NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19999, 16 July 1928, Page 12

NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE.

REPORTER FLIES TO WRECK.

SWIFT AEROPLANE JOURNEY. RETURN TRIP WITH PICTURES. FIRST CASE IN DOMINION. A now method of securing news was exploited by the New Zealand Herald in order that it might give its reades the first full account of tho wreck of Isabella de Fraine. An aeroplane was used by a newspaper for the first time jn Now Zealand for the gathering of news. .1 On Saturday evening word was receive that tho vessel had 'foundered, it was feared with total loss of life. The difficulty of securing full and accurate news was accentuated by tho remoteness of the scene of the wreck. Even in fine weather the trip to Hokianga takes some time, and it was learned that the roads were in such a bad state that it would take nearly two days to get through by motor-car. The sea voyage, even in the speediest of craft available, would also have taken far too long. With tho" ordinary means of travel of no avail, the llerai.d decided to use the air as its highway to securing news Early vesterday morning Mr. Doug.as : i was asked if he would leave for Hokianga with a Herald reporter. About eight hours later they left Middlemore. Great Saving of Tims. The distance to be covered was about 110 miles, "as the Moth flies," and never in New Zealand has the efficacy of air transport been better proved. By land or sea a circuitous path must have been followed. The path through the air was as straight as its passage; was swift, and two hours after the Moth left Middlemore she swooped down on a hard stretch of beach, which made a perfect landing place. Fortunately, the weather favoured the fliers. Rain was encountered shortly after tho Moth left Auckland, but conditions were generally good. ' Aucklanders have grown accustomed to the sight of Mr. Mill's neat little aeroplane, but few who saw her take off from Middlemore yesterday morning or watche her fly over the city knew of her mission When she arrived at Hokianga the position was reversed. The Moth became a second centre of interest when she came to rest on the sand, and her occupants left little time for doubting the cause o their errand. _ The Moth had a dual role m this flight She acted as the only possible means of transport for the journalist who was to secure the news, but photogiaphs had also to be obtained and rushed back to Auckland. Tailing the Pictures. The machine carries only one passenger in addition to the pilot, and in this case the passenger had to be a journalist who was only an amateur photographer. Mr. Mill has had experience of aerial photorraDhv but photographs from the air S out of the question. The vessel was underneath the waves, whici Tolling with a suggestion of that . a * ? power which had destroyed a ship and the lives of eight men. However, on the beach there was wreckage, spars and ropes and aportio of the upper bulwarks ot tne stein, beai iug the name of the lost schooner. There was part of her cargo, and this collection of wave-tossed debris, telling its stoiy tragedy, was photographed by an amateur The results of his efforts can ue seen in this issue. They tell their own S Mr' Mill left on his retuqi trip shortly after' one o'clock with" tho precious photographic plates in. his care, the lain had lilted and the wind had dropped. The flying conditions were perfect. ine beach of hard sand, the pile of wreckage, the searchers, all dropped quickly behind him. An hour and three-quarters later he made a good landing on the site of the Hobsonville air base. Speed Launch Assists. Even then there was still need of speed The negatives in Mi'. Mill s possession had to be developed and blocks made. As soon as the Moth was seen circling over Northcote, another Herald reporter left for Hobsonville in Mr. C. J. Collings speed-boat, Fleetwing Junior. In this case, 100, the fastest possible means of transport was used. 13 y road it would have taken over an hour to reach Hobsonville; the speed-boat stuttered her way up the harbour in under 20 minutes. Returning. Mr. Collings even cut a few minutes off the time for the trip, and it was not long before prints were being made to be transposed on to metal. It was a striking illustration of the ago of titJeed. Aeroplanes have been used before in New Zealand to provide newspaper material, but never to take a journalist to the scene of an accident or in quest of any definite item of news. Their chief uses in the past have been to provide a spectacle from the air for descriptive writing or for photography. On several occasions tho arrival of visiting naval squadrons has been described and photographed from tho air. In using an aeroplane to go in search of news, the Herald has made journalistic history in the Dominion.

MYSTERY OF THE SEA. LOSS OF THE RIPPLE. LIGHTS SUDDENLY DISAPPEAR. Not since the steamer Ripple was lost with all hands north of Cape Paliiscr on the, East Coast on August 7, 1924, has there been a shipwreck on the New Zealand coast involving swell loss of life as that caused by the loss of the Isabello de Eraine. Of the actual end of the Ripple little is known. She was sighted during the height of a storm about midnight by the keeper of the light at Cape Palliser and 20 minutes later was observed to be sending distress signals. x ' Wellington was communicated with and shipping in the region advised to proceed to the assistance of the little 413-tons steamer. Between 1.40 and 2 a.m. her lights suddenly disappeared and, beyond the wreckage, some cargo and bodies cudsequently washed ashore, nothing more was heard of her. It is presumed the Ripple's engines broke down during the height of a terrific storm which severely buffeted several large steamers which passed along the coast at the time. All on board, a crew of 15 and two passengers, were lost. One lifeboat washed up contained loose chocolate tins, both full and emptied, and other articles which appeared to indicate that the small craft had been piloted shoreward without capsizing until she was swamped close to the beach. The body of a member of the crew was found on the beach in a crouching position, suggesting that he had reached land alivo and died when attempting to crawl clear of the water. A magisterial inquiry found that the captain was justified in putting to sea: that the vessel was well found and senworthy and licr cargo, which was less than allowed by the regulations, properly and safely stowed. Indications pointed to her machinery having been disabled and all possible steps had been taken tO' render assistance.