AVIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17630, 21 May 1919, Page 5

AVIATION

TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.

AUSTRALIAN AVIATOR'S ATTEMPT.

IRISH coast reached.

Pross Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. _ LONDON, May 19. Hawker on his Transatlantic flight has been sighted off Ireland. A vigilant watch for Hawker is being kept off the Irish coast. News from him was received at 8 o'clock on Monday morning (New York time). Hawker was first sighted 400 miles from Ireland, and later was reported 150 miles off the coast. Hawker is reported at sea 100 miles west of Dingle Bay. Ihe Sopwith Airplane Company has received a wireless message from Hawker stating that he is flying 150 miles from Ireland, that his petrol is nearly exhausted, .and that he will be forced to land m Ireland.

AN INACCURATE REPORT. m ti jr< , PARIS, May 19. jJr -Ldoyd George has received a message stating that Hawker flew over Waterford, m the south-east of Ireland, at 4.30 d m en route for England. "

MRS HAWKER WAITING. NAYAL SALVAGE PARTIES READY. ■ _ . LONDON, May 19. it is officially stated that Hawker is carrying sufficient petrol to last until 7.30 in the evening, but the Air Ministry at o o clock had not received any news for five hours, and Hawker is overdue. Mrs Hawker is awaiting his arrival at Brooklands.

Strong westerly winds are blowing from Ireland, and naval salvage parties are held m readiness.

HAWKER'S MACHINE FOUND.

ANXIETY AS TO HIS FATE,

. LONDON, May 19. Ha,wker s machine has been found, but Hawker is missing. - There is growing anxiety about Hawkers fate altnough. Mr Sopwith is confident. _ He says that the absence of messages is not surprising. Grieves is not likely to want to talk (by wireless) if he is satisfied with th e course of his plane. If Hawker had insufficient petrol to carry him to Brooklands he must land in Ir&iand.

• Hawker is equally confident. Sh e attributes the absence of news to Hawkers determination not to assist the Americans by reports of his progress.

HAWKER SAID TO BE PICKED UP,

JUST MISSED SUCCESS

_ , t , r NEW YORK, May 19. The New York Times London correspondent states that the Admiralty announced that Hawker had been picked ,up 40 miles west of Loop Head, opposite the mouth of the Shannon.

MISSING AMERICAN SEAPLANE

RESCUED AND CREW SAVED

WASHINGTON, May 19. lhe Navy Department is advised that seaplane No. 4, which reached the Azores irom Newfoundland, has been ordered to seek the missing No. 3, plane, and postpone the flight to Lisbon.

LONDON, May 19. The crew of seaplane No. 3 have been saved, mi -vy NEW YORK, May 19. lUe Navy Department has announced that seaplane N.C. 3 has been sighted alotLs P ° nta Del S a{la > the

PONTA DELGADA (Azores), May 19. Seaplane No. 3 has been rescued, and is proceeding tinder its own power.

HANT3LEY-PAG-E TRIAL FLIGHT.

RECORD CIRCUIT OF BBITISH ISLES. LONDON, May 12. military Handley-Page aeroplane, with a crew of nine men. made a record circuit of England, Scotland, and Ireland, liurty hours were spent in flying during a four days' trip, and the average flying speed was 66 miles an hour, giving ail average run of 460 miles a day. The weather was favourable throughout. When the observer failed to'locate an aerodrome near Belfast, the aeroplane made a remarkable landing at Harland and Wolff s wharf, despite 'a heavv wind —A. and N.Z. Cable.

HAWKER'S "FATE STILL IN DOUBT. LONDON, May 19. (Received May 20, at 5.5 p.m.) Admiral Tupper, commanding at Queenstown, having received a wireless message that Hawker was down, despatched a wireless message to a warship at sea to proceed 'immediately and search an area around the position 52.50 de". north, lldeg w&t, for a radius of 38" miles." The Limerick station received a wireless message at 7.30, stating that Hawker had been compelled to descend to the sea 100 miles off Dingle Bay. He was evidently heading for the Shannon estuary. Official confirmation of this was lacking.' -At 9 o'clock the Admiralty announced that a Sopwith machine came down 40 miles west of Loop Head,' near the mouth of the_ Shannon. All ships were advised by , wireless. There is no information whether the pilots were rescued. ANOTHER AMERICAN RUMOUR. NEW YORK. May 19. (Received May 20, at 5.5 p.m.) The New York limes London correspondent states that a later wireless mes- ! sage to the Admiralty says that Hawker descended to the sea near the Shannon ; his machine has not yet been picked up'.

HAWKER STILL MISSING.

FORMER INFORMATION UNRELIABLE.

ADMIRALTY ACTIVITY. LONDON, May 20. (Received May 20, at 7.35 p.m.) Tho Admiralty has ordered many vessels to proceed to sea to assist in the search for Hawker. No success was reported at 11 o'clock last night. The search continued all night. Admiral Tupper, at Queenstown, in. a message fiespatched early this morning, states that the earlier report concerning the descent of a Sopwith plane 40 miles off the coast, is now considered to be unreliable.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

QUESTIONS IN THE COMMONS.

GOVERNMENT TAKEN TO TASK.

LONDON, May 20. (Received May 20, at 7.35 p.m.) In the House of Commons, on a motion for adjournment, Captain W. E. Elliott asked whether the Government had any information regarding Hawker. Colonel Wilson (Parliamentary Secretary to the Shipping Controller) replied : "None whatever."

Captain Elliott condemned the Government's inaction. The House and the country, he said, would feel that the Government had been lamentably remiss and desperately careless alike of th e country's honour and of the life of a verv gallant gentleman. Mr J. W. Pratt, one of the Lords of the Treasury, replied that he did not see how the Government could be held responSible- He could only promise to convey to the Government -what had been said Captain Wedgwood Benn asked what steps the Government had taken to assist Hawker during his flight, bv the provision of a pilot or rescue ships. No reply -was forthcoming.— A. and "N T Z Cable.

RECOVERED AMERICAN SEAPLANE

THE COMMANDER SATE.

NEW YORK, May 19. (Received May 20, at 7.35 p.m.) The New York Times Washington correspondent says the Navy Department lias received a cable from Ponici Delgada, saying that Towers, commander of the N C. 3, is safe.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

BRITAIN PROFOUNDLY STIRRED,

HAWKER'S PATE STILL IN DOUBT.

BRITISH AND METHODS CONTRASTED.

,-d • „„ r LONDON, May 20. (Received May 21, at 0.50 a.m.) Jne net result of inquiries in official quarters shows that no news of Hawker has been received since he left Newfoundland. ConsideraWo regret is expressed that ne Jett to do the journey unaided, and a contrast is made with the American accounts, Low the naval dispositions worked hke clockwork day and night until the Azores were sighted. The airmen were abie to see the destroyers' star shells for miles distance. Occasionally a foe came up, an d that was the only source of trouble; but this was serious while it lasted, and emphasises the difficulties of xiaw r s track along a far worse route. *ew events in recent years have so stirred the imagination of Great Britain as Hawker s and Grieves's great adventure. If existing fears are unhappily realised it wiU be regarded as a national loss, ilie prospects regarding their rescue overshadows all other topics.—A. and N Z Cable. ' '