GAPING CREVASSES COULD HAVE SWALLOWED ’PLANE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18643, 24 December 1928, Page 1

GAPING CREVASSES COULD HAVE SWALLOWED ’PLANE.

WILKINS AMPLIFIES STORY OF FLIGHT. (United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) .(Received December 24, 9.35 a.nl.) LONDON, December 22. A copyright message amplifying Sir Hubert Wilkins’s story of his 1200 miles hop, says: “The first part of our flight was over water and then over high-peaked mountains, on. which flowed glaciers, reticulated with gaping crevasses, many of which could have swallowed the machine without leaving a trace. There was no chance whatever of landing safely. Some of the peaks showed horizontal strata. Some of them were black—perhaps coal. “At times we flew to 8000 feet and returned at 130 miles an hour. We kept a compass course, and easily located Deception Island and landed safely. The temperature in the cabin throughout the day was exceptionally warm, mostly 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Only when we came low over Deception Island did we feel the cold. We discovered no sign of an3>- game, or other sustenance, and the prospect of being forced down was much less inspiring than on our Arctic trip. “ When we returned to the Ilektoria we learned that our wireless transmitter functioned perfectly throughout the flight.”—Australian Press Associa-tion-United Service.