AIR LINER LOST

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1929, Page 5

AIR LINER LOST

SEAPLANE COMES DOWN. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Received this day at 8 a.m.), LONDON, OcLo .er 27. A Leghorn message states a seaplane from India came down off the itaiian coast and was towed to Spezr.i uaroour, .where it is riding out a Stpmi. The crew are safe. t IN GULF OF GENOA. . LONDON, October 27. Imperial Airways officially announce the loss of the Indian mail flying boat, City of Rome, during a gale in the. Gulf of-Genoa. Four passengers and three of the crew were drowned. A Genoa message says it is learned that the tug I< a m ilia on Saturday evening found the Indian air liner safely riding the waves off Spezia. All were well aboard. The tug took the aeroplane in tow but owing to the rough sell the rope broke. The Familia left the plane and rushed to the shore to get help. A destroyer went out arid searched for hours fruitlessly. . • To-day seven Italian planes co-op-erated with a bomber and destroyers combing the seas but there is no trace of the air liner, from which wireless signals have censed. Anxiety increased hourly till tonight the destroyer reported she was coming ashore with the body of Birt (Commander of the air liner) ■ There is no news of 'the rest of the crew and pnssengers. FURTHER PARTICULARS. LONDON, October -27. Imperial Airways states the City of Rome’s wireless operator sent out an S.O.S. before, the machine was .forced down. The Italian tug Falriglia from Genoa managed to get three ropes to the City of Rome and towed her for ninety minutes, but the seas were so terrific that all three pna.pped. The City of Rome was riding well when the tug went to Spezia,. where the captain boarded a destroyer and went back, ibut failed to locate the City of Rome, as did aircraft, tugs and destroyers from Genoa, Spezia , Viareggie and Leghorn which set out on the sealch.

At dawn, the Genoa destroyer brought in a second body at present unidentified. LONDON, October 27. Imperial Airways authorities state that the occupants of the City of Rome were Pilot Birt, Flight-Engi-neer Pembroke, Wireless Operator Stone, and the four passengers were Messrs Turney, Ritchie, Robinson, and Miss Bromford. The plane was an all metal .flying boat driven by three engines, developing fifteen hundred horse power. It was a similar machine to that Cobham flew/rourid Africa, The City of'Rome was used for the stage, Alexandria to Genoa. It ran into terrific ; weatheri at Leghorn, the wind blowing at sixty-eight miles an hour and the machine was forced down ten miles off Spezia.

DETAILS OF LOSS. ' LONDON, October 28. Imperial Airways at London has no information why the Famiglia did not take off the passengers of the flying boai, but the British Consul at Spezia .pays a high tribute to the efforts the Italians made to save the air bner in face .of terrible seas. The Piaster of the Famiglia had put up a gallant fight against the elements as she is only a tiny ship. When the ropes parted the Famiglia stood by the drifting liner for an hour trying to get alongside. It was only when she saw the City of Rome likely to sink that the Famiglia dashed back to the harbour for more help.

Tuney was one of the Customs officers at Croydon aerodrome. .He was returning from a holiday at Athens. Birt is aged 27, and had been flying since 1924. He served in the R.A.I. until March, 1929.

PERSONAL EFFECTS LOST. (Received this day at 8.30. a.m.) DELHI, October 28. It is revealed that the personal effects of Captain Woodbridae pilot of tne plane which crashed and biirned at Jask in September, were in a packet in the ill-fated “City of written tenders to be re e ved up to