SEARCH FOR ’PLANE

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 January 1928, Page 7

SEARCH FOR ’PLANE

SERIES OF CLAIMS FROM CHERTSEY TO HELENSVILLE (Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, January 13. The following reports were received by the General Post Office from the Chief Postmaster, Wanganui : — “Am advised that Campbell and five others at Maxwell, saw the aeroplane at 8.40 p.m. on the 10th. I expect Campbell here shortly to make a sworn statement, when I will confirm.” Postmistress at Manakau received a communication, signed by R. B. Kilgour and E. Kilgour: “We the undersigned do hereby declare that on the night of the 10th at about 11.45 p.m., we distinctly heard the drone of an aeroplane passing down the Waitohu Valley. Our attention was drawn to the matter by a number of calves in a small paddock close to our house stampeding and roaring.” Waitohu Valley ls situated between Manakau and Otaki, and is also known as South Manakau ,Road. R‘. B. Kilgour is known to me personally and is quite reliable. He.was at one time secretary of the Farmers’ Union at Marton. His farm is some three miles from the main road and not subject to motor traffic. Charles Alexander Kiddy, of Petone, states: “I am a machinist and reside at Horokiwi. On the 10th I was on top of the Horokiwi road looking out for the aeroplane. From where 1 was. I could see the Straits and an outline of the South Island. My wife and brother-in-law were also watching. We were also running in and out of the house listening to a wireless description of the flight, from Trentham. We heard on the wireless that it had been sighted off Stephen Island. We then went out to keep up watch and saw a red glow towards the Straits. It kept fading and brightening up, and appeared to be travelling towards Trentham. It would be about 10 or 12 miles away from where I was standing. I could not hear any sound of the motor. . The machine appeared to be due west of my house, and looked to me as .if it was travelling along the range of hills, going backwards and forwards. I had the glow in view from about 9.15 p.m. to 10 p.m. I did not see the outline of the ’plane. I made sure it was going to pass over my place, and I set fire to a patch of gorse to give the aviators a line of where they were. lam of the opinion that if it was the* ’plane I saw, it crashed in, one of the gullies near the coast line. As I saw it tacking up and down the range, I thought they were looking for a place to land.” The Postmaster at Hqlensville also says that a noise like that of a. plane was heard there, but he is inclined to think it was really a car racing on the Muriwai beach. AIRMEN’S wIvES CONVINCED. WELLINGTON, January 12. One of the first of the many places from which reports were received stating that the aeroplane which had crossed the Tasman had been seen was Paekakariki. Messrs Pepperell and Harris were quite definite in their statements that they had seen the aeroplane in a downward glide, travelling out to sea. The fact that the engine was not heard was attributed to a strong north erly wind blowing off the land. _ The Postmaster of Paekakariki has stated that he places the utmost reliance on the story told by Messrs Pepperell and Harris, and is convinced that they did in fact see the aeroplane,', and not merely imagined So greatly impressed were Mrs Moncrieff and Mrs Hood with the persistency with which Messrs Pepperell and Harris held to their statements, that they yesterday journeyed to Paekakariki in company with Mr J. KMacdonald, one of the trustees of the Flying Fund, and interviewed them. As a result of that interview all three are convinced that the story is genuine, and that it was the missing aeroplane that was seen. FIFTY PEOPLE SEE ’PLANE ? WELLINGTON, January IPOther observers now corroborate the story that the plane was seen from Mt Victoria, above Wellington. It is asserted that it was plainly visible over Island Bay, and headed north, passing behind the hills to the westward, which would coincide with the report of'its appearance at paekakariki. It is positively alleged that fifty people, or more, saw it and raised a loud cheer. . Further calculations by radio men, based on the last signals, are that at 5.30 p.h., the machine was only a hundred miles away from Wellington. HEARD NEAR ASHBURTON? (Special to "Star.") CHRISTCHURCH, January 13. Three persons at Chertsey, near Ashbutron, claim to have heard an aeroplane about midnight on Tuesday. The stories all agree that the aeroplane arrived over the district a few minutes before midnight. . Alter circling round for half an hour, it went off eastward toward the sea. _ Mrs 11. M. Copland, who lives near Chertsey, Mrs W. G. Copland, who lives about seven miles away, and Mi Baker from the North Island also claim to have heard the plane. Mrs H. M. Copland is positive that it was a plane she heard, because the nearest road is three quarters of a mile away, and not used by motor traffic to any extent The main road is two miles off She states that she did not see the plane, as the night was cloudy, but the noise at times was directly ° The stories of all three agree that ' the plane was in the vicinity for about half an hour. After circling round, it went off east toward the sea. N° ne of them saw the machine, but all are ’ convinced it was there.

OTAKI TESTIMONY. OTAKI, January 13. A local resident of standing that he and his wife distinctly heard an airplane pass over, going in the direction of Martinborough. He is willing to sign an affidavit to this effect. CONSTABLE’S DISCOVERY. WELLINGTON, January 13. About three o’clock yesterday afternoon, the Petone police received word

that what was thought to be the missing airplane could be seen in Horokiwi Hills, near the Government Trig Station, between Porirua and Trentham. 5 x Constable MacNamara proceeded to investigate, and after a rather warm tramp over several miles of hilly country, found the "airplane” to be a patch of bare clay, which although not by any means freshly formed, had not previously been noted by local residents. PORTER’S SWORN STATEMENT. ■ WELLINGTON, January 13.The Postmaster at Wanganui reports that Mr Winter has made a sworn declaration that he and his family of five persons, saw the plane out to sea at 8.30 p.m. on January 10, heading "for Paekakariki. He is a tablet porter in the Railways, and his statement may be given every credence. The Postmaster at Ashurst was informed by a lady that the hound of a plane was heard in Pohangina Valley but he does not attach importance to it. CAPT. FINDLAY’S ACTIVITY. ’ WELLINGTON, January 13. The sky is somewhat, cloudy, but the weather is fine. Captain Findlay got away from Trentham at 9.55 to resume his aeroplane search over the Tar ar u as.

TRAMPERS TO SEARCH HILLS. WELLINGTON, January 12. Mr Rawnsley has been in touch with Mr F. W. Vosselev of life Tararua Tramping Club, and arrangements aye now being made to send out parties at once from Otaki, Levin and Kaitoke, and if possible from Greytown, to search for the missing aircmen. Mr Rawnsley is a flying man himself, and Major Wilkes and Captain Findlay will take him over the country by air 1 to-morrow. Mr Vosseler will also have other parties of Hampers organised and available, if the aerial search reveals anything that indicates that such help is needed. CAPT. BUCKLEY’S PROGRAMME. BLENHEIM, January 12. Captain Buckley returned at 1.50, after three hours eight minutes’ search round Cape Jackson, over Stephen and Kapiti islands, to Foxton and lack. The visibility of the sea. was not good. He saw no trace of the missing ’plane or airmen. BLENHEIM, January 13. Owing to absence from Wellington of Major Wilkes, Director of Air Services, no instructions had been received by Captain Buckley up to late last night in connection with the continuation of the aerial search for the Tasman fliers. At seven o’clock this morning, Captain Buckley succeeded in getting into touch with Major Wilkes by telephone. He then received orders to leave Blenheim and fly to Cape Farewell, turning there and flying southward around the coast as far as Karamea, returning direct to Blenheim. At the conclusion of this patrol, Captain Buckley has been ordered to fly to New Plymouth, a distance of about 470 miles by air line from Blenheim. As his fuel supply will not be sufficient for return, to Blenheim, he will probably land at Trentham. Considerable time was spent this morning in going over the De Haviland and making adjustments to the engine, which did not function too well in the lataer portion of yesterday’s flight. The cruise to Farewell and the northern portion of the ■west' coast of the South Island was commenced at 11.10 this morning. LATER. Buckley was forced to return at 12.20, owing to engine trouble. Visibility was bad.

NAVAL VESSELS’ SEARCH. AUCKLAND. January 12, In view of the wide extent of the area over which the search for the missing airmen is to be made off the coast, the cruiser Diomede, will leave Auckland to-morrow morning to assist the cruiser Dunedin which sailed shortly before noon to-day. The sloops Veronica and Laburnum, will coal and stand by ready to go to sea if their services are required. The cruisers will co-operate in the search, covering a wide area. The Dunedin and Diomede will both do twenty-four knots. The Dunedin is due in the search area at midday tomorrow, and the Diomede on Saturday morning. AUCKLAND, January 13. The warship Diomede sailed at 11.30 this morning, to join in the search for the missing aviators. CAUSE OF DELAY. WELLINGTON, January 12. The Minister of Defence (Hon. F. J. Rolleston) announced to-night that H.M.S. Diomede would leave Auckland at 11 a.m. (o-day and would steam at 24 knots per hour, to join the H.M.S. Dunedin at the place of search. The Dunedin is due to arrive this morning, at. the point from which tlio signals were last supposed to have been heard. It is explained that the crews of both ships were on leave until to-morrow, and this is why it was impossible io despatch them earlier.

. BELIEF IN SURVIVAL. WELLINGTON, January 12. The following mesasge has been received from Captain Kight from Sydney by Mr McNicol. “All experts assure me that hope must hot be abandoned for several days yet, for they are either in the mountainous country, or if they landed in the sea, their tanks were sufficiently empty to keep them afloat. They had sufficient chocolate and water for several days.” HOOD’S BROTHER’S OPINION. SYDNEY, January 12. Captain Hood’s brother, who is a pilot in the Queensland Aerial Mail Service, states that it is impossible for his brother to have sent the re-

ported wireless messages, as he did not know the Morse code. Hood added that he was confident his brother and Moncrieff had effected a landing somewhere inland. It was their intention if it was dark when they arrived off the coast, not to make for Trentham, but for one of the beaches. They evidently overshot their destinaetion and landed somewhere in the Rimutakas. His brother knows the .country well and has flown over it, so was familiar with, it, from the air.

WIRELESS SIGNALS AND LIGHT.

SYDNEY, January 13

Regarding the wireless signals coming from the Ao Te Roa it is stated that Hood had only an elementary knowledge of the Morse code, and could only transmit single letters slowly. He was given a series of code letter signals, consisting of from two to four letters indicating that it was the Ryan monoplane calling. The call signs and interpretation code were wired to the Government Radio Station at Wellington, and ships within wireless distance of Sydney and Wellington, but it is considered doubtful if any wireless operator, who was not in possession of the call signs and code signals, could interpret any wireless message received as coming from the monoplane. At Richmond aerodrome, while finally attending the engine, Moncrieff was handed a small pocket flash lamp which he retained. This, however, if used for signalling would be visible only a very short distance. It could not possibly have been seen from the monoplane three thousand feet up, assuming the airmen were using it to signal, by persons on land, unless with the aid of the most powerful night glasses. , . Air mechanic Ward, when assisting to get'the plane off, states that he gave Moncrieff two bundles of cotton waste and a length of tubing as he sat at the controls. This would enable him to saturate the waste with petrol and drop two or three flares. BOOKSELLERS’ SYMPATHY. I WANGANUI, January 12. Members of the Nev/ Zealand Retail Booksellers’ Association in conference at Wanganui, passed the following resolution to-day:— “The Association members desire to express to the wives of the aviators, who made the heroic venture across the Tasman Sea, their warm and sincere sympathy with them in their present anxiety, and distress. The members’ earnest desire is that their fears may be speedily relieved.” ROUND-EUROPE RACE. PARIS, January 12. The first round-Europe air race is being planned by the International Aeronautic Federation for the Summer of 1929, embracing London, Paris, Rome, Belgrade, Bucharest, Warsaw, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels. The prize will be £5OOO. The aim is to develop aerial touring.