MRS MILLER

Hokitika Guardian, 1 December 1930, Page 6

MRS MILLER

LOST ON SEA FLIGHT

iUnited Preßa Association—By Electrio Telegraph.—Copyright.)

NEW YORK, November 28

A message from Miami states that four planes left in search of Mrs Milwho is several hours overdue. Havana also reports that two planes including an amphibian, left to join in the search for the missing aviatnx.

A later message states that the PanAmerican Airways plane returned late this afternoon from a three hours cruise to Miami and Jyey r "West, without finding a trace. of Mrs Miller.

SEARCHERS SENT OUT

HAVANA, November 28,

Campania De Aviacion has despatched two planes in search of the aviatrix, as fears for her have increased. The' U.S.A. Naval Base at Key West is also hunting.

Mrs Miller apparently left Cuba on a 34 degrees course straight tor Miami, without allowing for the wind, the strength of which was indicated by the fact that a Pan-American plane to-day made a second flight from Miami to Havana in an hour and thirty-five minutes.

Mrs Miller’s representatives state that she, had a six-hour’s petrol supply-

HOPES HELD OUT

NEAV YORK, November 28

A message from Havana stated there is a possibility' that Mrs Miller did not attempt to reach Miami. A reporter of a. local newspaper, in a statement, said, be saw the aviatrix on Friday night. She told him that she would land at Miami if the weather was favourable, but otherwise would continue north as far as possible. She had fuel tor a nine liouis flight, and the distance across the gulf was not far.

It is felt by some that she" has reached the United States at a point where communication is difficult. NEAV YORK, November 29.

John Liggett, one of the backers of Mrs Miller,- has left by passenger plane to fly ,'to Miami to assist in the searcii.for the missing airwoman.

; A FOOLHARDY START. •C HAVANA, November 28. Two airplanes, which left this afternoon in an attempt to locate Mrs Keith Miller, returned to-night without results. As the hours passed and a search by airplanes from here and Miami (Flordia) failed to find any trace of Mrs Keith Miller on the usual aerial course from Havana to Miami, the aviation exports came to,the conclusion .that she is [lost, for she took off on Friday morning against bad wear ther conditions, against the advice of other fliers. It is said that she set her course without allowing for a strong east wind, which might have forced her into the Gulf of- Mexico. She admitted when she lefte that she was. worried, as her plane was without radio, a hankdial and instruments for blind flying. She has a collapsible rubber boat, but it is doubtful if she. had the ability to use it. HAVANA, November 29. A premontion of her death, which she thrust aside, through the fear of being thought a coward, haunted Mrs Keith Mller before she left. Practically all hope has been abandoned of her safety. Searching parties in six planes, from here and from Miami have been flying for hours over, the Gulf of the Florida Keys without finding any trace of her. Jins Miller’s friends here are accusing themselves for not having prevented her forcibly, if necessary, from making a flight against what were great. k odds in her poorly-coudtion plane,, the extremely rough weather and the mental hazard of flying over the water.

“I do not know why, it is, Imt something foils me I am going down,” she said before the take off. “I have had that feeling since ! have crossed here from . Florida. Somehow or other I cannot shake it off.” She called her plane an unairwortliy crate, explaining that 'it was a conditionally licensed ship, which she had rescued from a junk pile and had reconditioned. She said:—“l am trying to put myself over as a commercial pilot. If 1 make a flight like that in this old ship without the usual equipment, it ought to lie easy to get some company interested in using me as a regular pilot.” Many in contact with her here remarked at her preoccupation, and her comments as to not being able to eat or sleep properly. She commented that what worried her most was the lack of Mind flying instruments, or a turn and bank indicator.

x.ii'.s Miller sad:—“Frankly I cannot afford one,” referring, to the latter instrument. ;

The aviation officials on returning from their search)*declared that nqt even a stout seapane could have stayed afloat. Mrs Mijlqr had a collapsible rubber boat, biit,,.sj)ie had expressed a doubt as to her abijjky.. it. Since coining to., the United States from Australia three years ago, Mrs Miller has acted;-as-demonstrator for small planes and amphibians. Sho was instrumental in popularising aviation among women.

A message from Pittsburg states that Captain Lancaster, who accompanied Mrs Miller on her flight three years ago from London to Australia, said that lie thought she had been forced down at sea. He expresses his fear that she must he afloat somewhere between Cuba and the Florida coast in her "collapsible rubber boat, which site carried. The backers of Mrs Miller in her Pittsburgh-Havana flight expressed the hope that she might have landed somewhere in Florida.

FUR THEE PAR TICUL ARS

(Received this day at 9.40. a.m.) NEW YORK, November 30.

A report from Mai mi states:—Carl Vaelter, leader of the Florida air search' for Airs- Keith AH Her said:— “Further search:is useless. We have scoured every-’inch of territory to the south-east and,"west of Florida Peninsula, also the islands southward. AVe have flown low fiver the swamps and glades and Keys Land. It is desolate and the winds are strong and the waters arc running high. Lancaster wired me to-day' and he is coining as fast as possible. I will do all he asks of me hut the case seems hopeloss.”