Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-23
WARSHIPS AID IN SEARCH
Airman Enveloped in Fog Soon After
Starting Back From Calais.
MADE ERROR IN RECKONING
Was Later Seen Over Dangerous
Shoals Off the Southeast Coast
of England.

LoN1ON, beCeIIiDeT kO.-1nofe was no
| news this afternoon of the fate of Cecil
S. Grace. the American-born aviator, who
disappeared in the fog while attempting
| a return flight from Calais. France, to
Dover yesterday. 1t is feared that he
fell into the North sea.
Many motor cars were out all night
searching every nook of the east coast
Of England, while warships scattered
along the shores and dotting the North
sea swept the waters with wireless in
quiries concerning the airman. These
futile efforts were continued today.
Grace started out for the Baron de
Forest prize of $4,000 offered to the
British aviator who. in a British-made
aeroplane, shall cover the greatest dis
tance. including the passage of the Eng
lish channel during the present year. T.
SOpwith had set mark of ia miles.
Grahame- White prepared for the competi-
tion, but met with serious accident be-
fore he could get under way The days
be eclipsed were few, and Grace decided
to make the try yesterday i'm the face of
adverse weather conditions.
Fog Over the Channel.
hCdNS LUZ nuhS ONCI Tie CudIHci
and obscured the aviator soon after he
ascended at Dover. He crossed the
channel safely, and two hours and a
half from the start passed over Calais.
He reached the Belgian frontier and
was going fast after Sopwiths figure
when he encountered adverse winds
that compelled him to turn back. He
alighted west of Calais and at 2:10
'n1n In tVfi +,
aeroplane toward Dover.
Grace soon was once more enveloped
in the fog that had become more dense.
Those who saw the start say he took a
nOrtheasterly course. 1t is evident that
he lost his bearings, because had he
had his proper direction he would have
reached Dover without trouble, for he
had the power. and his aeroplane must
have behaved we'll. Instead Of ap-
preaching Dover. however, he was
the Goodwin Sands, the exceedingly
dangerous shoals that extend off the
southeast coast of England, seven
miles east of Deal.
At this point the airman made grave
mistake in his reckoning, for. with land
but a few miles to the west, he Veered
to the east and when last seen was head
ing over the North sea. AT this point he
was swallowed UP by the fog and since
then nothing whatever has transpired to
Report of Landing False.
A false report that he had landed at
IDEAL for a time cheered anxious friends,
but when this was disproved every pos
sible resource was appealed to to find
him.
The warships and merchant vessels
along the east coast were instructed to
keep a sharp lookout, but their wireless
exchanges were all of the same tenor
nothing seen of the airman. Meantime
automobile parties secured the coast in
the hope that Grace has descended at
some out-of -the-way spot from which the
lack of easy communication might ac-
count for his failure to notify his friends
of his safety.
This afternoon the aviator's friends
clung to the hope that through discov-
cry of his error in reckoning or by some
lucky chance he had reached the coasts
Of suffolk or Norfolk. The more Optimis-
tic talked of a record flight terminating
in the north of England.
Many vessels arrived from the North
sea during the day, but none brought
word of Grace.
Particular interest is felt in the pres
ent adventure, as Grace Is q sportsman
aviator rather than a professional nyer.
He has broken no worlds records. but
has made some notable flights. He was
born in Chile about thirty years ago, the
son of the late John Grace of the banking
house of W. n. Grace Il Co, New YORK.
Former Mayor Grace of New York was
his uncle. He was graduated from Co
lumbia University, and when his parents
came to this country to live he studied at
oxford. Since the death of his father he
has made his home with his mother here.
He has long been interested in sports
and is q member of the Royal Aero Club.
Has Had a Few Falls.
Like most aviators, he has had a few
tumbles, but none proved serious. He first
attracted wide attention when his aero
plane suddenly appear ed out of the haze
and Unanswered over the British war
ships anchored off Sheerness. He used a
Wright machine at the time, and after
leaving the harbor flew fifty miles in
ffty-one minutes. rising at one time to
a height of 1,5OO feet. This was April
30 last, and more recently he had given
several splendid exhibitions.
Grace holds place in public interest
much like that enjoyed by the late Capt.
Charles S. Rolls, who fell to his death
from a height Of 100 feet while giving an
exhibition at Bournemouth. England,