SEAPLANE TO RESCUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18374, 14 April 1923, Page 8

SEAPLANE TO RESCUE.

PASSE MISSES AT. PURSUIT OF THE MANUKACAUGHT IN HAURAKI GULF. LATE-COMER'S ENTERPRISE. The •would-be passenger who arrives oh the wharf after his overseas steamer has departed has now no need to suffer the annoyance and disappointment usually associated with such an indignity. If he follows the example set yesterday by Dr. Frank Bohn he may travel by a highpowered seaplane out to the Hauraki Gulf, and there join his steamer amid the cheers of his fellow-passenegrs in a much more imposing fashion than if he boarded it in the orthodox manner by. the gangway at the city wharf. The circumstances surrounding the successful efforts of Dr. Bohn to catch the Manuka, which left yesterday morning for Sydney, are these. Dr. Bohn, who has been lecturing in New Zealand on behalf of the Chautauqua Association, was informed by some . outsider that the Manuka, on which vessel he had booked his passage, was timed to leave for Sydney at noon. The actual time scheduled for departure, however, was 11 a.m., and the Manuka cleared the Central Wharf at about 11.15. A quarter of an hour later local representatives of the Chautauqua Association met Dr. Bohn calmly strolling on to the wharf. The dismal news that his steamer had left lent determination rather than dismay to the doctor's mind. He immediately hastened to the launch steps and suggested to the launchmen that a fast launch might overtake the steamer.. This course, however, was not possible, but Mr. H. Duke, of the launch Lavona, conceived the happy idea of telephoning to the New Zealand Flying School for a seaplane to pick the doctor up and take him out to the Manuka, which by this time was well down the harbour.

Fortunately a seaplane was in the water, and no time was lost in despatching the machine, piloted by Mir. George Bolt, to Auckland. Meanwhile Dr. Bohn had commenced his trip to Sydney by embarking on the launch. The seaplane located the launch off the Sandspit Beacon, and the doctor transferred from launch to plane, and commenced the second stage of his journey.

Sale Transfer Made. By the time that these arrangements had been carried out, the Manuka was beyond Rangitoto, and heading for Tiritiri. The plane made good time, and overtook the steamer about an hour after the Manuka left the wharf and as shi was near Tiri-tiri. The captain,- who had been advised by wireless that a passenger wag boarding his boat from the skies, stopped the engines and put a rope ladder over the side. The seaplane was skilfully ranged alongside bv her pilot,, and Dr. Bohn made yet another transference. He crawled out of the plane, climbed up the ladder, and, heralded by the cheers of the passengers, gained the Manuka's deck and commenced the final stage of his adventuresome journey,.probably feeling that fortune had been especially kind to him that morning.

Companions' Misfortunes. Other members of the Chautauqua party however, had not the same : fortune* ,■ as Dr. Bohn. The Hawaiian quintette, which had given a concert at. Darsnville on Thursday evening, left Dargaville at 10 p.m. by motor-car for i Auckland, intending to catch the Manuka for Sydney. About 20 miles past Dargaville, the car and its passengers were placed on a punt to be ferried across the river. . The punt ran on to a mudbank and refused to be moved. The party were forced to remain out in the cold night air for many hours until arrangements, could be , gnade , for the punt to be towed off. : By the time the car resumed its journey, there, was no possibility .of the party reaching Auckland in time to catch the Manuka, rnd as there was no aeroplane available in this case, the members of the party missed the boat,, arriving in. Auckland yesterday afternoon. '' : • " Detective's Experiences. . The sensational nature of the events on the waterfront was increased by an episode of an entirely different character. Strangely enough the . Manuka again figured in the story, as also did Mr. Duke and his launch. Just as the steamer was on the point of moving from the wharf a constable rushed down with a warrant issued at Hamilton for the arrest of a man who was supposed to be aboard the Mamuka. Detective Gourley, who was on the wharf, determined not to let his man escape, and although the gangway, had been lifted, swung himself on to the steamer as she was backing out, with instructions to the constable to get ; a launch to meet the Manuka in the stream. The detective hunted through the passengers for his man, who is alleged to have attempted to leave New Zealand without making provision for his wife's maintenance. He was located on board, it is stated, in the, company of another lady, and was taken in charge. The Manuka had backed out and had started to move down the harbour, but Mr. brought his launch alongside, and by keeping pace with the slowly-moving steamer enabled the detective and his prisoner to tranship. A coincidence of the dav was that soon after Mr. Duke's launch reached tho launch steps with one unwilling passenger from the Manuka, it carried out one very willing passenger' en route for the same steamer. ; .:,