The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-19
LEADS OCEAN FLIGHT


. tContinued from rage Onel
; the flyers woald maintain u speed
avera ging 100<miles an hour Hawker
| expected to average los miles an
hour. The little Sopwith biplane
! carried sufficient fuel for {: twenty
! two hour flight under ordinary condi-
lions and enough for twenty-four
| hours il the weather was very'f favor
able.
Hawker's machine carried a wire
! less transn1itter capable OF a 150-mile
+! radius and it was estimated this dis
! lance was covered during the fist
! two hours. After that the flyers were
/ isolated, except that the calls might
/ be reiayed by passing ships. Capt.
| NJ. z. Fem, &C the Sopwith company,
builders of the biplane, felt no I'M
! easiness carly today when no news
was received from Hawker.
| Capt. Frederick P. Raynham whose
attempt to join Hawker in his dash
/ for nonstop honors and make a. race
| of it, met with accident, inquired sew
eral times during the night for news
| of his rival and expressed the hope
| that Hawker and Grieve would attain
Raynham Badly Hurt.
| The pilot of the Martinsyde machine
and his navigator. Capt. C. w. F. Nor
| gan, sustained painful injuries when
| their plane was wrecked yesterday in
attempting to take the air in answer
/
| flight. Captain Raynham was able to
drive his automobile away from his
| hangar but Captain Morgan was more
seriously injured. his face bearing
| three deep cuts which required several
stitches to close. A successful Night
| by Hawker will not mark the last of
/ the transatlantic attempts to be made
| from this port. Vice Admiral Mark
Kerr before returning last night to
| Harbor Grace, where the giant Han
! dler Page planes are being assembled,
said his expedition would make the
trip in the interests of science if de-
MED the chance to be first.
Capt. A. A. Alcott. who with Lieut..
A. w. Brown compose the Anglo
American team, is due to arrive here
| during the day with Vimy bomber.
| Captain Alcott is reported to have said
| he would fly to New York or some
| other American seaboard city if
Hawker succeeded in his flight. Lieu
tenant Browns home is in New York
but he Joined the British army during
! the war and for the time being is a
Britisher- He has announced his in
| tention of applying for papers REIN
stating him to American citizenship.
If the daring Australian wins his
gamble with death. it will bring him
first honors in the nonstop transat-
lantic race, undying fame and rich
prize. He decided to risk everything
when he heard of the arrival of the
United States navy's seaplane NC-4 at
Horta, and reiterated his statement
that he would beat the Yankee
across" altho the venture of the navy
aircraft has no bearing on the Daily
| Mail contest, nor did they attempt a
nonstop flight
A Reckless Hop-Off.
Hawker got away in a lurching 300
yard run, humping haZardously over
the uneven field. The little plane ca
reened and rocked recklessly until a
Il l.
the air. for a low, swinging start.
Hawker was at the control.
| The Sopwith began to speed up as
soon as it floated intQ the air and
Hawker headed straight into the
northeast. When he dropped his I'M
dercarriage he and Grieve waved a
| quick farewell. -1 J.,
Flying straight. without swervingt q
hair from the chosen course, the littlf
plane faded rapidly from view. III
five minutes it had dwindled to a
was out of sight beyond the hills.
Weather Conditions Good.
Hawker's start was made in the
| face of weather conditions which he
characterized as mot yet favora BILE
but possible." He and his navigator
gravely considered the hazards of the
attempt and decided to stake every
thing on an effort to beat the Ameri-
cans"
| Overnight reports to the meteorolog-
ical station here showed increased at
mospheric pressures, smoother seas
and fair barometer conditions. Altho
winds and pressureS were not all they
| hoped for, Hawker and Grieve ordered
| their hand satchelS packed and made
! ready for the start.
| Hawker considered weight as of ut
most Importance. Lifting Mackenzie
| Grieve's bag, he found it heavy and
| inquired solicitously if he could not
dispense with pajamas'' on the trip.
When asked if he thought he would
have q chance to sleep during the
| voyage, Hawkers replied:
| Wen have long sleep coming at
the end of it,
1t was 5 o'clock in the afternoon,
Greenwich time. when Hawker order
| ed his Sopwith plane out of its hangar
| for ground and wind test.
Over at the other end of the city,
Raynham had found cross winds
sweeping over his Martinsyde take
Off grounds
When Hawker ''Took the Air.''
Hawker tried out the Sopwith for
minute or two, and called conditions
for a start good enough" Grieve
agreed. The plane was then given
final inspection.
At 5:51 Greenwich time, the Sop
| with was ready.
5:55 sharp, Hawker gave the word
and the ground crew 'let co. The
little plane jerked forward, then
moved steadily over the uneven
ground.
Hawker gathered speed rapidly as
he bowled over the turf, rocking heav-
| lily. At two hundred yards he was
going fairly well. but sWaying badly
A hummock lifted him at three
| hundred yards, and with a last lurch
! the Sopwith took the air."
From that instant it set SAIL" di-
rectly northeast, winging higher and
higher. When the under carriage was
dropped, the little group of spectators
cried out:
She's Off,
Then Raynham Tried 1t.