GUSTAV HAMEL’S FATE

Southland Times, Issue 17697, 8 July 1914, Page 3

GUSTAV HAMEL’S FATE

THE LOST AIRMAN, \ (From Our Own Correspondent). LONDON, Alay 29. It was only last week that the newspapers were speculating upon Gustav Hamel’s design to fly the Atlantic; today they are speculating on what manner of death lias overtaken that intrepid and popular aviator. Hamel wa.s to have taken part in the Aerial Derby round London, which had been arranged to start and finish at Hendon on Saturday, but which, owing to the weather conditions, w-as postponed During last week he went to Paris to bring bade a new Afor-ano-Saulnier monoplane, driven by a 160 horse-power Gnome motor, with which lie intended to compete in the race. He started from Vil lacouhlay at half past four o’clock on Saturday morning, and landed near Lille, about an hour later. Ho was afterwards reported to have left Boulogne at half past, one o'clock, and afterwards to have been seen at Calais, but after that all traces of his flight have been lost. The -weather in the Channel on Saturday was extremely unfavourable for flying. There was a (hick mist and a strong westerly wind —[Conditions with which no one could bo better acquainted than Alt- Hamel, who lias flown across the Channel nearly a score of times. As the day passed and there was no farther news the mystery caused the deepest anxiety. ’ Inquiries . were made in every direction. and Air Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, caused instructions to be issued to the ships of the Fleet in the Channel to make a thorough search, both in the Channel aml the North Sea. for traces of tlte missing aeronaut, and al! ships wittiin wireless reach wore informed of the occurrence and requested to keep a sharp look out for the aviator. Also all manner of aircraft were sent aloft in every direction to find some sign of Hamci. But beyond the statement of a ship’s captain that lie had seen an aeroplane of some sort (lying towards England from the direction of Calais, not a trace of tlic missing- aviator was obtainable anywhere, and to-day it is utterly impossible to entertain the faintest hope that Hamel lias escaped an ocean grave. No man has done more Hying than Gustav Hamel since the spring of 1911, when be qualified for his aviator's certificate at the Bieriot School. Pau. nor lias tiny man shown greater versatility lie lias displayed equal brilliance as a cross-country and as an exhibition flier, thrilling onlookers by startling dives, wonderful spiral descents, and “looping the loop.” He has handled many machines of a wide variety of horse-power, but he lias almost invariably favoured the monoplane type of construction. Hamel, who was twenty-five years of age. was of .Scandinavian descent. He first became really known to the English public as the pilot who carried post from Hendon to Windsor. He made many trips of this sort, and soon became widely known as a cross-country flier. He was the first pilot to cross the Channel with a lady passenger, and with Miss Davies made the first aeroplane, trip from London to Paris with a passenger in a day. Another tine performance of his was in the French Grand Prlx Race last year, when he was the only pilot to take a passenger aloft, in the person of Afr E. A’. Sassoon, in a wind that caused many of the best fliers engaged to refrain from competition. He flew from Dover to Cologne in three hoars and ten minutes and during the last two seasons has given the most brilliant and venturesome exhibition flights in ail parts of Great Britain. He -was second in the Aerial Derby round London in 1912. and fastest round the same circuit last year. He “looped the loop” at Hendon for the first time in November, 1911, and has on many occasions performed this feat witli a passenger. Early this year lie gave a command exhibition of this aerial manoeuvres before the King at Windsor. Hamel’s great ambition was to be the first man to fly the Atlantic, and a huge Atartin Handasydc monoplane fitted with a 12 cylinder 225 horse-power motor was being constructed at Bruoklands for his projected trip from Newfoundland to the Irish coast in tlte coming autumn. Though Hamel was a very daring aviator—too prone to take unnecessary risks in tlte opinion of many of his contemporaries—he met with few mishaps, and only one of a serious character. This was in the Gordon-Bennett aeroplane race held at Eastchurch by the Royal Aero Club in the summer of 1911, Hamel was one of the Bieriot pilots, .and at that time a comparative novice. In banking very sharply to take a turn his machine side-slipped and crashed noseforemost to the ground. Tito machine was smashed to pieces, the engine being flung yards away and ploughing great holes in the ground, as it went Hamel was picked up for dead, but to tlte amazement of everybody lie was not only alive, but had nol so much as a bone broken or a serious wound; indeed, beyond a slight concussion and a very severe shaking, he wa.s not a great deal the worse for his adventure.