INTENSIVE SEARCH

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 70, 24 March 1931, Page 9

INTENSIVE SEARCH

BY AIR AND BY LAN®.

REPORTED SIGNALS

MELBOURNE/ 23rd ■ March. / Despite an. intensive search, by : aeroplanes and land parties,, no trace has been found of the missing air-liner Southern Cloud,, which left Sydney for Melbourne in a heavy gale on Saturday, and failed to arrive at its destination. The fuel supply of the big machine, which carries six passengers and two pilots, would have been exhausted yesterday afternoon. There is considerable anxiety as to its whereabouts, but; hopel is expressed that the pilots' ability may.have saved the situation. . A farmer living a mile outside Yea ■ reported that at 4.30 o'clock on Satur-; day afternoon he saw a 'plane flyingy exceptionally low over, densely-wooded hills in blinding rain, and a wind, of• hurricane force. .'"• _ - -'; Another farmer in the same district: reported that at 9 o'clock on Sunday, night he saw a flare and what fie thought'to be Morse signals in the hills seven miles away. - ■.;;■■■.- ; : , Pilot Allan, frying in the Southern: Moon, has scoured 400 square miles of country round Yea/and says that the missing 'plane could not possibly: be in ■'■'the "area -which, he covered. The ; Southern ' Star, on . arrival from Tasmania, :.was also pressed into the search. Four AVapiti 'planes made an unsuccessful search ofvthe country, around Flowerdale and Glenburn.. Owing to excellent weather these were able to ~ fly low, at times just skimimng the' tops of the'mountain trees. ' . V BUSHMEN SET OUT. : Some of the most experienced bushmen in thei;north-e&s't left Mansfield in „■ the Yea : district in- cars, following the appearance' of what seemed like ; dis-': tress fire signals' in the. hills near ', Warronbayne West- on-. Saturday night. ■' Hundreds of people kept watch for further signals last night, but none were seen. Tho Wapiti 'planes failed to dis- ■ cover-any signs of fire. ' ? .',■'. The country-in this area is entirely, with out settlement.' It is broken up by; gullies hundreds ,o£.,feet deep, with, sheer sides overgrown with ferns, scrub, and stunted trees.. ~ ■■-.-■■'■; '' A farmer named Byrne who, saw ths fire signals intends to ride to the spot to-day. He says he can locate it, - - SMITH SUFFERS MISHAP. -I Air-Commodore Kingsford Smith,,'iri tho Sovitherh Sun, left Mascot" _tHig| morning in blinding, rain. : Conditions-j were'so bad at the aerodrome that three? Moth -machines were unable to take off;,: ,'Kingsfoil.' Smith decided to aligtitf at Holbrook, and the landing was. a 1 sensational one. . ...■'■ , : ,■ - Striking swampy ground, the ;w.h,e«lSj of;the big' 'plane were buried to a,id|pth.; of nearly two feet, and the Southern: Sun dived on her nose. Only masterly manoeuvring by the, famous airman prevented the machine from toppling over. It came to a stop : almost, at right angles with the ground,, and the passengers rushed to, the. tear, of the cabin to prevent the machine going over, on its back. . The centre propellor was burieffifaij the ground and damaged, and ymp1] machine will be unable to take; off witll* a new one arrives. Miss Lyle, a member: of the $.<3fpi a Club, left Melbourne at midday fpjr^ Holbrook with a spare propellor. strapped on the side of her machine. She arrived safely, the propcllor wan, fitted, and Kingsford Smith resumed1 his search for the missing 'plane. For several hours before the acci- ; dent he had covered hundreds of Jnifes; of tho country. * ■ Another searcher, Ca.ptain' Holder^ was forced to bring his Moth down atf, Mittagong, New South Wales, owing to: engine trouble. Holden. was flying W formation with Flight-Lieutenant & £;i Ulm and another 'plane. The tjjTM, machines landed, and Holden. joined1 Ulm's crew.