HOME AGAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 February 1920, Page 5

HOME AGAIN.

ROSS SMITH IN SYDNEY 1 END OF GREAT PLIGHT. By Tel«trapl).—P.-es» Assn.—CopyrUt" Received Feb. la, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, Feb. 15. The weather was ideal for the flight, and the townships en route of th« last ' stage of the great flight emptied thousands to watch the pasting of the famous Vimy, which was greeted with ringing bells and the screaming of engine whittles as the bird-men circled op >tunted over them. Every vantage ground round Sydriey and suburbs was occupied by expectant crowds long before the signal at th* Post Office Tower, announcing; the it- M parture from Katoomba, was hoiaf|4i There was much excitement whwv si machine first came in sight.' After Cs4« ' *<; ling over a prepared landing place litt Mascot the machine proceeded to tjba 1 Heads and made an "official entry]' th«p» up the harbor and round the city to Mp* ! cot, where an enormous gathering nessed a perfect landing. ' « The men waiting to catch, tilt Wing ' tips, and a crowd of tmd ' a narrow escape. Miscalculating t&« speed of such a large machine, '■! rushed in too quickly, but fortnaately they were able to save thenwetvut. j Amongst the first to greet the aviators ' were the parents of the Smithinotbim. •' En route, and in the Town Hall, Whera j an official reception was given, til* Smiths and their companions, Serfnnta ' Bennett and Shiers, were almost '> whelmed by enthusiastic demongtt*tflflL Replying to congratulatory spewbts on \ the gallantry of the feat and the taynek | and glory the four gallant aviatan who 9 had flown from one end of tl» w«dd ta 9 the >ther had brought to Australia, fiU( M Ross tSmith said that they had onjy fcw complished what any other Au*tnribu( with the requisite knowledge of avlgtioq /S and opportunities would M ''Therefore, at times," he said, "we WtaK to know what all this enthwiam a' out. After the war we wanted to get home, and thought we might aa veil fljr home. We flew home." * Sir Keith Smith said: 'lt mwmmi *a - m » 'tJie Commonwealth had bet us £IO,OOO wo could not get here. We reckoned it easy money, so we said we will have » go. We had a go, and got here, and now, we cannot understand what ail the is about." ■■ ■ The mechanics attributed much of tbi l success to the excellence of the machine, and the' Way the crew pulled Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. '