MILLIONAIRE MESSING

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1930, Page 11

MILLIONAIRE MESSING

LOST.ON YACHTING CRUISE WELL KNOWN AERONAUTIST FORTUNE SPENT IN FLYING By Ttlecraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 5.5 p.m. New York, Aug. 19. Naval and coast guard forces, ships and aeroplanes are searching widely for the' body of Mr. Vanlear Black, who, disappeared from his yacht off the coast of New jersey", That his death was accidental, is not questioned. Rec. 9.10 p.m. London, Aug. 20. The news of Mr. Vanlear Black’s death in America has been received in London with regret. The newspapers recall his sensational flights over Europe, at the "beginning of 1927, many of which were cabled as - remarkable.' He-was 52 years of age when he began flying'and must have since spent a fortune oh aviation. He had two machines built at a cost of' £lO,OOO each. His aim always was to demonstrate the value of commercial as-opposed to spectacular flying, and to show what could be accomplished by. the ordinary business man. He must have flown hundreds of thousands of- miles. The almost casual way in which he accomplished a difficult flight in a sin-gle-engined machine so impressed the Dutch public that they were led to starting a regular .Dutch air mail route to the East Indies, Mr, Black always flew in an ordinary lounge suit, with evening clothes in his baggage and a personal valet. He spent much time m the air, reading and writing, and he always carried a good'supply of newspapers, because he found a gift of the latest newspapers was most acceptable and the surest passport at any outlandish spot.