MISS JOHNSON’S TRIP.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 18025, 21 May 1930, Page 7

MISS JOHNSON’S TRIP.

SOUIIAIIAYA REACHED. A TRYING ORDEAL. THE MOST SEVERE TEST. United Press Atom, —Tier:. Tol. Copyright. .BATAVIA, May 20. Mlhh Arny Johnson left Sernarang Inr Sounilinya at 11.20 a.m. to-day and arrived there at 1.20 p.m. She flew behind a. regular service aeroplane belonging In the Royal Netherlands-East Indies Air Gornpany. She will stay tonight at Sourahaya. ’This morning the resumption of the flight was delayed, as an examination of the aeroplane revealed five holes torn In the wings by bamboo sticks which had been stuck upright in the ground to support young fruit trees. These holes were about a foot wide. The factory employees effected repairs, working ferverishly, and Miss Johnson, who bad been rather downcast because of her adverse luck, left at 8.45 a.m. for Sernarang, where she landed at 10 a.m. In an interview at Sernarang the girl flier said she was finding the flight a heavier test personally than she had expected and would be glad when it ended and she was safe at 'Sydney. The energy and daring of Miss Johnson have impressed everybody who have met her. Darwin on Friday. To-morrow Miss Johnson proposes to proceed to Bima, Sumbawa Island (about 450 miles), on Thursday to Atamboea, Timor Island (about 425 miles from Bima), and on Friday to Darwin (about 450 miles). The plucky girl lias received many offers from Australia to start on an extensive tour from Darwin, but she will refuse. Her decision is to fly direct to Sydney from Darwin. “ I want a rest,” exclaimed (Miss Johnson before she left Sernarang. She was looking very tired, but still smiling cheerfully. She said flying was extremely tiring. Relating her recent experiences Miss Johnson declared that her most severe test was over the Java Sea, between Singkep and Banka, where heavy squalls and dense rainstorms obliged her to fly to Sumatra. She flew over thick stretches of jungle and later again changed her direction to Banka. From Banka she crossed the Java Sea - again amid very heavy tropical storms so that the aeroplane, over long distances, was only two or three metres above sea level, which caused. Miss Johnson lo fear at any time a crash into the sea. In that case she would have been absolutely lost. However, the intrepid girl managed lo reach the shore of Java, after which she followed the coast and at last reached Tjomal. Miss Johnson was most enthusiastic about her cordial and warm reception by the sugar men at that place. AUSTRALIA AROUSED. A PLETHORA OF SPEECHES. PRIVATE SECRETARY.. APPOINTED. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. SYDNEY, May 20. According to the present tentative programme it is . conservatively estimated that Miss Amy Johnson will hear 47 speeches of welcome and praise in the first four days after her arrival at-Sydney. It is inevitable that the programme will have to be enlarged as the number of organisations and individuals desirous of entertaining the girl flier has reached a staggering total. The New Zealand Women’s Association is doing its part. From a number of the larger centres in Queensland and New South Wales have come requests that Miss Johnson should descend there on her way to Sydney. The Federal Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. A. Blakeley, has arranged for the appointment of a private secretary for Miss Johnson upon her arrival at Darwin as -he believes she will require help to deal with the vast quantity of correspondence which is accumulating.

LATER. ARRIVAL AT SOURABAYA. AN EMOTIONLESS FLIGHT. WILL 'CONTINUE JOURNEY TO-DAY (Received May 21, 10.10 a-m.) WELTEVREDEN, May 20. ■Great interest was shown in Miss Johnson’s arrival at Sourabaya. Many ladies were present. She said she had had an emotionless flight from Samarang. The engine functioned irregularly, which she ascribed to a leakage in the petrol pipe. After a few hours’ rest at a hotel she returned to the flying camp for the purpose of fully preparing the machine for the continuation of her flight to-morrow morning, when she will probably fly to Atamboea, although she may possibly proceed only to Bimba. A STIRRINQ NARRATIVE. COMPELLED TO FLY LOW. TERRIFIED BY SHARKS. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received May 21, 10.5 a.m-) LONDON, May 20. The narrative of Miss Johnson’s flight on Monday is stirring. In a tempest over the Sumatra jungle she bumped to within a few feet of the tree-tops, and was ready to jump with a parachute at any moment. Then, crossing the Java Sea, a monsoon compelled her to fly almost at water level. She said: “At times I could not distinguish the waves from sheets of rain. I was terrified by sharks waiting for me to fall.” TO THE BITTER END. "TIRED—EVER SO TIRED.” ENGINE NEEDS REPAIRING. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received May 21, 1,p.m.) LONDON, May 20. The Daily Express’ Sourabaya correspondent states that when reminded that she looked tired, Miss Johnson said:—

“I shall go on to the bitter end. I am tired—ever so tired, but I am not going to quit now.” She explained that the propellor of her machine was unsatisfactory, but she had found a Moth owner at Sourabaya who was willing to lend her a propellor, leaving the old one behind. She added: )'We will see what happens to the new one. The engine is rather tired, and is losing compression, as well, and it must bbe repaired before I leave on the last hop to Darwin." Miss Johnson’s record to date is:— May s—Left Croydon and arrived Vienna. May 6 —Arrived Constantinople. May 7 —Arrived Aleppo. May B—Arrived Bagdad. May 9—Arrived Bunder Abbas. May 10—Arrived Karachi. May 11—Arrived Allahabad. May 12 —Arrived Calcutta. May 13—Arrived Insein, near Rangoon. May 14 and 15—Delayed for repairs. May 16—Arrived Bangkok. May 17 —Arrived Singora. May 18—Arrived Singapore. May 19 —Forced down mid-Java. May 20 —Arrived Semarang and Sourabaya, Java. Mr. Bert Hinkler flew from England to Darwin in 15| days, whereas Miss Johnson has taken 16 days to reach Sourabaya. She expects to be three more days on the remainder of her journey to Darwin, . > ...