NO TRACE OF MISSING AIRMEN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 16 January 1928, Page 5

NO TRACE OF MISSING AIRMEN

ON LAND OR SEA (United Preu Association) WELLINGTON, 14tli Jan. Mr G. S. Phillips, forest ranger at Kaitoke, has reported to the Postmaster at Featlierston that lie . has seen what might be the remains of the airplane on the slopes of Omega, close to the Grey-town-Otaki track, two-third's of the way r up from the Tauherenikau River swing V:' bridge. The objects have the appearance one of a tent 2ft. wide by 4ft. high, and the other of a grey-white flatlooking object. The distance is about , ten miles air line, and the bearings are from the Bayonet trig roughly 10 degrees east of north. This is in the line Otaki-Featherston.v Smoke was observed he adds, in the green bush between the •'head-waters of the Kerekere and Snowy Creek at 4 p.m. yesterday for half an hour.- Kerekere.'is on the other side of ' the Hutt River .from Kaitoke. Mr : Phillips discerned the objects through a pair of powerful glasses. The mountains were to-day enveloped in fog. The Secretary of the G.P.O. was advised by the Postmaster at Levin that a party searched the Mangahao valley and traversed the ranges to the top of < : Mt. Dundas, .five thousand feet, and i found nothing. The weather was bleak, and owing to dense fog and sleet the country further back could not explored. " ■ ; ' ' The postmaster of Westport reports that the beaches near-Westport were ‘ searched and several mysterious happenings investigated without result. The V- stretch ; between Oparara and Heaphy river .will-be searched on Monday.- ) ■■ ■■■, The postmaster, ati Nelson is arranging Z . a-search;between Kahaurangi point and • Patarau river on the West Coast. ■,'} 1 ■ The master of the schooner Fairburn passed close to the coast on Wednesday and saw nothing of the airmen.- . Ho • V thinks the fires reported ,are hush .fires ’ and not signals. The police have received instructions , to search for the aviators' even in the most remote'parts of their districts. : J A pig hunter on a highridge between - Orongorbngo and Lake Wairarapa says he saw the ’plane overhead on Tuesday v night' and-,heard the drone from it, and ; V noticed,, a dull'red glow as from the ’v exhaust, -.-.'i-- v - : ■ . WELLINGTON, 14<h Jan.' Botli the post office and.the-police . have investigated the smoke seen rising J f in the. hills behind Levin, and ap of , the opinion that it comes from a .scrub Ui' fin? ou the property of Robbie Brothers on the heights above Ihakara.. -The police; are taking no further action, but the ipost' office may receive further re- /•’. portß, ‘

V . ADDITIONAL /MESSAGES /. •: *■[)■!■' ‘ ' . WELLINGTON, This Day! • The Secretary of the Rost .and Tele* . graph Department received the following l, additional messages relative to reports concerning the missing aviators: — At -7.50 on Saturday evening from the-postmaster at Shannon: • “Police /interviewed Robbie,; who state? that the. ; smoke, was from a scrub fire on his pro- > ■ perty, there. being no Other fire ih/his - : , locality.” : . iS v !At 10.30 on Sunday morning from the postmaster at Dannevirke‘ ‘Police state that late last* night a resident of Dannevirke reported he and his family /</ saw smoke on the Ruahine ranges in the p direction of Rnaroa at 6 o’clock on Wed-- ' nesday morning, which appeared to .ho. signals He'*did ; not report it earlier as ‘ . he expected to b'e ridiculed. This morn- ; ing several residents of Rnaroa report p/ that they can discern some object on the ranges which is unfamiliar; A party • of six or seven set out at 10 a.m.- to .investigate. Police are also starting for ‘the scene.” I ■ . ’ ■ , • v At 10.30 on Sunday morning from the Chief Postmaster, Nelson : “Collingwood L,: reports ’ last night regarding fire mvesV tigations show that it has no connection With the missing aeroplane.” ... : ‘ RADIO EXPERT’S STATEMENT CHRISTCHURCH, 14th- Jan. . R;J. Baggs, ‘who .was detailed by the l -’\Telegraph Department to pick up signals from the airmen,' says he has no doubt • / that the signals received from 5.12 to ' ~ 5.22 on the day of the; flight were from r the ’plane. They were first picked up i 1 on aTwave length of 33.35 metres; No > ; commercial stations were sending on that wave length at that tjme.