WARNING IGNORED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19135, 2 October 1936, Page 6

WARNING IGNORED

Ailß RACE DISASTER WALLER REFUSES TO WAIT PLANE CRASH INTO TREES TRAGIC NUMBER THIRTEEN (Elcc Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) {MoxaL Oct. 2,2 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 1. A message from Johannesburg stales thai tho air race from Portsmouth, which had been lull of thrills since the start, was marred, within a few hours of the arrival of Mr. 0. W. A. Scott nnd Mr. Odes Guthrie as easy winners. by tho double tragedy at Abercorn involving the. deaths of Flight-Lieut. Max Findlay and the wireless operator, .Air. Morgan, in Mr. Ken Waller's Airspeed Envoy. Mr. Waller experienced difficulty in .starting the engines when ho tried to take off, and was delayed for 75 minutes. Then he was again obliged to make a descent at Abercorn. An eye-witness says that the wind immediately changed and the airmen were advised not to depart, especially as the machine had to run uphill. Waller determined, not to wait, for ho thought ho had a. good chance- of catching Scott. Accordingly he began tho fatal run. SMASHED TO PIECE* "The piano managed to lift from the ground, but could not. clear the trees at the end of the aerodrome and crashed straight into them and fell to earth smashed in hundreds of pieces, with the four bodies lying in the debris. Plight-Lieut. Findlay and -Mr. Morgan were terribly injured 'and lived for only a few minutes. Mr. Waller and the mechanic, Mr. Peaehey. -struggled to their feet, both suffering from broken ribs and with their legs hurl, but their condition was not, serious. They are now in. the Abercorn Hospital. Mr. Peaehey was a passenger in the plane. Flight-Lieut. Findlay. since the Great War. had been an examiner to the Guild of Air Pilots. Mr. Morgan was 28 years of age. He was married only three months ago. His wife isi employed at the, Croydon aerodrome. It is now recalled that (lie machine was number 13 in the race. The question of changing the number was raised before the. start, but the flyers refused to do so. AID FOR DEPENDANTS The donor of the prize, money for the race. Mr. J. W. Schlesinger, speaking at Johannesburg, said: "My grief at the tragic end of two gallant airmen is intensified by learning that one. has. a wife and two children and the other a wife, but it is not my intention to allow the dependants of the two victims to suffer further. If no other competitors arrivo within tho scheduled time, I am of the opinion that, the £6OOO balance of tho pnzo money should go to the dependants of the two victims. "In addition, I have instructed my representatives in London io make all investigations possible and express my desire suitably to aid the widows and children." Scott, when told of the disaster, said: "I am immeasurably distressed. I knew both boys well." WINNER COMMENDED CHANCE FOE N.Z. FLYER ELIGIBLE FOR HANDICAP (British Official Wireless.) I Red. 1.15 p.m. RUGBY, Oct. 1. The Air Minister, Viscount Swinton. lias sent a telegram of congratulations to Mr. C. W. A. Scott, as the winning pilot in the air race from Portsmouth to Johannesburg. ■'lt is a. great, tribute- to your airmanship and endurance that you should have repeated your success in the Melbourne race of two years ago," says Lord Xwinton's message. "The result is a striking justification also of the intentions of the donor and organisers ol the race in demonstrating the excellence of British aircraft design." The New Zealand contestant. FlyingOfficer A. E. Clouston, who was delayed at Khartoum with engine trouble remains eligible for the handicap prize. lie has until 6.34 a.m.. British summer time, on Sunday to reach Johannesburg.