“WE DIED AFTER 4 DAYS”

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1930, Page 8

“WE DIED AFTER 4 DAYS”

HOOD AND MONORIEFF’S FATE ".MESSAGE'’ FROM TASMAN FLIERS. AIR TRAGEDY OF 1928 RECALLED. By Telegraph- Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 9.10 p.m. Sydney, July 15. An extraordinary story is published, here to-day concerning spiritualistic communication with the ill-fated New Zealand airman, Captain George Hood (Masterton) and Lieutenant J. R. “Scotty” Moncrieff (Wellington); who attempted to fly from Sydney to New Zealand on January 10, 1928. Mr. William Trimming, Marrickville, informed the Civil Aviation Department to-day that ho v.'RS sitting in a seance,' when Captain Hood spoke io him for five minutes. “We reached Wellington,” Captain ! Hood had said, "and then were lost in I the clouds. We passed over sea, but returned over land. Our petrol ran out ami we crashed in a gully 200 yards from the eoast four miles south of WA<l, in Marlborough. We died four days later. Moncrieff was badly injured. I was not so had; I am in a sitting-posi-tion, with Moncricff’s head in iny.lap. - ’ I MANY CONTRADICTORY REPORTS. i i PLANE REPORTED IN DARKNESS. The' aeroplane was first reported over Stephens’ Island, Cook Strait. ! -at ; 9.15 p.m., but was said to be unable to land in the darkness. It was thought' to Ce still circling over the southern end of ihe island early on the Wednesday morning. After a perfect start' from Sydney at 2.14 a.m. on the Tuesday, the .aeroplane had been shortly afterwards reported by the liner Maunganui; Signals from the airmen then had ceased. It was stated the plane was sighted by the steamer Arahura near Jackson’s Head, Queen Charlotte Sound, at 11 p.m. At various times after 10 p.m. it was allegedly seen over Stephens* Island, Paekakariki, Porirua and Foxton. Most of the reports were most contradictory.