DISASTER FEARED

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 241, 8 September 1927, Page 7

DISASTER FEARED

’PLANE IN MID-ATLANTIC. FLIGHT FROM MAINE TO ROME. STEAMERS’ FRUITLESS SEARCH. (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received September 8, 9.5 a.m. NEW YORK, Sept. 7. The monoplane Old Glory broadcast an S.O.S. call early this morning. It is believed that the T plane has been forced down in the sea at a point between 700 and 900 miles eastward and slightly north of Newfoundland. Two Cunard liners, the Transylvania and tho Carmania, have swung off their courses in an endeavour to reach the ’plane. The. airmen sent numerous messages reporting progress before the S.O.S.— one to the effect that the machine was flying heavily—but none lias since been received. Therefore, there is scant hope that they are still in the air. The Carmania’s position was about 170 miles from the |plane when the distress call was received, and the Transylvania was about 83 miles. The Fokker Company, the builders of Old Glory, estimate that the machine will keep afloat for several hours with the petrol tanks emptied. Tho latest report stated that. the Transylvania had reached tho position given by the Old Glory and had unsuccessfully searched a 30-mile area. Mr John Harman, a journalist aboard the Transylvania, sends the following message by radio: “There i 3 now every reason to believe that tho Old Glory and 'the crew have been lost. “No word has been received, nor has there been a traco found, of the missing ’plane since the S.O.S. was picked up in mid-Atlantic. “Since the S.O.S.' was received, Captain Bone has been making a close search of the spot the ’plane was last heard from, but without result.”—A. and N.Z. cable. Lloyd Berland, J. D. Hill and Philip Payne, tho latter a New York pressman, left Maine (United States) for a flight to Rome. EN ROUTE FOR ENGLAND. MOVEMENTS OF ’PLANES, " Received September 8, 9.30 a.m. NEW YORK, Sept. 7. The aeroplane Sir John Carling (with Captain Terry Tully as pilot and Lieutenant James Medcalf as navigator) hopped off from Harbour Grace for London this morning. The Royal Windsor (with Duke Schiller as pilot and Phil Wood as navigator) has arrived at Harbour Grace (second town of Newfoundland) en route to Windsor (England),—A. and N.Z. cable. SEARCH ENDED. NO TRACE OF DOLE FLIERS. WASHINGTON, Sept. 6. The Navy Department has announced that tho Dole search ended without finding a trace of tho fliers. The searching vessels steamed over 100,000 miles and consumed more than 3,000,000 gallons of fuel.—A. and N.Z. cable. LEVINE’S PLANS. WAITING FOR GOOD WEATHER. LONDON, Sept. 7. Charles Levine has decided to wait until the weather improves, before making his trans-Atlantic flight. If the weather is unfavourable until September 16 the flight will probably be abandoned. In that case Levine will go to Karachi (India). —A. and N.Z. cable, AUSTRALIA TO NEW ZEALAND. FEDERAL PREMIER- HOPEFUL. MELBOURNE, Sept. 7. Referring to oversea' aeroplane flights, Mr Brace said that the Government was most desirous that the first flight between Australia and New Zealand should be successfully undertaken by local pilots. Every possible technical assistance would be given any qualified person who proposed to use a really efficient seagoing aeroplane for the purpose.— Press Association.