TAKEN BY SURPRISE

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

TAKEN BY SURPRISE

I CHRISTCHURCH SLEEPS LITTLE EXCITEMENT AT TEVER HEAT (From "The Post's" Representative.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The people of Christchurch had imagined from the Saturday and Sunday weather reports that Sunday was ideal

tor the start of the Southern Cross, and were so disappointed at the machine not starting on Sunday that hopes were dashed. Therefore the hop-off last evening took the city by surprise. The excitement which had died down was now again at fever heat. The barriers ; wore already in place to hold the crowd i sit the Wigrara Aerodrome, Sockbum, where the Southern Cross can have a run of three-quarters of a mile. The aerodrome is located five miles from the city, and elaborate traffic arrangements have been mado to regulate the stream of sightseers. It is not known yet whether any other city in the Dominion will be visited, i It is understood that at Trentham a run | of about five hundred yards can bo had in one direction on a cross-wind course. So far as the prevailing wind is concerned a landing there is not

West Coast, but this meant less in view of the Southern Cross taking the route via Cook Strait instead of across the Southern Alps direct. There was somo worry over tho periods of silence, especially when tho period ran to about three hours. The crowds that listened last night were, however, confident. After a good deal of static interruptions it was broadcasted about 11 p.m. that tho Southern Cross wireless operator had reported all well and had asked whether his signals were well received in Now Zealand, to which tho answer had been sent that the signals were then being well received. With such an assurance, many listeners left the streets for bed, but somo remained. It is stated that the silence here from 11.3 p.m. to 2.34 p.m. was when the longwave transmitter was in use.,