LOST ATLANTIC FLIERS

Taranaki Daily News, 15 January 1931, Page 7

LOST ATLANTIC FLIERS

NO NEWS FOR FOUR DAYS VIOLENT STORM AT AZORES LITTLE HOPE FOR RESCUE FAT J: INTO OCEAN FEARED By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. The Azores, Jan. 13. A violent storm is raging and it is practically impossible for Lieut. Mac Laren and Mrs. Beryl Hart's aeroplane Trade Wind to be still afloat. I 1 ishei - men’s reports suggest that it fell in the sea 20 miles from St. Michael’s Island. The only hope is that a small vessel, not equipped with wireless, took the fliers aboard.

The Mackay Radio Company at NewYork to-day announced receipt of a message from the liner President Garfield saying that the San Miguel radio station in the Azores had broadcast the following message: —‘‘We understand that the monoplane Trade Wind fell into the sea about 20 miles off Mosteiros Point. St. Michael’s Island. All ships are advised to keep a look-out and report to this station if anything is seen.”

Lieut. MacLaren and Mrs. Hart are overdue at the Azores from Bermuda and Hampton Roads, Virginia. They left Hamilton, Bermuda, at noon on Saturday. They were attempting to fly across the Atlantic from America to Paris to prove that such flights -were a commercial possibility. Mrs. Beryl Hart, a widow, aged 27, was one of the few, women holding an unlimited transport license. The monoplane made a previous flight, leaving Virginia on January 4. The,destination was Paris, via Bermuda and the Azores, but after reaching a spot believed to be only 75 miles from Bermuda they were compelled to return. They landed at Norfolk (Virginia; in the evening. Damage to the sextant made further navigation uncertain. It was planned to etop three hours at Hamilton (Bermuda) and the fliers hoped to reach Paris within 50 hours. The cargo was destined for stamp collectors along the way. The aeroplane was a blade and white Bellanca monoplane similar to the Columbia, which has twice flown the Atlantic, and -was fitted with a 300-h.p. Wright Whirlwind motor and a pontoon. There was no radio. Besides the damaged sextant a shift in the wind encountered within a few miles of Bermuda caused the failure of the first flight. The plane was forced to turn back and landed more than 15 hours after the take-off.