WIND DELAYS CLIPPER

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 December 1937, Page 7

WIND DELAYS CLIPPER

RUSH OF AIR MAIL

PLEASURE-BOAT danger

[per press association.]

’ ' ’ AUCKLAND, December 29 Approximately 20,000 letters hai been lodged at the Chief Post Office by 8 o’clock to-night, when the mail closed for transport by,air in the PanAmerican Airways’ Samoan Clipper, due to take off in the morning, if the weather is favourable, for the United States, with calls at Pago Pago and Honolulu. It is not definitely known if the clipper will get away, as a nigh wind is blowing. The Post and Telegraph Department will take only a small part of the proceeds of the sale of air mail stamps, the proportion being fixed by international agreement. The bulk of the amount of postage will go to PanAmerican Airways. The air mail postage to San Francisco is 4/6 for halfounce letters; but the biggest part of the mail will be delivered at Pago Pago, for which the rate is Gd.

SHELTER FROM WIND. AUCKLAND, December 30. Owing to a stiff blow in the harbour, the Samoan Clipper, whose return flight to Honolulu was. postponed! at midnight, was transferred this morning to Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island, which sheltered it from the prevailing north-easterly wind. The more immediate reason for the transfer was the fact that one of the pleasure boats moored in. front of the Pan-American Clipper dragged its anchor, during the night. Captain Musick therefore decided, early this morning, to take shelter, and taxied the Clipper to Islington Bay. “It pays to be careful,” said Mr Harold Gatty, special representative cf the Pan-American Airways, this mofning. He added that it was better to 4 have the Clipper moored in a sheltered spot, than to have it where constant vigilance was. necessary owing to the possibility of pleasure craft dragging their anchors.

The Centaurus was able to remain at the moorings at Mechanics Bay, no pleasure boats being moored near her. Captain Burgess and the crew were vigilant throughout the night. Mr F. Maurice Clarke, manager of the Union Airways, stated this morning, before leaving for the south, by air, that the Centaurus was not likely to be delayed by the weather on her flight south, to-morrow. She will leave Auckland at 7 a.m. with twelve passengers, including two Ministers of the Crown.

The air mail for the Samoan Clipper now totals 21,000 letters. The peak of the rush has passed.

CENTAURUS PREPARATIONS

AUCKLAND, December 29.

An official call on Captain Burgess aboard the "Centaurus was paid this morning by Rear-Admiral the Hon. E. R. Drummond. Later, several parties of guests inspected the machine, and in the afternoon about 200 gallons of petrol were taken aboard, which, with the quantity already in the tanks, will be ample for the flight to Wellington. No visitors will be permitted abroad the Centaurus tomorrow. The .day has been set aside for inspection and servicing of the ship, to have her in complete readiness for the start.

With no official engagements this afternoon and evening, Captain Burgess and his crew spent a considerable time with friends, old and new. To-night Captain Burgess visited the Pan-American radio and meteorological station. Other members of the ship’s company spent the evening at theatres or as guests of Aucklanders.

CAPTAIN BURGESS PROMOTED AUCKLAND, December 29. Promotion has been awarded to both Captain J. W. Burgess, commander of the Imperial Airways flying-boat Centaurus, and his chief officer, Mr. C. F. Elder, in recognition of their successful flight from England to New Zealand. This announcement was made in a cablegram received from the headquarters of the company in London. The text of the cablegram, which was addressed to Captain Burgess, was as follows: “Congratulations to you and crew on splendid flight. Your promotion to extra master, and First Officer Elder to extra mate, dated December 27.”

The message was signed by Major Brackley, air superintendent of Imperial Airways.

SYDNEY PRESS COMMENT

SYDNEY, December 29

“This Christmas season has been epoch-making in New. Zealand with the arrival there simultaneously of the American and British giant flyingbeats,” says the Sydney “Morning Herald” in a leading article. It declares that while there is undeniably competition between the British and American flying-boat enterprises for prestige, there isj also active cooperation between them in the objective of linking up through their joint services the new aerial transocean routes around the world. “Thus there will be exemplified once again the vast possibilities of aerial transport as a bond between the nations and a remover of national barriers. Most heartily, the Australian and New Zealand peoples will welcome this further refreshing instance of intelligent collaboration between the British Empire and the United States.”

N.S.W. PLANE DAMAGED

(Recd. Dec. 30, 8 a.m.). SYDNEY, December 29

A twelve-passenger DH 86 aeroplane Lepena, enroute to Melbourne from Sydney, was badly damaged while landing at the Wagga, aerodrome today. None of the eight passengers and crew was injured. The pilot attempted to avoid a straying bullock. The wing struck the ground, the plane canted, and the opposite wing was crushed and propellers seriously damaged. LINERS HELD UP. (Received December 30, 2 p.m.) ATHENS, December 29. Bad weather in the Mediterranean is holding up throe Imperial Airways liners, on route to England from Africa, with passengers, and mail.