ANXIETY FOR NUNGESSER

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 40, 10 May 1927, Page 9

ANXIETY FOR NUNGESSER

NOT YET ARRIVED IN AMERICA SAINT ROMAIN STILL MISSING SEARCH BEING MADE FOR ATLANTIC FLYERS Captain Nungesser, the French aviator, who left Cherburg on Sunday morning on a transaltantic flight, has not yet landed in America. Anxiety is felt for his safety, as he has not enough petrol to make a protracted flight. Messages say that he has been sighted off Halifax and Portland, but these are confirmed and contradicted by turn. No confirmed report has yet been received of the safe arrival of Captain Saint Romain, who left North Africa last Thursday on a transatlantic flight.

By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright Reed. 8.50 a.m. NEW YORK, Monday. As the hours passed without definite news, anxiety increased for the safety of Captain Nungesser and his navigator, Coli. When they were two hours overdue at New York, the weather could harly have been worse for the conclusion of the flight. The fog was heavy, so that the upper stories of skyscrapers were invisible, while from the Battery, where they are supposed to be such landmarks, Governor’s Island and the Statue of Liberty could not be seen. The wind whipped the sea and two tugs proceeded to meet the fliers should they appear, conveying civic officials, a band, prominent members of the French colony, and also in case of emergency, a surgeon and first aid supplies. Aviators in New York estimated that at the end of the 38th hour the fliers would only have two hours’ supply of petrol left.A Halifax message states that the Canadian Government Wireless Station at Cape Race, Newfoundland, advised that no word of Nungesser had been received up to 10 o’clock this morning. Halifax has been in wireless communication with all Government stations in the North Atlantic and they reported nothing of Nungesser. A New York message says that Nungesser was seen O.K. near Newfoundland. A radio to the Fre-ch Cable Company from St. Pierre reported that on Monday morning another message from New Orleans stated that Nungesser had been seen off Halifax.

A message from Portland, Maine, says that the coastguard is not aware that Nungesser’s plane had been sighted. The one seen is believed to be a United States scout plane returning from a search for the French aviators in the middle of the afternoon. A Boston naval communication reported that a plane believed to be Nungesser’s was seen over Cape Elizabeth, Maine, flying south at 3.35 this afternoon. The Washington Navy Department reports that Nungesser passed Portland, Maine. A further New York message states that the whereabouts of Nungesser is nearing to be a mystery of the sea. Forty-two hours have elapsed since he left France, and has not been reported from any source since he passed Ireland. He carried 40 hours’ supply of gas. The fog is thick on the United States coast. Nova Scotia reports that early on Monday afternoon the Marconi wireless station had not heard from any ship sighting Nungesser.—A. and N.Z.

SAINT ROMAIN PICKED UP UNCONFIRMED REPORT Reed. 8 a.m. HAVRE, Monday. A French liner picked up a wireless message saying that Captain Saint Romain had been found at sea off Cape Verde Islands. This is unconfirmed. —A. and N.Z.