AVIATORS IN PERIL

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15028, 28 August 1922, Page 5

AVIATORS IN PERIL

AN ADVENTUROUS VOYAGE DRIFTING IN HEAVY SEA NARRAT;.^ (United P«rp,ss Associating \ Received /<wgust 28, V. 30 "a.m. ", SYDNEY,,, August 28. A four tho esand word message froi Chittagong details of the adv'en lures of Mo /ins and MacMHlan After lei firing Calcutta they me monsoonal storms and heavy rain an

were compelled to change their roul from dire n to Akyab,, and go toward Chittagong. Suddenly the engin stopped, .and. Hie machine landed in : heavy s-»a. The waves, breaking righ over, s mashed one of the ribs of thi elevator. They managed to start tin engine, on the gravity 'system, am Started to taxi back._in~the -direetloi ot Lvjkhidiagar. They ran aground Wi ■the mud a mile from„ib.e- island.,Thej had left Calcuita without breakfast

arid tho only supplies abtoard were two gallons of wateiya tin of coffee some cigarettes and cigars, and thiol boxes of matches, --*--•■ *"* Late in, the day natives from tht island bought a small jar of milk Conversation was impossible, neithei side understanding the language of the ether. Storms and heavy ' ram throughout the night soaked everyEvery effort to get the machina off proved futile. ~•,.,< v Droppsd to this Sea. "The next day the'natives brought tfiore milk, and the day following they were accompanied by an Englishspeaking native, by whom a message

was sent to Calcutta." There was no improvement in . tho,'weather, and everything was waterlogged,'but they tinkered up the machine. The storm blew out on the fourth morning/and at midday they got off the mud on the rising lidc, and rc-starled their flight to Chittagong, but after . fifteen minutes tho engine again failed, and dropped easily to the sea out of sight of land. They deeided to taxi, to! Chittagong, 16 miles away. The'heavy tide delayed progress, and they were still out of sight of land when' the petrol gave out. The crippled machine had a perilous list to starboard, and, tearing it would turn turtle, MacMHlan scrambled several times from the port of the wing where the aviators had taken refuge, into the cockpit, and, brought up the only remaining gallon of water, a kit and a cinema "with records, to help lo balance and save the machine if possible. They rigged, a sail made from a shirt and canvas.

Tlie aviators, who were sitting 12 feet above the water, twice saw steamers in the distance. They finished the drinking water the same night. As I', was becoming evident that the 'machine could not stay upright long they jettisoned everything heavy, but it was gradually submerged, and finally turned turtle, and the men scrambled on to the unsubmerged float. . Hung on by Tooth and Nail. Shortly after another storm rose, and the sea broke over them. The floats made ominous sounds, as if the machine was going to pieces. The waves were running ten feet high. They drifted uncontrollably throughout the night, and next morning land was sighted, but was never near enough to signal or swim ashore, knowing that the sea was Infested by sharks and crocodiles near the shore. Then an undercurrent caught them,' and they drifted out of sight of land again. They hoisted a distress signal, and continued drifting at the- mercy of tho wind and tide. The sun scorched afld blistered their heads, and' they

were exhausted by lack of food and water. They encountered a tide whirl, and swung round and round. The heavy sea was pouring over them, and Ibey had to hang on with tooth and nail. Detached portions of timber from the broken back of the f'usilage got clear, and tossed about through tlie night. Their hopes were raised, only to be again quelled, by the.lisbls'; of a distant vessel and a lighthouse. They made distress signals without avail. One vessel came within threequarters of a mile, then turned, andber lights faded out. Drenched and shivering they huddled close .for warmth. ' Picked Up by Launch. When morning broke, they sighted the island of Sandwip four miles distant. Tho sea had calmed a little,and a shower fell, somewhat relieving their thirst. They dived-below, and

found that the wreckage-was--slid holding together the ; ' empty petrol tanks, which was their real salvation, as tiiev were still buoyant.- They slowly drifted towards Sandwip, and suddenly they saw the sails of a wind jammer. The aviators lioisloa distress signals, and \dne=roSsßl=came within half-a-mile, bVt then turned and headed away again. While they were hardly able to stand, owing to swollen limbs, exhaustion and thirst, they frantically waved and tired a pistol. The story adds: "Two men..on the poop of the ship ran forward as she came abreast of us. They saw us-un-doubtedly, and were possibly terrified by the thought or ghosts and visions. In mercy, never let them know what we felt as they sailed away." Three miles from Sandwip the machine stranded on a mud shoal. After three hours' waiting, with the spray breaking over them, the heat torturing their swollen and scorched bodies a river launch sighted Malins waving a distress flag, and MacMillan his trousers, both shouting. Tins attracted the attention of what proved to be the launch Dorothea, in which Commander dimming was going to Lukhiduon on the strength of a report that they were stranded there; A dinghv was sent and took them aboard the Dorothea. Commander Gumming welcomed them with the words, "Thank God, I had another lo.de at you. I thought you were-Ash-ing, and* the serang said that you were only native fishermen. The Dorothea tried to tow the. machine off, but Hie rope parted.

PROGRESSING FAVOURABLY. Received August 28, 0.45 a.m. DELHI, August 26. The rescued aviators are in the Chitlagong hospital, and are progressing favourably. THE FLIGHT ABANDONED. , MEN RETURNING TO ENGLAND. (Australian and N.Z. Cabin Assn.) Received August 28. 11.10 a.m. DELHI, August 26. The aviators are expected to remain in hospital for a week. The misfortune entails the abandonment of the Iliglit. Major Blake and the other two aviators hope lo return to England in & fortnight.