EARLIER PROGRESS MESSAGES

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12950, 15 May 1935, Page 6

EARLIER PROGRESS MESSAGES

WEATHER LOOKED BAD. OVER 500 MILES OUT. SMITHY'S MISFORTUNE. Electric Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, This Day. The following radio messages were received from the Southern Cross: “ ‘Smithy,’ Taylor and S tannage comprise the crew. Just before the take-off a man put his hand into the propeller of the radio generator and badly bent the blade but were able to straighten it.” A later message lead: “Distance run 140 miles, round speed 95. winds 25 miles per hour, altitude 1800 feet. It is hard to resist the desire to sleep. The radio works perfectly. At 2 a.m. “Smithy” said: “The weather looks bad ahead. The distance run is 224 miles, speed 94. There is a beautifully clear sky but it is eery dark.” A further message read. “We are anxiously awaiting the dawn to ascertain our direction. At 5.15 the sky brightened slightly in the northeast. 5.30: Dawn begins to break and the surface liecomes viewable. There appears to be a sea breeze and a heavy bank of black clouds all about. The distance run is 515 miles, height 1700 feet, speed 105.” STAGGERING ALONG. MAY HAVE TO DUMP MAIL WELLINGTON. This Day. The Director-General of the Post Office advises that the following messages. from, the aeroplane Southern Cross have been receilved at Awarua radio station: 9.35 p.m.: “The present position is that the ’plane is making for Sydney with one propeller gone and the other outboard engine missing. At times ctrgo is jettisoned. We are hanging on to the mail but are glad of Australian Post Office instructions tc dump. “The ’plane is unable to hear Sydney or any station. Black clouds are all round.” The message states that if forced down the fading of a prolonged dash will indicate the fact. “9.45 a.m.: The ’plane hears the Awarua radio and replies that it is nice and cheery to hear something. Guess Sydney is getting it O.K. We will stagger along like this for a way. Bill is going to take the sights now. Good! That should give us a fairly definite position. The wind is getting up from the west now. It is added that the Awarua radio station is getting in touch with the Sydney radio station in order to transmit any messages intended for the aeroplane.

SECOND EDITION