THE SOUTHERN CROSS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 103, 1 April 1929, Page 7

THE SOUTHERN CROSS

FORCED DOWN IN ROUGH COUNTRY, PETROL SUPPLIES GIVE OUT. CREW AND MACHINE SAFE. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received April 1, 9.45 a.m. SYDNEY, April 1. The Southern Cross, which left Richmond on Saturday morning en route for England, was forced down 200 miles from Wyndham, owing to the petrol supplies giving out. The country in the district is densely-wooded and hilly, but a landing was safely effected in the vicinity of the Drysdale mission , station. The crew and the machine are safe. It is expected that it will be Wednesday or Thursday before the petrol supplies reach the ’plane. CORDIAL SEND-OFF. SYDNEY, March 31. The personnel of the Southern Cross is the same as when the aeroplane visited New Zealand Several hundred people gave the airmen a cordial sendoff. The monoplane, carrying 800 gallons of petrol, rose slowly in the heavy atmosphere, but once aloft it soon disappeared north-westward. It was accompanied for some distance by Air Force Moths. Before the Southern Cross set out each man made a brief speech, which was permanently recorded. Captain Kingsford-Smith expressed confidence that they would win through and achieve something toward linking up the Empire air communications. The flight, he stated, was purely of a business nature and no attempt at record-breaking was intended. Besides the pilots the crew consists of Mr 11. A. Litchfield, the navigator, and Mr T. H. McWilliam, wireless operator. ’PLANE FALLS INTO SEA. PILOT SUSTAINS BROKEN ARM. Received April 1, 10.30 a.m. SYDNEY, April 1. A Moth aeroplane piloted by Mr John Dooley fell into the sea at Cornulla. Mr Dooley was rescued by surfmen. He sustained a broken arm. The ’plane began to spin when at a height of 300 feet and hose-dived into the water.