OFFICIAL WIRELESS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 April 1929, Page 3

OFFICIAL WIRELESS

AIR SERVICE

LONGEST IN WORLD

ißritish Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, March 30

The longest iir service in the world and the biggest step yet taken by British civil aviation was inaugurated today with the opening of the Britain to India weekly mail and passenger service of British Airways.

The journey front Croydon to Karachi will take seyen days, compared with sixteen days required even with the fatest combination of boat and train on the ordinary route. The total length of the air line is 5060 miles. From London to Basle, Switzerland, the mail is carried in a big three-en-gined Armstrong-Siddciey Argosy air liner. From Basle it is carried by a light mail train to Genoa. At Genoa it goes aboard an all-metal Short Calcutta air boat, which flies with it to Alexandria. Here it is transferred to a I*7oo horse-power De Hnviland Hercules Empire type of aeroplane, which oy stages bears it by way of Baghdad and Basra dawn the Persian Gulf to Karachi.

To organise this new airway special aeroplanes and Hying boats have been designed and built. Harb nirs for marine aircraft and landing places for aeroplanes have been sun eyed and os tablished and a chain of wireless meteorological stations has been installed. Aircraft will be in wireless touch with inter-communicating ground stations throughout the journey, by means f the latest Marconi apparatus. The fare from London to Karachi will he £l3O, including hotels and meals, from London to Baghdad £9O. and from London to Egypt £BB. The exchange on letters is only sixpence.

LINER STRIKES ROCK

TRANSYL vANIA SAVED

RUGBY. Alar eh 30.

During the dense fog the 17,000-ton Anchor Line vessel Transylvania, when approaching Cherbourg after a six weeks’ Mediterranean cruise, struck tiie rock of La Coquo, off Cape de la Nague, early on Thursday morning.

The accident is attributed to the ex•eptionnlly strong currents prevailing in this particularly dangerous portion of the Normandy coast. The vessel had 300 passengers aboard. She sprang a leak and began a heavy list, and assistance was summoned. By jettisoning 501) tons of oil fuel and by skilful Handling, the Transylvania was able to make Cherbourg harbour without help and without any injury to the passengers or crew. Perfect order was maintained, and the resource of Captain Erskine was highly praised by all. It was his last trip in command of the Transylvania, and lie was due to retire on reaching England.