PACIFIC CASTAWAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 202, 16 July 1936, Page 6

PACIFIC CASTAWAY

LINKED WITH ULM’S FLIGHT. A REMOTE POSSIBILITY. Though it has been suggested that a castaway sighted on the uninhabited Pacific Island of Motuiti, 300 miles from Tahiti, may be the Australian aviator, Mr C. T. P. Ulm, who was forced down with liis crew when hjing from Oakland (California) to Honolulu, on December 4, 1934, the possibility of this being so appears, on ah examination of the facts, to be extremely remote, if not impracticable. Carrying 000 gallons of gasoline (American standard), which was considered sufficient for a twenty hours flight, and to give a range of 3150 miles in still air, Ulm took off front Oakland on December low-winged Airspeed Envoy twinengined monoplane, the Star of Australia, at 3.41 p.nt. Next day, at 8 a.m., he wirelessed that he was lost, and at 9.08 a.m. sent a message that he was being forced down south of Honolulu. He had stated earlier that lie had enough petrol for 45 minutes’ flying, and was heading back towards the plotted course. A continuous stream of SOS signals came from the ’plane alter it had landed oil the sea, but these ceased at 11 a.m. From the cable messages from Honolulu at the time, it is recalled that the clarity of the wireless messages indicated that he was somewhere near the Hawaiian Islands, and it was considered that his machine would float for two days. The sea ■ was then calm and the currents, it was stated, would have carried the ’plane northwestward, in the direction of Alidway Island. It was believed that Ulm had been in error in reporting his position south of Honolulu, and that he had actually been forced down 200 miles north-east of Honolulu, because, if he had overshot the islands and headed north, that would be the vicinity in which he was forced down. By the shipping routes, Honolulu is 2098 miles from Oakland, while Tahiti is 3658 miles distant, but Ulm was, as a glance at the map shows, on an entirely different course. South from. Honolulu to Tahiti is a distance of easily . 2000 miles, so that such a flight is impossible when the range and petrol load of the ’plane are considered. The alternative that ocean currents carried the ’plane to witliin-300 miles of Tahiti docs not correspond with the view of a north-westerly drift towards Midway Island, expressed when the mishap occurred. Moreover, from where Ulm was ' forced down, a drift to Motuiti. Island would mean a course of approximately 2000 miles; hut there was a severe storm in the Pacific some days alter the ’plane was first missing, and hope ot rescue was then abandoned. “FAR TO THE SOUTH.”

There are three islands named Alotuiti listed in an authoritative work on the South Pacific, but all appear to be much too far to the south of the Hawaiian Islands tor Ulm to have had any hope of reaching them. The one referred to in the cable message is apparently that situated at the north-western extremity of the Society Islands, which include Tahiti, and which lie nearly 2000 miles south of Honolulu. This Motuiti consists of only small, low islands. Another Motuiti, otherwise known as Hergest Islet or the Two Brothers, is situated in the Alarquesas, a considerable distance to the north-east of the Society Group, and a third island, Alattoetee, Motuiti or Kennedy island, is in the Ellice Group, which is much nearer Samoa than Honolulu. SEARCH OVER AVIDE AREA.

Working mainly on the assumptions by expert naval meteorologists that Ulm had been forced down 180 miles north-north-east of Honolulu, the American authorities combed 200,000 square miles of the Pacific in an intensive search, but hope was abandoned on December 11, when activities ceased. There were theories held that the ’plane had passed Hawaii at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, and gone into the sea 300 miles south-west of Honolulu. These were based on the fact that lie might have mistaken the freighter Maliko for the President Coolidge, which he reported passing. The freighter was 200' miles east' of Honolulu at 3.55 a.m. on the Tuesday; (Jim’s was the' 13th attempted flight to Hawaii. His route across the Pacific was to have been from Oakland to Honolulu, Fanning Island, Fiji, aud Auckland. • • NO FURTHER INFORMATION. FROM FRENCH AUTHORITIES. Received July 16, 10.30 a.m. . SYDNEY, July 16. , The Daily Telegraph says that no flows has been received as to what efforts, if any, have been made to rescue the castaway reported on Motu Iti Island, near Tahiti. The French Consul-General has cabled inquiries to the Governor of Tahiti, hut lias not yet received a reply. Mrs C. T. P. Ulm, who believes the man may be her husband, lias been -advised to await news from Tahiti before considering sending a boat- to the island.