STRANDED IN DESERT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23517, 3 June 1938, Page 14

STRANDED IN DESERT

PEDAL WIRELESS SAVES PARTY (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, May 27. A party of missionaries, including three men, a woman, and two children were stranded in the Central Australia desert for six days before help reached them. They were able to describe their plight and summon aid by means of a portable pedal wireless. Members of the Warburton Mission station, they were Mr Wade, Mr Brinkworth, and Mr and Mrs Matthews, and their two children. They were travelling by motor truck to Mount Margaret Mission, 330 miles away, when the tailshaft of the truck broke and left them helpless in the desert, 130 miles from their starting point. Their fate depended on the small wireless machine which they carried, for they had only three days’ supply of water and a week’s provisions. The wireless had only seven feet of aerial, and the batteries were failing, but Mr Matthews was able to send messages, which were picked up by Mr A. Taylor, of the Australian Medical Service, at Kalgoorlie (Western Australia), 500 miles away. Mr Taylor was unable to get in direct touch with the party, but he relayed an answer through the Warburton Mission that a rescue party would be despatched from Kalgoorlie immediately. The news that six days must pass before the relief truck could reach them was received philosophically by the missionaries, who replied that their position was not grave, as they had discovered a rock hole, which would supply them with water for seven days. Two dead lizards and a dead bird had to be cleared from the hole before it became drinkable. They were out of bread, but had sufficient flour and tinned food. To pass the time, the message added, the party played chess and patience.