ELLSWORTH OFF AGAIN

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 274, 25 November 1935, Page 7

ELLSWORTH OFF AGAIN

Anxiety at Base Ship MESSAGES FROM PLANE CEASE AWAITING EMERGENCY CALL By Telegraph —Copyright- -Press Assn. NEW YORK, November 23. A North American ■ Newspaper Alliance message from Dundee Island at 10 ip.m. (Greenwich time) says: Ellsworth and Kenyon ' departed on their third flight at 8.3 a.m. (Greenwich time). They have .been away about 14 hours and, since 4.05 p.m., no wireless communication has been received' fiiiom the Polar Star. Whether they have made a forced landing or the transmission set is out of commission, therje is no way of knowing.

At 4.03 ip.m. they indicated their position as being about 76 longitude, 79 latitude, after which the sending became jumbled and finally ceased. They may still be on their way to the Bay of Whales, as thiey have fuel for aboujtl 20 hours, but, ip any case, the Wyatt Earp, although prepared to Sail, will remaiml here until definite word is received.

Until 4.05 p.m. frequent wireless messages were exchanged with the Polar Star, these indicating that, although 'there was some fog, the flight was progressing favourably. At 11.45 a.m. they reported seeing Lurabee Channel' and Stefansson Strait from an altitude of 13,000 feet, the temperature then being 21 degrees below zero (Centigrade). Until that time they had maintained a speed of .125 miles an hour.

From then until the final message they sent rapid-fire reports of seeing new mountains and spotting, charted geographical piositions. Once they mentioned seeing many crevasses, but they added: “There are a lot of places where one could land.’’

The Foliar Star is equipped with an emergency radio and it was prearranged that, if needed, they would attempt to commumcatte with the Wyatt Earp at specified hours. One of these times has passed already, however, without" word.