ANTI-CLIMAX

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 463, 19 September 1928, Page 1

ANTI-CLIMAX

Useless Trek to Ihumata TRAFFIC RUSH AND JAMS The ignorant might have thought that the spring urge of “back to the country” had proved too strong for Auckland yesterday afternoon. Every motorist in the eity seemed to head for Mangere beween 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock, and country lanes became transformed with the bustle of Queen Street traffic. Thousands of people in thousands of motor-cars, and buses, mounted on horseback and on cycles, took part in the great trek to Ihumata, and in the great, anti-climax the non-arrival of the Tasman flyers. Three or four hours before the scheduled time of arrival the cars had started to park on the bank above the newly-formed road. Traffic officials and policemen, ambulance brigadesmen and Air Force .people .then outnumbered by three to one the spectators, and it seemed that no crowd would be too big for the officials to handle. Vendors of apples and oranges and crayfish, who had erected stalls by .the. airdrome, began to reap the reward of their initiative. About twenty minutes to four the breathless messenger who was bringing disappointing news from The Sun to Major Isitt, rushed on to the ground and said “Flight’s off!” The. Major, after receiving a copy of the telegram from Smith, looked sadly at the waiting crowd. Then he asked, for the man with the best parade voice and bade him break the news. Captain Wales cupped his hands and did the broadcasting. The crowd was silent for a moment and then there was a long-drawn “Oh” of disappointment. The homeward trek began, but the eleventh-hour welcomers were still, coming out, refusing to believe any story about the flight being off. From Ihumata almost to the Mangere Bridge there was a solid line of traffic, blocked here and there, crawling along in low gear for much of the distance. wol::; kiss McWilliam POLICE SWEPT ASIDE AT HOTEL “You’re a New Zealander! You’re ours!” excited women cried when they mobbed the wireless operator, Mr. T. H. McWilliam, after the four airmen were driven up to the Grand Hotel this morning. Flight-Lieutenant Ulm led his fellow aviators through a crowd of over 400 people. Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith and the navigator, Mr. H. A. Litchfield, followed, and Mr. McWilliam arrived in another car a minute later. Enthusiastic admirers broke through the police barrier and surged round the airmen. The three Australians were given round after round of cheering, and Mr. McWiliam’s appearance was the signal for increased applause. Policemen had to usher him through the throng of spectators, the majority of whom were women. Several flung their arms round the New

Zealander’s neck and it was a blushing McWilliam who eventually reached j the privacy of the hotel. Flags decked the hotel and neigh- | bouring buildings, and many cars i were parked in the vicinity. SEEN BY LIMITED Passengers on the Limited from Wellington this morning obtained an excellent view of the flyers on their way to Auckland. At Paerata, the three planes, forming a perfect triangle in the sky, flew over the train and continued for some distance with it. “They looked splendid in the clear sunlight,” said one passenger. “Everybody was thrilled at the sight.” The planes appeared to be about 1,500 ft up. After flying over the train for a white they swung off in the direction of Mangere. * * * * Many intend centres saw the planes on their way to Auckland. Papatoetoe school children had a good view 1 as visitors passed overhead, and they cheered the flyers.