LOST IN AN AEROPLANE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLV, Issue 6135, 7 February 1914, Page 4

LOST IN AN AEROPLANE.

FIGHT WITH THE WIND. Probably the most exciting journey m the history of aerial touring was the cross-Channel flight made recently by Mr tSalmet; tne 'Dady Mail' airman, who carried- with him as passenger Mrs Assheton-Harbord, the balloonist.

Mr Saline* and his passenger started froin Hendon on Saturday, morning, December 13, almost on the inspiration ul the moment and under the most favorable Weather conditions. before tuey had gone far on tiie way to Folkestone they ran into a fog, which gren denser and denser and at last compelled them to interrupt tlieir journey at DoiKestone for tlie night, ihey started oii again across Channel at U.ao a.m. ou Aionday witn a south wind of about 2o miles an hour gradually increasing m strength. Then began a game 01 Hide and seek in th'e cloud's, to'which ifore than a spice of danger was added.

"1 started flying on a course laid lor Boulogne at a height of 3000 ft so as to ,ba, aboy,e the clouds," Mr Sahnet says, "but as it was impossible for me to ten up there how muchleeway 1 was making in the rising wind 1 came down tlnough the grey cloud bank to look tor a ship as a 'landmark' on the tumbling, white-ores'ted Channel below. 1 caught sight of a fishing smack, and to my surprise found 1 was oeing blown almost at right angles, to my course, i turned south-west and began to ily into tho teeth of the gale. "Even now 1 seemed to bo,, making practically no progress. The log closed round me once more. 1 hew on, my brain whirling with rapid calculations as to the allowance I must make for tho wind so as to hit the French'coast near Boulogne. Tho planes throbbed and quivered with the violence of the wind. Ail hour passed. I had expected to take no more than half an hour for tho crossing. Aiy petrol supply wa„ for two hours at most. 1 began to be anxious. Strain my eyes as 1 would through the mist bank 1 could see no ship—only the cold, hungry, loaping wave* of .tin grey Channel. "It Is All Over." "In fair weather one has always the recourse in case of accident on a, Channel crossing of planing down alongside a ship and being picked up. I knew that no ship would see us. The minutes passed. Still uo sign of the coast. There could be no more than half an hour of petrol now. When tho petrol was finished there would be nothing for it but to glide gently down into the rough sea below.

I "1 am not so easily frightened, but a moment came when 1 said to myself, 'lt is finished now; it is all over.' And tlio thought that I had a woman passenger naturally made it far worse. At last I caught sight of a ship to windward. '1 must make lor that,' I said to myself, 'and when the petrol does give out alight as close to her as possible in the hope that she will pick us up before the aeroplane goes under.' ) "Wo were making slow progress towards the ship against the gale when f caught sight on my left hand of a black mass looming through tho mist. What was it? A denser cloud bank? Or could it be the longed-for coast of franco. 1 turned tho aeroplane towards it, and in a lew minutes, to my inexpliscable relief, I saw the cliffs. 1 would rather have had that sight just then than have had a million in gold laid at my feet. "How Interesting!" "We landed. It had taken us one hour and 35 minutes to cross the Channel. Had wo remained for another half an hour lost in the fog it would have meant taking to tho water. As the engine stopped 1 turned to look as Sirs Assheton-Harbord. Sho was blue in the face with cold, but she cried. 'How interesting it has been I' I said that for me it was almost too interesting. "1 have gone through many emotions in tho air, but this flight was the most thrilling 1 have ever known."