KINGSFORD SMITH

Hokitika Guardian, 25 June 1930, Page 5

KINGSFORD SMITH

■ ,«./> „. . Kingsford Smith carries a mascot gold plaque in-theil'orm of a fourleaved shamrock'/ the gift of the Governor-General’s wife. The machine^ ; tlie coast seawards at 6.35. Each airman has a pneumatic life- “ (belt and carri.es only $ Hash of coffee, sandwiches and chocolates. If the engines fail, Kingsford Smith will be able' suddenly to releas the petrol, and hopes the plane will float for hours. v , A POEM. NElw/ygHK, June 24. A poem has beep, written b.v a. member of the Roosevelt Field stuff to be relayed by New'York Times wireless to Kingston!} Smith: — Come on, Major,come on. Keep her up over ,the waves. Bring her acros|s v That treacherous course. That marks otlier fliers graves. . *"■. ! ,! r Keep u,p, steady, grand. . But mind how head winds buck. We’ll all be there.,You’ll meet us there. You have thaQ klpd-nf luck. " ; qj out.. ... SATIppACTORY (Received thin day iR 9.40 a.m.) June 24 ; The New,. York ,(Times : received continuous signals ..ifrprn the Southern Cross until 5.15 this morning when the signals faded out- It is expected, however,, that the,.aeroplane will shortly be in’communication again, A ■ message froiflil Chatham, Massachnssetts, states thee Radio Corporation- of Americas,at 7 o’clock local time, picked up,-.- a,':-message from the ■ Southern Cross. oThe signals, however, .were very weak. ■ , Smith gave hisi.’position as 53.15 north 16.57 westyi rtn, average speed of . 82 statute miles . per hour, stating: , “This is satisfactory and leaves us a , good margin. AlLaboard are safe.” 1 . Refuelling planes with a hundred gallons of petrol;--are- being held in readiness at New York for the take-off to Old Orchard (-Maine), where the refuelling of : the Southern' Cross is expected to be arranged. A later report's.kfces a plane carry,ing 125, gallons of’-petrol departed from Valley Stream airpdrt,' for Old Orchard. . ’ i-VUI:- '• .j , - . ■ -ill ‘ • PROGRESSING WELL.

('-.(Received this cMy'fit 10.30 a.m.)

NEW YORK, June 24

Communicating With 1 ' various steam-

ersi .along • its course, the -Southern Cross- indicates lihlf' 'of-Mts' 2,800. mile ocean journey is-eompleted. .r/-.-.At- <:boom (ftew ''Ybrk ‘ ’time) 'repotting to 'the- steamef lifgdrimr'the position waa 990 miles frohi Cape Rate, Newfoundland. • \ ' </>; ' ~ '.A message 1 rUMvod during the -morning, indicated that the -Hirst part of ‘the jrtui 4 ney‘ ,/ wflsi"'rnnd , « ’against / - headwinds ' with the : Speed reduced to an average of 80' miles ah hour, the weather being cold; “ , • ihe winds. JicweYef. h.ner died •down and the bc&ftri wtis as “calm as a mill-pond, and ff It were always like this oc'cean flying-would ben plbasure.”

Fog, however, came up and at one time Kingsford Smith"reported trying to lift the plane 'above'it l , “The fog is bad, but we are pining for a cigarette.” M!n " ''

TRAVELLING ICO MILES AN HOUR

The aviator then'"reported the speed had much improved;and that with the lightening of the load' they are averaging a hundred niiles an hour.

AFTER, if HOURS.

The ■ latest} menage received from the plane, via Halifax, reported the position, at 2.15 iri’fhe'afternoon (New York time) was 50.30 north, 36 west. Smith accepted 1 " v/ith pleasure the dinner invitation from - the New York Netherlands stated: . “We jarrive at New York'to-morrow.”

? 7T7.'. V AFTER TWENTY HOURS, (Received this.-day at. 11 a.ra.) ; NEWn YORK, June. 24. The H/ New York, Times ” resumed •.communication .with . the Southern Cross at 6.22 p.m. ■ A message states: ,l< Rather cheerless r,sundown. We are just at the fringe of the Grand Ranks, arid it is* overcast'arid .bleak, with , fog almost down to j v.-the water's edge. However we arecndt cheerless ourselves; so its all 0.K., 21—20 G.M.T. “Latitude 40-"6O north; longitude 38—20 west; speed eighty-five.”

j WEATHER REPORT. NEW 'YORK, .Tune 24. Kimball, in his 'we’ather report stated: “The'low area has moved eastward over 'Rffithin; MYlien the ■’plane took off it nosed into west wind. 4; following this'area. As it flew -westward the wind's' were likely to diminish to the ’middle of tbe ocean. 'The fliers would 1 pV’obably make tlieir Rest time in thei' first half of the flight;”' ' "•(‘ After the centre of the ocean is reached, westerlies ’’ will increase and be steadily against' them all the way to'Newfoundland." “Conditions oif-'the Grand Banks rare not good, witlrfflg and low clouds. ** Kintrsford Smith is likely to have fair weather to-morrow at ’ New York, hut down the coast thej weather will he (overcast.and the winds west.to nortlijsrest.”

FUR THE It M ESSAG ES

- (Received this day at noon.) NEW YORK, June 24. Further messages were received some of which were broken, but they are now coming clear, after a period of silence. One stated;—“Bet Smith and Van about fed up with it too. Wind seems to have eased. T now guess it is about fifteen miles an hour W.S.W. At 4.20 p.in. New York standard time Smith radioed: “Jt is now about 9.31 p.m. by my English summer time ;I7 hours after leaving). I guess about one in the morning we will be over Cape Race.” An hour late, following a .broadcast of one long dash stated:—“Getting thick and colder. I have got so many of my hairy clothes on tliat I can hardly—” Here the message faded off. Halifax reported the weather good off the coast the log being burnt off in brilliant sunshine. i Kingsford Smith next radioed:— “It is getting quite dark now. Inside the cabin the cheerful glow of the radio tube with a cheery red jflate, makes the cabin look cosy. To complete the effect 1 think 1 will wrap myself round another sandwich. Stand by.”

FURTHER MESSAGES

NEW YORK, June 24

Later messages from the Southern Cross stated: —.“Well that was a jolly decent supper I think for this ship, snappy chicken sandwich and ft cup of coffee. Royal coffee wasn’t so good, but Royal is Jameson’s Irish seven yenrs old. It is not yet dark hut we -are fairly high, nearly four thousand feet,”

Then seemingly addressed to a friend on the west coast of United States: —“Clyde Devinnia., Hemet Place, Hollywood. Be along to see you shortly Clyde old man. Regards from mid-Atlantic, John.”

“Getting darker mow. The outlioard motors are shrouded in a blue haze. Each exhaust port has a faint pitiK flame feathering from. it. It is very uncanny. The lettering on the starboard wing is embossed in gold, as the last faint radiance from the western sky touches it.”