PROGRESS OF AVIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3402, 28 May 1919, Page 20

PROGRESS OF AVIATION.

THE TRANSLANTIC FLIGHT. HAWKER'S ATTEMPT NEARLY SUCCESSFUL. HAWKER AND GRIEVES RESCUED. (By Cable.) The attempt of Hawker (Australian) and Grieves to cross the Atlantic from Newfoundland in a Sopwith machine has led to the receipt of many contradictory messages. It was first stated that news was received of him at 8 o'clock on Monday morning, 19th inst. (New York time), when 400 miles from the Irish coast j then 100 miles west of Dingle Bay. Then it was stated that the Sopwith Airplane Company had received a wireless message from Hawker stating that he was flying 150 miles from Ireland, that his petrol was nearly exhausted, and that he would be forced to land in Ireland. Then it was stated that Mr Lloyd George had received a message stating that Hawker flew over Waterford, in the south-east of Ireland, at 4.30 p.m., en route for England. This was followed by the statement that Hawker was overdue, and that the Air Ministry had received no word for some hours. The next news to hand stated that Hawker's machine had been found, but that Hawker was missing. Mrs Hawker continued confident believing that the absence of news was due to Hawker's determination nob to assist the American aviators by report of his progress. Later it was stated that the Admiralty had announced that Hawker had been picked up 40 miles west of Loop Head, opposite the mouth of the Shannon. _ 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. At 9 p.m. 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. The matter was mentioned in the House of Commons on the 20th, when 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 the country's honour and of the life of a very 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, by the provision of a pilot or rescue ships. No reply was forthcoming. The net result of inquiries in official quarters showed that no news of Hawker had been received since he left Newfoundland. Considerable regret is expressed that he left to do the journey unaided, and a contrast was made with the American accounts, how the naval dispositions worked like clockwork day and night until the Azores were sighted. The airmen were able to see the destroyers' star shells for 40 miles' distance. Occasionally a fog came up, and that was the only source of trouble; but this was serious while it lasted, and emphasises the difficulties of Hawker's track along a far worse route. Few events in recent years have so stirred the imagination of Great Britain as Hawker's and Grieves's great adven : ture. If existing fears are unhappily realised it will be regarded as a national loss. Dr Macnamara, Financial Secretary to the Admiralty, stated in the House of Commons that after Hawker had started all the available ships on the Irish coastwere ordered to sea by wireless. Presumably it was a French wireless station which picked up the message in fragmentary form, misconstrued it, and retransmitted it, stating that Hawker had fallen into the sea. Castletown station picked up the message and sent it to Queenstown. That was probably the explanation of the false news.

The New York Times St. John's correspondent states that it was the presence of the American seaplanes at Trepassey Bay, Newfoundland, which strengthened Hawker in his determination to attempt the transatlantic flight. He hoped the full moon would bring favourable weather. The Admiralty ordered a thorough search to be made for Hawker regardless of expense. A large fleet of destroyers, tugs, and trawlers are scouring an immense triangular area, with its base on the west coast of Ireland and its apex 300 miles out in the Atlantic. All available aeroplanes are co-operating. Bad weather prevents the naval motor launches from participating. While not abandoning hope of the survival of the missing airmen, the Daily Mail offered to divide the prize between Mrs Hawker and Grieves's next-of-kin. The paper offers another £IO,OOO for competition.

A cable-repairing ship sighted Hawker in mid-ocean on Monday.

HAWKER AND GRIEVES PICKED HP

NINETY MINUTES IN THE WATER. The coastguard at Lewis, Hebrides, reports that a Danish steamer picked up Hawker and Grieves.

An Admiralty official message states that the steamer Mary has transferred Hawker and Grieves to the destroyer Woolston, which is proceeding to Thurso (North-east Scotland). An Admiralty official report states that Hawker alighted owing to a stoppage of the circulation of water in the pipe between the radiator and the pump. The eocact position was* 60.20 north, 29.30 west.

Another report gtates that Hawker and Grieves were in the water 90 minutes.

The Daily Mail has awarded Grieves £SOOO as a consolation prize. The Admiralty states that Hawker and Grieves are in good health. They were picked up in latitude 50.20 N., longitude 30 W., after alighting close to the steamer Marie. SOLDIERS CONGRATULATIONS. CHRISTCHURCH, May 26. The news that Hawker had been picked up was received at the Returned Soldiers' Association Conference to-day with loud applause. It was immediately decided to cable to Hawker, congratulating him and expressing appreciation of his great feat. [Harry Hawker was born in Victoria in 1890, his father being a dairy farmer at Cape Clear, near Balkrat. In 1911 he went to England, where he worked in several motor factories, finishing up at the Sopwith works, in which he eventually secured an interest. During the war he was the chief test pilot for the Sopwith machines. Just prior to the war he gave flying exhibitions in Australia, and he had previously distinguished, himself in the contest for the Daily Mail prize for a seaplane flight round the British Isles.] THE AMERICAN FLIGHT. The New York Times Washington correspondent says the Navy Department has received a cable from Ponia Delgada, saying that Towers, commander of the N.O. 3, and the crew are safe. The seaplane was rescued and proceeded on its own power to the Azores. The American seaplane N.C. 4 left the Azores for Lisbon at 12.40 p.m., on the 20th, Greenwich time. It is officially announced that a United States naval dirigible is ready to start a flight from New York to Newfoundland in the first favourable weather. Upon the success of this undertaking depend the plans for a transatlantic flight to England via the Azores. An American dirigible left Montauk Point en route to St. John's, with the object of making the Transatlantic flight. Bad weather continues. MORE COMPETITORS. Captains Bennett and Alicott, new entrants for the Trans-Atlantic flight, have reached St. Johns, and are seeking sites for their Bolton-Paul Vimy machines. They expect to attempt the trip in June. The weather continues unfavourable. Lieutenant Pickles (an Australian aviator, who recently flew through, the Tower bridge over the Thames) being interviewed, stated that his wife had persuaded him to abandon the Atlantic flight, in the interests of their infant son, owing to the Hawker disaster. All the other aeroplane firms besides Sopwiths competing in the Transatlantic flight intend to proceed with their planes, A substitute pilot will be found to replace Lieutenant Pickles. A RECORD TRIP. LONDON, May 12. A military Handley-Page aeroplane, with a crew of nine men, made a record circuit of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Thirty hours were spent in flying during a four days' trip ; and the average flying speed was 66 miles an hour, giving an average run of 450 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 heavy wind. FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND. Lieutenant-colonel Wilson flew from Mosul (on the banks of the Tigris) to England, via Cairo, in seven days. A HUGE MACHINE. The largest aeroplane in the world has been finished. It was built with the intention of being used to bomb Berlin. It has three principal planes, six engines of 450 horse-power each, capable of developing a speed of 100 miles an hour. B# fuselage is 80ft long, and it carries 92 persons. AIRMAN DECORATED. Bert Hinkler, a native of Bundaberg (Queensland), who enlisted in September, 1914, in the Naval Air Service, soon qualified aa a pilot, and saw much service on the Italian front, has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and a com T mission. He was recently' demobilised, and now intends to fly to Australia. He hopes to do the journey in 17 days.