ARE THE TASMAN FLIERS NEAR LEVIN?

Grey River Argus, 14 January 1928, Page 5

ARE THE TASMAN FLIERS NEAR LEVIN?

FIRE SEEN IN TARARUA RANGES.

CONSTABLE’S FUTILE SEARCH. WELLINGTON. January 13. About three o’clock yesterday after, noon, the Petone police received word that what was thought to be the missing aeroplane could be seen in Ilorokiwi Hills, near the Government Trig Station, between Porirua ami Trentham. Constable MacNamara proceeded to ’ investigate, and after a rather warm tramp over several miles of hilly country, found the “aeroplane” to be a patch of bare clay, which although not by any means freshly formed, had not previously been noted by local residents. Heard Drone j>f Plane. CALVES STAMPEDE. 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 r ceived a i 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 th Waitohu Valley. Our attention was drawn to the matter of a number of calves in a small paddock, close to our house, stampeding and roaring.” Waitohu Valley is 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.” I “Crashed in One of the Gullies.” OBSERVER'S CONTENTION. 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 I was. I could see the Straits and an outline of the South Island. My wife and brother-in-law were also watching. W ■ were also running in and out of the h<»usc listening to a wireless description of the flight, from Trentham. We heard on the wireless that it hail been sighted off Stephen Island. We then went out to keep up watch, and saw al red glow towards the Straits. It kept I fading ami brightening up. and ap- ' peared to be travelling towards Trentham. It would be about 1" 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 alpng th? range of hills, going backwards and forwards. I had the glow in view fr<>m 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 n.y place, ami I set fire to a patch of g'.’sc. to give the aviators a line of wh.-re they were. I am of the opinion tl.'tt if it was the plane I saw. it cra.'hcd in one of the gulli s near the • oust line. As 1 saw it tacking up and down the range. I thought they were The Postmaster at Helensville also *ays that a noise like that of a plane was heard there, but he is inclined think it was really a car racing on the Muriwai beach. SAW PLANE OUT AT SEA. WELLINGTON. January 13. Th< Postmaster at Wanganui reports th it Mr Winter has made a sworn d' duration that he and his family of fi\o persons saw the plane out to sea at 8.30 p.m. on January 10, heading for Pa-kakariki. He is a tablet por-T in -he railways, ai.d his statement may be given every credence. Th- Postn aster at Ashhurst was informed by a lady that the sound of a plan • was h* ar-1 in Pohangina Valley. but h doos not attach importance to it. GOING TOWARD MARI INBOROUGH OTAKI. January 13. A local resident of -‘andir.g says that he and his wif<* distinctly heard an aeroplane pass • "oing in the direction of Mart.nbo He is willing to sign an affidavit to this effect. Seen by Fifty People. FROM MOUNT VICTORIA. WELLINGTON. Januarv 13. Other observers !lflW corroborate the story that the plane v.a< Mt Victoria, above \\-i| : p ■ asserted that it was plainlv over Island Bay, ami h.-ad i passing behind the hills to the v.<- t. Ward, which would coincide , A report of its appearance at Paekakariku It is positively alleged that fift.v

FORRESTER SUPPOSES IT TO BE A SIGNAL.

people, or more, saw it and raised a loud cheer. Further calculations by radio men. based on the last signals, arc that at 5.30 p.m. the machine .was only a hundred miles away from Wellington. ASHBURTON REPORTS. | CHRISTCHURCH. January 13. It is stated that the drone of an aeroplane was heard by several people nt Chertsey, near Ashburton, about midnight on Tuesday. All agree that the aeroplane arrived over the district a few minutes before midnight, and after circling round for half an hour, it went off eastward towards the sea. Mrs 11. M. Copland, who lives near Mrs W. G. Copland. who lives about seven miles away, ami MiBaker. from the North Island, also claim to have heard the plan?. Mrs H. M. Copland is positive that it was a plane she heard, because the nearest 1 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 time was directly overhead. Aerial’s Operations. I BUCKLEY FORCED TO RETURN. I l' BLENHEIM. January 13. I Owing to absence from Wellington of Major Wilkes. Director of Air Services. no instructions had been received by Captain Buckley up to late I last night in connection with the continuation of the aerial search for th? Tasman fliers. At seven o’clock this morning. Captain Buckl?y >ucceeded in getting into touch with Major Wilkes by telephom H-- then received orders to leave Bien- I h im ami fly to Cape Farewell, turnther- ami flying southward around the coast as far as Karamea. returning direct to Bl mhoim. At the conclusion of th:s : atrol. Captain Buckley h is be- n Gidered to fly to New Plymouth, a distance of about 470 Toiles by air line from Blenh im. As his fuel supply will nut be sufficient for return t • 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 latter 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 wa- forced to return at 12.20. owing to engine trouble. VisiI bility was bad. Signalling Apparatus. moncrieff carried pocket LAMP. SYDNEY, January 13. | Regarding the wireless signals com | ing from the Ao-Te-Aroa, it is stated 1 that Hood had only an elementary | knowledge of the Morse code. and I could only transmit single letters (slow. lv. II was given a series of code letb, r signals, consisting of from two to I four letters, indicating that it was the I Rvan monoplane calling. The call signs and interpretation code were I wired to the Government Radio Station at Wi llington, and ships within wireless distance of Sydney and Wellington. but it is considered doubtful if anv wireless operator, who was not in pos-.ssion of the call signs and code signals, could interpret any wireless " . received as coming from the | messafe monoplane. At Richmond aerodrome, while final|v attending th" engine, Moncrieff W IS handed a small pocket flash lamp, which hc - retained. This, however, if us-d for signalling, would be visible O„lv a verv short distance. It could not’ possible have been seen from th ■ monoplane three thousand feet up, assunring the airmen were using it -o signal, bv persons on land, unless with the aid of the most powerful night glasses. ... I Air Mechanic Ward, when assisting to get the plane off. states that ne cave Moncrieff two bundles of cotton waste ami a length of tubing as he sat ... th controls. This would enabb him to saturate the waste with petro. and drop two or three flares. BUCKLEY’S PLANE DEFECTIVE. BLENHEIM.. January 13. S Cantain Buckley took ofi at 11.10 P . t natrol Farewell Spit, > this morning to patrol * . Karamea, and Blenheim, as arranged, but was forced to return to the ba 1 at 12.20. after being up for a Uttl 1 hnnr The engine of the plane : wen When he left he carried on, thinking it would 1 improve as the flight progressed but it sot worse. Difficulty was expen enced in clearing the hills west of Blenheim, as the plane would not elm and attain a sufficient he.ght Had the I engine been functioning well, Capta Buckley would have shaped the course from over Tophouee to New Plymouth as the visibility was excellent over th North Inland. On the way home the engine was ' very rough, and it is being gone over carefully this afternoon. ’ Orders are noYj bung awaited- and

these will decide whether the machine is to stay in Blenheim until a favourable opportunity for doing the Karamea trip presents itself, or will pro* ceed to New Plymouth and Trentham. LATER. Captain Buckley has received no orders to.night for the continuation of the aeroplane search. lie is probably leaving in the morning for another attempt to patrol Cape Farewell and Karamea, which was interrupted to-dav by engine trouble and bad visibility. CAPT. FINDLAY OVER TARARUAS. \V ELLINGTON, 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 Tararuas. Statement Confirmed. BY MASTER OF KAIWARRA. SYDNEY, January 13. The master of the steamer Kaiwarra, in a wireless message to the Sun newspaper, reiterates his statement that he saw an aeroplane at 11 o’clock on Tuesday night. The machine was then circling in the vicinity of Porirua. It was in sight for three or four minutes, and then disappeared behind the clouds, flying eastward. The Kaiwarra at this time was near the Brothers Light, in Cook Strait. CAPE FOULWIND RUMOUR. WESTPORT, January 13. Reports having been received that something resembling wreckage was floating out in the sea near Cape Foulwind, and smoke was rising from the Steeples, Mr Curtis, Secretary and Manager of the Westport Harbour, and Captain Tointon, Assistant Harbour Master, investigated with a steam launch, but all they found was a mass of floating kelp, and no sign of a tire. Reports htat a plane was seen from Denniston, Tauranga Bay and Karamea were also investigated without result.

Observed at Wanganui. TABLET PORTER’S STATEMENT. WELLINGTON. January 13. The following statement was received by the Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Office, from the Postmaster of Wanganui:—Wm. Henry Winter, tablet porter, of Maxwell, declares: “I was at my residence about two mil s from the sea. at Maxwell Railway Station, on the 10th January, when I saw an aeroplane for two or three minutes, losing sight of it at 8.30 p.m., by my watch, which was correct. My wife and three children also saw the plane. It was some distance out to sea. and appeared as a dark streak, travelling fast, and was very clear against the bright sky. When first 1 saw it, th? sun having set very shortly before, it was heading for about Paekakariki, and we lost sight of it as it passed a background of dark clouds. We have seen aeroplanes pass our place both ways on former occasions, but always nearer than this one.” SEARCH PARTIES SET OUT. MASTERTON. January 13. Two parties left Masterton this morning to search the Taracuas for the airmen. They were equipped with three days’ provisions. Alpine tents, and a stove; and will explore the ridges from the summit range until Sunday night. A third party of soldier settlers from Ngaumu settlement left, to search the Waiorongomu and Orongorongo districts. where it was reported the plane had been seen on Tuesday night. Fire in Tararua Ranges. BELIEVED TO BE A SIGNAL. “CERTAIN IT IS NOT A BUSH FIRE. ” WELLINGTON, January 13. The Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Office to-night received the following message from the Postmaster at Rongotea: “Mr Stringer, foreman of the State Forest Service, reports that smoke is issuing from the Tararua Ranges, approximately behind Levin, and is apparently a signal, and not a , bush fire.” LATER. The Postmaster of Rangotea supplements his message to the G.P.O. with the following: “Stringer reports that fire is apparently in foothills, forty-two degrees magnetic bearing from mouth of Raiigitikei River. He feels certain it is not a bush fire.”

Coastal Ships’ Reports. KAIWARRA STATEMENT DIS. COUNTED. WELLINGTON, January 13. It was officially stated to-day that five coastal ships, including the Imaha, Breeze. Kapiti and Hawera, were steaming at intervals from Cape Terawhiti and Kapiti Island between 9.30 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Tuesday, and more than one of these vessels saw the Kaiwarra. bound from Wellington to ’ Sydney, which reported seeing the flares dropped between Paekakariki and Stephen’s Island, but although they were all keeping a good lookout, they saw nothing indicating the presence of an aeroplane. and their masters scout the story altogether in connection with the belief that the aviators may have been picked up by a vessel, if they were forced to land in the sea. It is stated that not a single ship is known to have been at sea between Australia and N.Z. on Tuesday, that has not since arrived in port, somewhere or other, or has been in communication by radio. _ One shipmaster expressed the view hat the weather conditions were such

as would take the airmen well to the southward of their proper course for Wellington. He suggests, as an alternative to coming down at sea, a landing somewhere in South Westland, where there are many beaches on which it is possible for a plane to descend unobserved; ip. and others consider it wrong that the airmen were not possessed of the means to send out a radio signa] in the event of a mishap, with some indication of their approximate position. There has been no report from the tug Toia, and Capt Findlay saw no sign of the missing airmen in his search from the air to-day. CAPTAIN KNIGHT RETURNING. SYDNEY.. January 13. Captain Knight was a passenger by th • Mara ma. for Wellington.