THE AIRMEN'S STORY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 90, 16 April 1929, Page 10

THE AIRMEN'S STORY

LOST IN BLINDING RAIN ULM’S OFFICIAL LOG A graphic story of the last hours of flying in the Southern Cross before the ’plane was forced down in the Port George area, is contained in the official log kept by FlightLieutenant Ulm. (Copyright to the Sun throughout the World). Received April 15, 2 a.m. SIDNEY, April 14. Flight-iLcutcnant UJm’s account of the Southern Cross flight furnishes a thrilling story. Extracts from the log, after covering the early hours of the journey, which are already known, describe running into rain on Sunday, Alarch 31, at 3.45 a.in. This continued off and on for the next two hours. When dawn was breaking at 5.50 it was wet and cold and they did not know if the coast had been leached as thick clouds were below, but all thought so. At six o’clock they seemed approaching Wyndham. At 9.15 the log states: The last hour has been spent at about fifty feet in thick rain and very low clouds along a very broken coast-line looking for Wyndham. At 10.30 they thought they had fotfn 1 the entrance but an hour later the log says: Nothing to report. The log continues: 11.30: Have b ' i lost in a rain storm for eight hours. Noon: On the coast at a river mouth. Clouds all about. 12.20: Just passed some rapids. Heading west, getting over coast again. 1.50: Have about II hours’ gas. 2.10: Passed over Mission. Threw down note and chap gave us direction;. All hands tired. Been in air 27 hours. 2.45: Been hopelessly lost in n storm for ten ’ -urs now. Going to make forced landing at place we believe to be 150 miles from Wyndham in rotten country. A Forced Landing Made. 3.20: Have made forced landing. Rain had forced us right down to the hill tops and we were unable to locate Mission so eventually landed on edge of mangrove swamp. Smithy made wonderful effort. Southern Cross damaged a bit. Only food on board is seven sandwiches, all about to putrefy. We lit fires. All are tired out after 204 hours in the air. Mac rigged long-wave aerial to aileron from kir..,post and listened in. All arc very deaf but w.e heard Forth call Darwin about us. Before dark we trudged through about 101 miles of bad swamp grass to an adjacent hill top but saw nothing s<» returned to the ’bus before dark. It was very heavy going. Smithy and Litch got in 5 or 6 hours’ sleep the first night. Mac and I got sary; a lower time factor for music and voices tends to make the sounds appear thin, but for offices and minimum time repetition of a sound is desirable So much data is now available that it is possible to calculate merely from the plans of a room the duration of the echo and estimate the amount of material required to reduce it to any predetermined time.

barely an hour. Mosquitoes and flics make sleep impossible. Monday, April 1. —Smithy and I spent practically whole day improvis ing belt drive for the radio gcn< -ator. We hatl no tools and the flies were, awful. In the evening we listened in I again. Our food has given out but had plenty of water. All were very; weak. Mac and I were worst because we had had no sleep. Wc got Sydney on the radio. They say a launch left Wydnham to search the Drysdale and a ’plane too was to leave Derby on the search. Litchfield fixed our position about 120 miles from Derby and 180 miles west from Wyndham. The ’plane is our • main hope. Turned to about 8.20, after | hard physical work by Smithy and my- j self, trying to turn the radio just enough to get out a message. Doubtful if it was any good. Weak Through Loss of Food. Smithy and Litch had less than an hour’s sleep, Mac half an hour and myself none. Our misquito bites were swelling and all were much weaker. Wo named this place “The Coffee Royal.” Smithy and I so., ched the swamp for oysters and found none. We saw a kangarco on Sunday but nothing else. Turned the ’plane round in the after- j noon to slightly dryer ground. Tuesday, April 2.—A1l visibly weaker this morning. Any exertion tires us altogether. Smithy and Litch went to the hill top to light a fire. .lac and I have one going near the Southern Cross. Will stay here to-night to listen in again. 9.40: Plane coming!—Gur Lest hope, I but it has not sighted us. We feci we can last a week if the flies arid mosquitos don’t devour us, but the main

thing is the Southern Gross is undamaged and we can take off in a few day» if no more rain and may see Mission again. We will bo able to stay about 15 minutes only but will be able to send a radio on short wave from air, I though another landing here will be perilous. Even writing is an effort. I Smithy and Litch returned from the 1 Hill-top at noon. Couldn’t stick thd heat without protection. Got Sydney at night but though we were reported missing in the press there is no direct message to us. Thunder shower just before sundown and another at 1.31) a.m. All had about three hours’ sleep. Mac is a scream, making jokes and sometimes playing the mouth organ. Food is all we need. Wo are weak for hack of it and sleep. Tried to shoot 'birds with automatic but no success.