SMITH AT KARACHI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20990, 29 September 1931, Page 9

SMITH AT KARACHI.

Departs for jask. Sflps«E- ; zf aOW TRIP FROM JHANSI. /f PEOPELLEE AT FAULT. ■ lIECSPECTS ftt 1 RECORD. v®- - . . . MEAD °F MOLLISON. I* / 5y Telegraph—Tress Association—Copyright. (Received September -J!). 12.25 a.m.) KARACHI. Sept, 28. 14ir-CV>mmodore Kincsford Smith who fs flying from Australia to England in an attempt, to create a fresh record for the journey arrived at Karachi from Jhansi this morning. . The airman reported that he had made ft slow trip owing to an inefficient propeller and to b;is unwillingness to run the engine of the /Southern Cross Minor fast enough bring the machine's cruising speed to normal. He has recovered from -his indisposition. Mr. Smith departed for Jask, Persia, at 1.30 p.m. Probably he will have to land ' fhere bv tlie licht of flares. / ' JHANSI ON FOURTH DAY. UNENVIABLE EXPERIENCE. PERIL THROUGH SUNSTROKE. CALCUTTA. Sept. 28. Air-Commodore Kingsford Smith landed gj Jhansi, about 2GO miles west of Allahabad, shortly after 6 p.m. yesterday (Sundav). He said he was feeing all right. He was ahead of Mollison's time. When Mr. Smith left Calcutta at 12.15 p.m. he announced that he proposed to maka his next stop at Allahabad. However, he changed his mind and flew the extra 2GO miles. He passed over the Bamrauli .aerodrome at Allahabad and dropped a message attached to a banana saying he was proceeding to Jhansi, which, v. wiih the helping wind, he expected to reach bv dusk.

Further details of Mr. Smith's experi- ' euce over the Bay of Bengal, on the way from Rangoon to Calcutta, show that he had an amazing escape from death. Ha had hopped off from Rangoon before dawn and was making good progress over the bay wher/ suddenly he fainted at a height of 3000 ft. He regained consciousness when the machine }vas a few hundred feet above the water and steadily failing. The airmail revived himself by putting , his head over the side of the aeroplane, thus obtaining the beuenfc of the onrush of air. He/regained control of the machine in the nick of time. When he arrived at Calcutta he first asked for a glass oi branrlv. He said be believed lie had a slight sunstroke, but refused to stay for treatment and left an hour iaier for Jhansi. where he stayed the night. Sir. Smith was still suffering from severe headache /at Calcutta, and looked very ill, but he was wearing an airman's topee given him by a member of the aerodrome staff. He said bis experience over the Bay of Bengal was uncanny and unnerving. He had never bad an attack of the kind before and hoped he never would again. He had learned a lesson and would wear the topee during the rest of the flight. The airman- is now about half a day ahead of Mollison's time. The following table shows the progress of Mr. Smith's flight to date compared with that/of Mr. Mollison : k ' ' MOLLISON. SMITH. First Day/ Eatavia. Cheribon, Java. Becond Day Singapore. Forced down south of Victoria Point.. Third Day • Rangoon. Victoria Point and on to Rangoon. Fourth Day Allahabad. Jhansi. Fifth Day Karachi. Karachi: left for Jask. Sixth DsiV Basra. Seventh Day. Aleppo. Eighth Day Rome. Ninth Day Croydon. At the c.nd of the fourth day of Mr. Smith's /light he had covered 200 miles more than Mr. Mollison had done at the end of his fourth day. Should be have reached Jask last evening Mr. Smith will 5 have flown about 600 miles further in five j days thaif Mr. Mollison, who mads Karachi j his stopping-place on the fifth evening.