MAIL DUMPED.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12951, 16 May 1935, Page 6

MAIL DUMPED.

KEPT ‘PLANE IN THE AIR. THRILLING ordeal (Received 11 a.m.) United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY Tliis Day. It is now revealed that the breaking of the exhaust manifold on the centre engine of the Southern Cross caused a piece of metal to fly back and splinter the starboard propellor. Fourteen bags of mail were jettisoned and included the whole of the letters from Sydney. The seven bags saved were from other States. During one of the occasions when the ’plane was within a few feet of the ocean Stannage began dumping the mail bags into the tea to lighten the load. Cargo and petrol, in fact, everything that could be spared was thrown overboard, including food hampers, boots and spare clothing. This, in the opinion of “Smithy,’’ undoubtedly enabled him to lift the plane to ail altitude sufficient to keep replenished the oil supply of the functioning engine. It appears that Captain Taylor made six trips at half-hourly intervals to the starboard and port engines. It was necessary to stop the port engine while he climbed along the strut to replenish its supply and in this way the ’plane lost both altitude and speed. Each time the ’plane was within fifty feet of the sea Captain Taylor climbed back ,nt 1 the cockpit and “Smithy” gave the port engine full throttle to regain speed and height again. At one stage while Captain Taylor was pouring oil into the port motor the "plane dropped to within 25 feet of the sea. This caused Stannage to send out a wireless message which was received by the naval authorities t ■ the effect that they were going down into, the sea. It was then that preparation was made" to send ;be Sussex out. “SMITHY” APOLOGISES. (Received 12 noon.) SYDNEY, This Day. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, interviewed said that although he was risking the lives of his companions lie decided to keep the jubilee mail until it was certain the ’plane would go into the sea unless the bags were thrown overboard. “I thought I could save the mail by jettisoning the cargo but it did not make the ■difference I expected. Without the co-operation of Taylor and Stannage it would have been impossible to gee back to the New South Wales coast which grew closer at an agonising rate- of time.”

Smithy said he hoped the consignors of the. freight which was jettisoned would forgive him. “I feel that I have' betrayed the faith of more than 30,000 posters of letters but I am sure they would sooner have had ii:o save the lives of my companions rather than go into the water with the heavy load. The “Old Bus” is getting very old for the job but a mishap like this does not alter my opinion about the possibilities of a trans-Tasman service with modern ’planes. I wish to make no excuses and I consider this the greatest disappointment of my career.” Captain Taylor said: “I hope this happens only once in my lifetime.. The ’plane at times was only '.>(> feet above the water and that water did not look good to me.”