SOUTHERN CROSS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1929, Page 3

SOUTHERN CROSS

INQUIRY AT MELBOURNE. (Australian Press Association) (United Service.) MELBOURNE, May 27. Tho Air Inquiry was continued here to-day. Air John Hart, editor ol the Aircraft Magazine, said that lie unreservedly withdrew all the. published statements suggesting that tl.c Southern Cross forced landing ha been prearranged. Horace Brinsmead, Controller oh Civil Aviation, gave evidence tin Smith and Ulm had little to lean about long distance flying, and salthe aviation authorities were at i time anxious about iheir safety, lb regarded Kingston! Smith as quire an exceptional pilot. Witness Intel n> statutory power to stop tho flights of either the Southern Cross or tin Kookaburra. He was convinc'd however, that the safety of machine' carrying passengers and mail goods should bo protected by every means in his department’s power. The responsibility for purely spectacular, experimental flights, and for rescue operations, should be upon those who undertook or encouraged them. Controller Brinsmead said that when the Tasman flight was announced, lie Had sought statutory power to stop it. in the belief that it wa° suicidal, but that power was net granted. It was believed that flight could be stopped by indirect means. He believed that when aviators were embarking on a flight to north-west-ern Australia they should carrv uoi only an axe. hut also other things, yet not loading themselves with id’ manner of things. The fliers should also have carried more emergency rations. ITo admitted that the "F----parations for the Southern Cross flight showed the greatest care and competence in organisation,

A CONTRACT REPEALED. MELBOURNE, May 27

At the air iiionrv, FHght-T.iem. diaries F.aton told- the story of tie n f Andcreon’s bodv and C miscellaneous papers round the k* v ' Vabnrra, also Anderson’s dinry.cn the fuselage. One document found <"• Anderson’ 0 bodv vn« a con tract h n twpen A and Mr John r, r>nV | ‘ hotelkeeper, of Sydney, who n"re"d 1 ' pay Anderson £SOO to search fo'- the Southern Cross, a progress report o' fh(> search to go to Canter with the utmost privacy. , Eaten also submitted scraps of An derson’s diarv revealing that it was a forced landing, and also an innhili'tv to prepare a take-off, owing to in creasing dobilitv. due to thirst, with other unintelligible entries. He said Anderson’s machine see roc 1 alright, hut the compass was comn'eti - ly wrecked. There was plenty of petrol. The inquiry was adjourned.