CALL FOR HELP

Evening Star, Issue 20317, 28 October 1929, Page 8

CALL FOR HELP

BRITISH AIR LIKER MISSING FOUND BY TU6, BUT LOST AGAIN FATE OF PASSENGERS UNKNOWN. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, October 27. Tugs left Leghorn in response to a S.O.S. message from a British seaplane, but after a long search in a rough sea they tailed to trace it. It is feared that the lost plane was homeward bound from India with an air mail. SCANTY INFORMATION. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 27. (Received October 28, at noon.) Only scanty information is so far available regarding the fate of the Imperial Airways liner lettered C.A.A.D.N., homeward bound from in dia, which is missing. Reports from Leghorn last night stated that an English hydro-plane came down m the sea near Spezia, and signalled S.O.S. It is feared that this is the O.A.A.D.N. Later reports stated that tug boats sighted the ah liner, and took her in tow, but the hawsers broke owing to the high seas, and the air liner was lost sight of. Aeroplanes and torpedo boats, sent out by the local naval command, are reported to be searching for the air liner. The fate of the passengers is unknown. TOWING ROPE BREAKS. LONDON, October 27. (Received October 28, at 12.25 p.m.) A Genoa message says that it learned that the tug Familia on Saturday evening found the Indian air liner safely riding the waves off Spezia, all well on board. The tug took the aeroplane in tow, but owing to the rough sea the rope broke. The Familia left the plane and rushed to the shore to get help. A destroyer went out, and searched for hours fruitlessly. To-day seven Italian planes co-operated with a bomber and destroyers in combing the seas, but no trace was found of the air liner, from which the wireless signals had ceased. The anxiety increased hourly. To-night a destroyer reported that she is coming ashore with the commander of the air liner. There is no news of the rest of the crew and passengers.

LOSS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED. LONDON, October 27. (Received October 28, at 12.25 p.m.) Imperial Airways officially announces the loss of the Indian mail flying boat, the City of Rome, during a gale in the Gulf of Genoa. Four passengers and three of the crow were drowned. CAUSE OF THE MISHAP BIG STORM OFF ITALIAN COAST. LONDON, October 27. (Received October 28, at 1 p.m.) Imperial Airways authorities state that the occupants of the City of Rome were Pilot Birt, Flight-engineer Pembroke, Wireless Operator Stone, and four passengers (Messrs Turney, Ritchie, Robinson, and Miss Bromford) The plane was an all-metal flying boat driven by three engines developing 1,500 horse-power. It was a similar machine to that in which Sir Alan Cobham flew around Africa. The City of Rome was used for the stage from Alexandria to Genoa. She ran into terrific weather at Leghorn, the wind blowing at the rate of sixty-eight miles an hour. The machine was forced down ten miles off Spezia.