AMERICAN CABLE NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 May 1926, Page 3

AMERICAN CABLE NEWS.

CANADA’S BIRTHRATE. [“Sydney Sun” Cables.] ' (Received this dav at 12 noon). OTTAWA, May 19. The birthrate of English-speaking Jdanada is declining bv eight- per cent, ten per cent in French Canada. PARTICULARS OF THE NORGE. (Received this day at 11.0 a.m.) OTTAWA, May 20. Nobile wirelessed from Nome that tihe dismantling of tho airship continues. His inspection of the metal construction after tho canvas was withdrawn, showed the vessel was practically undamaged. Nobile sent a statement to refute that tho Norgo was practically wrecked. It was true she was carried between three and four ’ hundred feet by the wind after she first touched the ice, but it is estimated she carried n, ton of ice, which was tho principal reason she was so unwieldly and almost impossible to steer properly. While Amundsen does not admit it, it seems certain that when the Norge - made her forced landing at Teller, the party was hopelessly lost. They saw tho houses apd came down, being unable to go further. Amundsen’s first question when the alighted was: “ What place is this? Where are we?” Ho seemed surprised when be learned it . was Teller.

FLIGHT TO SOUTH POLE. NEW YORK, May .19

A message from Spitsbergen a Kites Byrd lias announced that lie will fly to the South Pole. Ho will start from New York by ship in the middle ot September, taking two Fokkcr planes. He will attempt to reach Framheim, which was used by Captain Amundsen as a base when- he visited the South Pole, and ho will start ' the flight thence, using both planes. If he reaches the Pole ho plans to return north next spring, and fly from Utah, to Greenland, exploring the arctic sector in that district west of Spitsbergen, which he had hoped to explore this year. Byrd’s ship, Chan tier, is scheduled to 1 dive* King’s Bay for London to-day. Floyd Bennett, who accompanied Byrd‘to the North Pole as pilot, will pilot one plane, Bernt Barlehe, ;i Norwegian, will probably pilot the other. A Norwegian ice pilot will also W taken to the wild Framheim base.

A TORNADO DISASTER. (Received this day at 11.0 a.m.) NEAY: YORK, A lay 19. Two hundred houses were smashed and a. United States mail airman, Ross Kirkpatrick, Killed by a tornado which swept 1 the suburbs of Chicago. Observers saw the aeroplane swirling and could not'imagine the reason, but ,.ju S t as the plane struck the ground, **"’ the tornado struck the onlookers, knocking them down and sending debris flying in all directions.

ARCTIC ACTIVITY. * f Ntew YORK, May 19. Another expedition in command of Lieut. Wade, the famous round the world airman, is being fitted and going by the first steamer through Behring Straits. Wade is taking three ’planes / f OI . a three years’ survey by what will * be known as the American Arctic Expedition Survey, liberally backed by New York millionaires. What is said to be really behind al Itlie Arctic activity is a feeling that some time in tho . near future Stefansson’s dream to use Wrnngel Island as the halfway station for airships from America to Euiope will come true. With some structural changes, Nobile’s airship could safely make the trip a- dozen times, a year over the Pole and back. In fact the Italian Commander since lie arrived at Teller said if the facilities were available for a renewal of the equipment, ho would welcome sailing back again next . week, as the earliest and simplest route of reaching bis home in Italy.