NO FOOD, LITTLE SLEEP, ANCHORED IN MUD

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6885, 15 April 1929, Page 7

NO FOOD, LITTLE SLEEP, ANCHORED IN MUD

Insects Make Life Unbearable \ Southern Cross Will Fly Back to Sydney [Copyright to the Sun throughout the World.] Received Monday, 2 a.m. ' • SYDNEY, Apirl 14. Lieut. Ulm’s account of the flight of the Southern Cross furnishes a thrilling story. Extracts from his log, after covering the eaply hours of the journey, which are already known, describe running into rain on Sunday, March 30, at 3.45 a.m. Jt continued off and on for the next two hours and when dawn was breaking at 7.50, it was wet and cold, and they did not know if the coast had been reached, as thick clouds hovered below, but all thought so. At six o’clock, they seemed to be approaching Wyndham. At 9.15, the log states, the last hour had been spent at about 50 feet in thick rain, and very low clouds, along the very broken coastline, looking for Wyndham. At 10.3 C, they thought they had found the entrance, but an hour later, the log says: “Nothing to report.’’ The log continues:— 11.30- Have been lost in the rainstorm for eight hours. Noon: On the coast at the mouth of a river. Clouds all about. . 12.20: Just passed some rapids. Heading west, getting over * vhe coast again. I • . • 1.50: Have about li hours’ gasolene supply. 2.10: Poised over the mission, threw down a note and a chap gave us the direction. All hands tired, having been in the air tor 27 hours. * * ✓ Lost in Rainstorm for Ten Hours 2.44: Have been hopelessly lost in a rainstorm for ten hours; now-going to make a forced landing at a place we believe to be .150 miles from Wyndham, in rotten country. 3.20: Have made a forced landing. Rain had forced us right down to the hilltops and we were unable to locate the mission, ’ so eventually we landed in the edge of a mangrove swamp. Smithy made a wonderful effort. The Southern Cross is undamaged, but the only food on board is seven sandwiches, all about to putrefy.

We have lit a fire and all are‘tired out after 28J hours in the air. ‘“Mac" rigged a long wave aerial to the aileron from the King post and listened-in. All are very deaf, but we heard *Ferth call Darwin about us. Before dark we trudged through about two and a-half miles of bad swamp grass to an adjacent hilltop but saw nothing, so returned to the ’bus. It was very heavy going. Smithy and Litchfield got in five to six hours sleep the first night. “Mac” and I had hardly an hour. The mosquitoes arid flies make sleep impossible. Monday, April 1: Smithy and I spent practically the whole day improving the belt drive for the radio generator. We had no tools and the flies were awful. In the evening, we listened-in again. Our food has given out, but we have pleifty of water. All are very weak. “Mac” and I are the worst, because we have nad no jsleep. ■ . „ We got Sydhey on the radio. They say a launch has left Wyndham to search the Drysdale river and a ’plane is to leave Derby on a search. Litchfield has fixed our position about 120 miles from Derby and 180 west from Wyndham. The ’plane is our main hope. Turned to about 8.20 a.m., after hard physical .work by Smithy and myself, trying to; turn the radio just enough to get out a message. It is doubtful if it did any good. Smithy and Litchfield had less than an hour’s sleep, “Mac” half an hour and myself none. Our mosquito bites are swelling and all are much weaker. Mud Flat Named Cafe Royal We have named this place the Cafe Royal. Smithy and I have searched the swamp for oysters but found none. We saw a small kangaroo on Sunday, but have seen nothing since. We turned the ’plane round in the afternoon to slightly dryer ground.

' Tuesday, April 2: All are visibly weaker this morning. Any exertion ti/cs us altogether. Smithy and Litchfield went to the hilltop to light a fire. “Mac” and I have one, going near Southern Cross. We shall stay here to-night and listen-in again. 9.40 a.m.: A ’plane coming t Our best hope, but it has not sighted us. Wo feel we can last a week if the flies and mosquitoes don’t devour us, but the main thing is that the Southern Cross is undamaged and we can take-off in a few days if there is no more rain and may see the mission again. We shall be able to stay about 15 minutes only, but will be able to send a radio on a short wave from the air, though another landing here will be perilous. Even writing is an effort. Smithy and Litchfield returned from the hilltop at noon. They could not stick the heat without protection. We got Sydney at night, but though we are reported missing in the press, there is no direct message to us, a thunder shower fell just before sundown and another at 1.30 am. All had about three hour 3 sleep. “Mac" is a scream, making jokes and sometimes playing a mouth-organ. Food is all we need. We are weak from lack of it and sleep. We tried to shoot birds with an automatic, but with no success.