NO TRACE OF HOOK

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 July 1930, Page 5

NO TRACE OF HOOK

SEARCH-PARTIES’ FAILURE AIRMAN BELIEVED DROWNED ’ ■ [by cable—press assn.—copyright.] (Recd. July 23, 11.30 a.m.) RANGOON, July 22. A further careful search for Hook was unsuccessful. Both banks of• the Balichaung were searched by a strong pabty, but there was no sign either of Hook- or his clothes, which Matthews hung *up, nor any sign of broken branches. The party is satisfied .that Hook is no longer on the Balichaupg’s banks. Other searchers examined the whole of the neighbourhood, within ten to fifteen miles radius of the place where Hook was stated to have been left. Possibly as Hook was left a few feet above the level of the stream, he may have been washed away by a flood caused by the heavy rains "'and drowned. The rumour that Hook had reached a certain village proved to be groundless. . • RESIDENT OF WELLINGTON [PER PREiSS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, July 22. Mr. Eric L. Hook, 1 the airman who was lost in the Burma coast while flying to Australia with Mr. James Matthews, was for about a year resident jn. Wellington. He was an employee of the Southern Cross Assur- - ance Company, and came from Mel- ■ bourne to Wellington, where he was z . accountant at the local office during 1922. 7 •*• ' : GRAVESEND TRAGEDY. ' * 1 (Received July 23, 11 a.m.)’ ; . LONDON, July 22. •An Air Ministry’s expert theorises that the engine became detached in Henderson’s aeroplane, which consequently overturned, and the occupants were hurled violently through the metal roof, "which was ripped from y end to end. The force of their impact therewith would be sufficient to kill them instantly. ' . ■ ■ RELIABILITY CONTEST. ( RUGBY, July 21. Extremely difficult flying weather, with violent rain storms, gusts of wind and low visibility, was encountered by the - competitors in the Round Europe Air Contest, -who flew in day stages, from ..Calais to Bristol and London, and back across the Channel. AH the seven British entrants, including Lady Bailey and Miss Spooner,’ were well up in the first flight. The competitors Rave: been weather bound at’ Calais nearly all this morning. Alan Butler (Britain) in his Gipsy Moth, was the first to reach. Bristol, and he said " that he had seldom experienced more violent bumping. Af(.er Butler came Thorn, Carberry, Miss Spooner, Andrews, Lady Bailey and Broad. French and German machines, followed. Butler again led the departures for Heston air park, in London, and he was the first away for Saint Ingelvert, being closely followed by Polk (Germany) and Miss Spooner. I '.LATER. < Butler leads the field in the rounaEurope contest. He was the first to reach Madrid, followed by' Finat, ; Arrachart, and Thorn’. ITALIAN’S-VENTURE - ' KARACHI, July 22. The Italian aviator, Savino, arrived with a damaged seaplane, w,ith which he was flying to Australia, aboard the steamer from Charbar. Repairs have begun. ■ • , •