Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-05-29

'''"oH' May 20. tby the Associated
Press.)-Missing for six DAYS and vir-
tually given up for lost. Harry G..
Hawker and his navigator. Lieutenant
Commander Mackenzie Grieve, the
british airmcn who essayed a flight
across the Atlantic ocean. without pro-
lection against disaster save what
their frail airplane afforded, are safe
tonight board a British warship off
the Orkneys.
Tomorrow they will reach the
mainland and will proceed to London.
where they will be acclaimed as men
returned to life.
Some LOO miles out from New
foundland and 500 from the Irish
coast on Monday. May 10, the lone
aviators, making the best of an engine
which was failing to function proper
ly, were forced to alight on the water.
The little Danish steamer Mary. bound
from New Orleans and Norfolk for
Aarhuus. Denmark, picked the way
farers up and continued on her north
ward yag
Lacking a wireless outfit, the cap
tain of the steame was obliged to
withhold the good tidings of the res
cue until he was opposite Butt of
Lewis. where the information was
signalled by means of flags that Haw-
ker and Grieve were board his ship.
Immediately word was flashed to the
British admiralty, which sent out des-
troyers to overtake the Danish vessel
and obtain absolute confirmation. This
was done, and one of the destroyers
took the airnen off, and later trans
J ferred them to the flagship Revenge.
From this safe haven Hawker sent a
massage tn.piUht that hic machine ho1
stopped owing to the blocking of the
water circulation system.
When the airplane sped away from
her starting point, Pilot Hawker let
loose his wheels and under-gearing,
thereby tightening the weight of the
machine by a considerable amount. but
making a possible landing on the soil
of ireland Il more hazardous venture.
This however probably proved of much
hazardous venture This however prob
ably proved of much advantage when it
became necessary to alight on the sur
face of the water. The airplane remain
ed afloat without difficulty during the
hour and a half it too the Danish
steamer to come up and effect a rescue.
All England is stirred by the news
of the safety of these two stout-hearted
aviators, but owing to the difficulties
of communication some time must pass
before the full details of one of the
most remarkable oyage ever under
taken are known.
The one person in England who al
ways had held hope was Mrs. Hawker.
: She always maintained that Providence
would protect her husband. and. al
though she received condolences from
all classes of people. including the
King. she said to-day that she had
never ceased to believe tina some time
and in some way her husband would
come back.
st. Johns, N. F., May 25.-Messages from
London to-day announced the safety of
Harry G.. Hawker and his navigator. Lieu
tenant Commander Mackenzie Grieve,
spread through this city as rapidly as the
airmen swept over it a week ago, starting
the transatlantic flight attempt which
provided a seven day mystery.
Rejoicing was general, but was perhaps
greatest among the group of British avia-
tors who ha been preparing to follow in
the Sopwith planes uncertain wake.
Capt. Frederick P. Raynham, who was
stopped in his attempt to follow Hawker
by the collapse of his Martinsyde's under
carriage, had held firmly to the belief that
Hawker and Grieve would be found some
where north of Scotland. The basis of
his opinion lay in weather reports upon
which he and Hawker jointly decided to
start and in subsequent reports of the
storm areas show north of the Azores
on the latest map which Hawker saw be-
fore "hoppin3 off,"
This storra assumed the form of an egg
extending northwest from the Azores
] caiI DC a. ~ n ~, sflnt mann that I L or
would first encounter northeast winds then
easterly winds, those from the south being
continuous and stronger than the others,
These would have blown him north
onto the course which the Mary presum-
ably followed"
Further apparent substantiation OF
Raynham's theory was found in re-
ports brought here by the British
freighter Glendevon.
Clifford Nixon, wireless officer of the
Glendevon, said that at 1880 Monday
morning Greenwich time) he over
heard the teamer Samnanger sending
to "Dka," the Sopwith's radio desig-
nation, her position as so degrees 2s
minutes north latitude and 80 degrees
west longitude. At this time. the
Glendevon was 800 miles away. but
subsequently the Samnanger informed
Nixon that it had sighted the red light
of a plane to the north. The Samnan-
ger added that the plane appeared to
be "all going good"
A few hours later the Glendevor
was overtaken by a northeast gale
working dow from the direction in
which the red light believed to have
been that of the Sopwith plane had
disappeared.
This, according to Raynham's the
ory, was the storm which Hawkei
passed before being struck by the
violent southerly blow.
The Glendevon sent out repeated CALI
to other ships, broadcasting the reported
positions of the Sopwith and requesting
that ships stand by to give aid. but re,
ceived a response only from the cabl.
ship Faraday.
TIL log of the Glendevon shows tn,
development of the weather which Haw'
ker went through and which Captain II