ULM SEARCH RENEWED

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 December 1934, Page 7

ULM SEARCH RENEWED

WIFE CHARTERS VESSEL THE LAST CHANCE [by cable—press assn.—copyright.] SYDNEY, December 17. According to the “Sun” newspaper, Mrs Ulm has chartered the motor schooner “Danakai” to search for her husband and his companions among the, islands, reefs, and coral atolls from Kauai to Midway Island, Honolulu. Negotiations have been completed with tho British Consul at Honolulu, and with the full approval of the naval authorities, who agree that Mrs Ulm’s idea is both practicable and sensible. CANBERRA, December 18. After the Prime Minister was informed of the arrangements made by Mrs Ulm for chartering the Lanakai, it was announced that the United States Government, upon the suggestion of the Commonwealth Government, would despatch the coastguard cutter, Itasca to search Johnston Island, which is outside the areas in which the fishing sampans operate.

A MONTH’S CRUISE. (Recd. December 18, 11 a.m.) HONOLULU, December 17. The schooner Lanakai, chartered for Mrs Ulm, is being fitted out to continue the search, and will be leaving in two or three days with a crew of ten. The British Consul, Mr William Turner, to-day, obtained permission from the Governor and Navy for the schooner to visit the islands, shoals and reefs to the westward. Northrup Castle, owner and master of the schooner, said it would be gone for three weeks to a month. The Itasca sailed at 6 a.m. yesterday, en route for Johnston Island. 720 miles south-west. AVIATION DAY SALUTE.. (Recd. December 18, 1.30 p.m.) HONOLULU, December 17. In joint observance of Aviation Day and as a tribute to Ulm and crew, 110 Army and Navy aeroplanes flew in formation to-day over Honolulu and dropped flowers into the Pacific off Diamond Head. The Lanakai was the former German trading schooner Hermes, and fled here at the outbreak of the war with an Australian cruiser searching lor her about Marshall Isles. She slipped past the Japanese warship Hizen off the port, while the sister schooner Aeolus was captured, and sunk by the Hizen. The Lanakai is now engaged in fishing cruises. She is equiepped with a Diesel engine. Johnston Island, which will be searched by the Coastguard cutter Itasca, is really two islands separated by two miles of water, possessing neither food nor water, and only a sparse growth of brush, but hundreds of sea birds congregating there might provide means of existence. To-day marks the 31st anniversary of the world’s first aeroplane flight, whidh was made in America by Orville Wright, in December, 1903. The machine was in the air for twelve seconds, and covered a distance of 850 feet, whilst the air speed was approximately 35 miles per hour. It was six years later that Bleriot crossed the Channel from France to England. SINGAPORE MISHAP. SINGAPORE, December 17. During the large scale manoeuvres that have been associated with tho arrival of twenty of the warships of the China Fleet, there was a mock aerial attack. During this attack, two bombers of the R.A.F., Singapore, crashed into the sea. The three occupants of one were rescued by .the destroyer “Wren,” while the occupants of the other machine swam to a small island, where they were rescued by the SWren.” All were uninjured, except Aircraftsman Friesby, of London, who had three ribs broken.

GERMANY’S BOMB CARRIERS. LONDON, December 17. The Editor, Mr Jones, of the “World’s Aircraft,” says he is unable to give much information about the latest German ’planes and their motors, as the makers have only supplied information as to well-known commercial types. Pte adds: “Whatever the truth in the stories that Germany is building vast quantities of high-speed bombers and fighters, it must be admitted that the present German commercial machines and mail carriers require but little modification to turn them into war machines. The whole German air transport-is now in the hands of the Lufthansa Company, which is under closer Government control than ever it was before.” The writer also - notes that the 'War machine builders of Germany are now offering foreign countries new types which may be improvements on anything used in their own country. English firms, he says, have sold abroad machines that are faster than those they have sold at home, because the ones sent from Britain were free of the Air Ministry specifications.

BLACK’S ENGAGEMENT. (Recd. December 18, 2.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 17. Campbell Black is affianced to Florence Desmond. The engagement was announced in the presence of Scott and friends in Miss Desmond’s dressing room at the Palace Theatre, where she is appearing in the “Streamline” revue. She returned to the stage after their healths had been honoured; The marriage is expected in April.