 3m east. Very stormy. No observations or reading for two hours.". In the interval Wellington had eo-m----municated with Sydney, and so far as could be ascertained that side of tho Tasman was receiving little if any more than Wellington. At 4.15 a.m. a report from the local radio stated that the 'plane had not been heard since 3.11 a.m. It had only been transmit* ting intermittently. A bulletin at 4.30 reported that the Southern Cross's signals had not yet been picked up here, but were being strongly received in Sydney. An announcement at 5.30 described the receipt of a message from tho 'plane at 5.15 calling Wellington. , The latter answered it several times, but at the moment of the issue of the news had not established communication, and it appeared as if the operator on the machine had again screwed his key down. |Pp to this time there had been only i one definite indication of tho 'plane's ! progress, namely, in the 2.35 a.m; message ' giving the geographical position. This Suggested that the 'plane was making good progress, in spite of the weather. In the course for Cook Strait, and before 6.30 this morning, the postmaster a': Collingwood reported to the Wellington office that the sound of the engino was clearly audible. The machine was above the clouds and apparently heading east. "HAVE SIGHTED LAND." I Although this news appeared prema* I ture, and almost too good to be true, I a message was received from the 'plane

Green and Hahn, photo.

with dramatic suddenness at 6.31, stating,- "Have sighted land." After this a report camo to Wellington that the postmaster at French Pass had heard tho 'plane overhead, heading cast, at 6.40 a.m. IV the amazement of everyone, the Southern Cross appeared over Wellington at 7.15 a.m. After passing over tho city, the aviators signalled: "Had a pretty rough, night. Everybody and radio gear wot through. Will reach Christchurch at 9 a.m."