HAWKERS FLIGHT

Taranaki Daily News, 28 May 1919, Page 5

HAWKERS FLIGHT

SADWEATHErtMCt {UJMBN TURN TO SHIPS' BOOTS' A PEEH/3TJS RESCUE, . Received May 27,1L45 pjn. y • London, May 27. Newspapers publish Hawker's account of hi* Atlantic flight. It is a straightstory, destitute of incident or excitement, apart from engine trouble, already described, which necessitated the abandonment >f the attempt to reach Ireland, and made the aviators turn in •»der to strike the route which the Atlantic vessels frequent. Provost MacKay states that the descent was finally made close to the Marie, which sighted the aeroplane a thousand miles from the starting point. The rescue by the Danish steamer was * perilous affair, owing to the high sea but, happily, was accomplished after ninety minutes' work. This was the enry time the aviators were in any {«tl danger. They now feel particularly It, being in the pink of condition and the highest of. spirits, anticipating ton' Sen's welcome to-night. Received May 28,12.10 a.m. _ \ London, May 26. Hawker, interviewed by the Daily M«dl, said that after passing over the Newfoundland fogs there was a dear sky for feW hours; then the visibility became very bad, owini to heavy cloud . tank*. - Eventually t|ey flew into a heavy storm with rain agnails, though thef were above the! clouds, at about fifteen thousand feet altitude about 5 J hours'after the start .Oirlßg to the ehoKing of the filter, fhe .temperature of the water cooling the engines rose. They overcame this dimenlty by descending several thousand feet. Everything went well for another few hours, when the circulation pipe became -choked, and the water boiled. He

realised that they could not rise without using a tot of motor power, and after ?2l nonfs they realised that they could Dot proceed, as they were using up power. Tien was reached the fateful decision to play for safely, and they changed the conn* and "began to fly diagonally to-

Yard the main shipping route, and 2} ■port litter they sighted a steamer and sent up distress signals, which were answered promptly. They flew another two mSea sod landed ahead of the steamer. \ The sea was) exceedingly rough, and, Hesftfte the utmost efforts of the Banish erew, ninety minutes elapsed before they got aboard. At a great risk to them•elves, the seamen launched a small boat in a heavy gale. The machine ie prob; ■bry «aft afloat. They had been 14J bom out at 820 in the morning. Grieve stales: "The strong gale drove to. steadily northward, and sometimes it wis Impossible, owing to the prereuro of masses of clouds, to take our We Were two/ hundred miles off the ' course, and had covered a thousand miles when #1 decided to seek a ship/—Aug.- ' N.Z. Cable Assn. \The King telegraphed inviting Hawker fa Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. Hawker and .Grieve had astonishing receptions at each Highland station passed through, women throwing flowers and kisses to the aviators, who shook hands ■ with hundreds of men, who fought for the tnance to enter the train even,when ft was moving. When tie Dairy Mail informed Mrs. Hawker: that it proposed to give her a share of the £IO,OOO prize, the wife wrote to Lord Northeliffe thanking him, Mt ftjdmg: 'T cannot, and will not, believe my. husband isn't alive." Mr. Hughes telegraphed congratulations on the magnificent attempt and ■safe* rtturn. CcmgratnUtions include a B&i&er front trade unions and other labor organisations. An Australian band has been ordered from Salisbury to play Hawker from King's Cross.to the Aero Club. Aue- - tralhot soldiers wilt keep the route, and others will march in procession. Huge £rowjs are expected.

- V HAWKER'S RESCUE. GREAT JUBILATION AT HOME. I "* . Received May 27, 9.40 p.m. London, May 26. ltUbontef, arrangements have been ftttde'fox the reception and welcome to London when Hawker and Grieve arrive. . There will be a great welcome at King's Cross Station by the Mayor and Council of St. Pancraß, followed by a procession to the Aero Club, with an escort composed of many of its members. A complimentary luncheon will be tendered to Hawker and Grieve later in the week, and en Saturday a fete will be held at Hendon Aerodrome, at which a welcome from ten thousand Sopwith employees takes place. j King George, in a message to Mrs. Hawkey Btittee: "I rejoice with yon at ' your gallant husband's happy rescue, end trust he may be long spared to you." Queen Alexandria sent a message: "With' all my heart I wish you and the nation joy in the safety of your gallant hutband and his companion. I rejoice that it was a, Danish ship that rescued . his i precious life." A flood of pther messages have been received from all partß of the world, and the jubilation in Paris exceeds anything witnessed since the armistice. [The part of the ocean on which the aviators alighted was a Uttle more than half-way between St. John's, Newfoundland, and Bantry Bay, Ireland, and about 800 miles north of the Azores, for which the American airmen made. Hawker evidently made a direct course for the Kerry coatt, and descended at a point about the same distance from St. John's As the Azores.]

BHTAIN-AUSTBAIIA. TOGBT. New York, May 26. A Sopwith Dove aeroplane of 80 horser.«ver with a Lerhone engine has been entered for the Australian flight. Bert Sinkler, the Australian pilot, hopes to make the final landing at his mother's home near Sydney.—Aim. N-Z. Cable Asj'~"iation. AMERICAN DTOIGIBLE BLOWN SEAWARD. Received May 26, 9.40 pjri. St. John's (Newfoundland), May 16. An American airigible which arrived J'pre broke loose from its moorings and vtt* blown seaward. It fa reported that ib one was aboard.—AHß.-NX Cable »ssn.

GREETING AT THURSO. Z&Wm® MODEST fcEPLX, Received May 27, 9.25 p.m, London, May 24. The Provost of Thurso welcomed' Hawker and Grieve on their arrival there-. The provost said that throughout Britain and in every land the news of their tafe deliverance was ringing, and hearts were rejoicing. Though they had failed in their gallant purpose, they had achieved great thingß. Their names wouK- live for ever in the annals of the Atlantic flight, and they had brought new lustre to the daring, endurance, and intrepidity of our race. At this spot Lord Kitchener had hade farewell to hia country, and it was now the welcoming point for two other brave sons of the Empire. Hawker replied: "I thank yon for your kind greeting." Hawker refused interviews, except in the case of one newspaper.—Aus.-NJS. Cable Asan. DAILY MAIL CONSOLATION PRIZE. London, May 26. Correction; Kor "The Daily Mail has awarded Grieve a consolation prize of £5000" read and Orieve &5000."