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Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1929, Page 4

Thk loss and li 11 clinsj; of tlie Southern Cross provides a story which will ho epic in tlie annals of Australian aviation. The gallant crew of the airship are familiar in the minds of the Australian and New Zealand public, and a persona' interest has been manifested throughout in their voyaging. Had disaster of a serious nature overtaken the Southern Cross, it is not too much to say that aviation would have had a serious set-back. 4 lie leader and his first lieutenant are notable for their precautionary measures, and are not prepared to take undue risks. M ith them “safety first” is a golden rule. However, in their latest flight they encountered the worst possible weather, and were lost in the clouds for some hours. They had to carry on in blind Hying, and when Mother Earth was again visible, their whereabouts was a mystery, till a friendly station in response* to a roi|uest, gave them their bearings. It savs .something for the skill of the aviators that they were able to keep aloft for so long, and that they did ml venture to land till they found a safe spot-—remote though it was. There can ho no doubt about the skill and afiilitv of the leaders to

handle their giant plane, and but for the fact that the wireless was put out of action in the storm .encountered in the air. their signals would have brought- relief promptly, and ere this the long trek to England would probably have been accomplished. However, conditions forced them to face fearful odds, and they have come through successfully. Their experience, combined with the resoluteness of the search, has brought out the highest quality of the race. They faced the (ids pluc..ily and resourcefully, and the rush to help- them in distress, was Mit typical of the human desire always to aid the distressed. 'I lie pro-.a.-le lo ation of the Southern Cross was well estimated by those at Sydney, and days before the finding, the position of the lost aviators was well gunged. But it is not an easy matter to cover so vast a territory in a short time, yet is is plain the searchers were doing their best. With their task accomplished, great relief was expressed, the only tinge of regret being the possi le fate of the missing searcher, Vndorsoii, who was a ready volunteer to hop off in the desire to find his former comrades. It is to be hoped in his case, also, there will he a happy ending, as there should he a happy reunion when the former mates meet again to find that their late differences were only skin deep. • Meantime all honor and credit to all concerned in the search for the Southern Cross.