Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-05-19

GsY MORNING JOURNAL sPecib' LEASED wiRsl
St Johns, n. F., May 1S.-Harry G..
Hawker Australian, aviator aud his
navigator, Commander Mackenzie
Grieve tonight are winging their way
across the Atlantic on the most per-
ilous airplane flight in history in an
cleventh-hour effort to wrest from
American pilots the honor of being
the first to complete a trans-o oceanic
flight. The Australian late today de-
cided not to delay longer and started
for the Irish coast despite weather
conditions, characterized as mot fa-
vorable, but possible"
When Hawker's Sopwith plane dis
appeared from view it left behind the
shattered hopes of his English rival,
Frederick =. Raynham, who, in at
tempting to follow the Australian with
his Martnsyde plane, broke a rear
axle on his machine. Raynham and
has navigator, Charles w. F. Morgan,
were not injured, but the plane was
wrecked.
Both Hawker and Raynham have
been here for weeks awaiting favora-
bic weather to start their flight for
the $4,000 London Daily Mail prize,
but day after day the start was post
poned because of unfayoraLle condi
tions on the Atlantic Today, however,
with the news that the NC4, the
American navy seaplane had reached
the Azores on the first leg of its trans
Atlantic attempt. Hawker decided to
wait no longer and quietly slipped
away.
Exmci Iaenfg-bpfif t'iisht
ne hunurtt5 O.; rAoES Mig fl
snoec thought ne was merely making
4 test flight, but suddenly he was OBJ
served to drop his landing gear, thus
tightening the load. and only then
were the spectators and Raynhamj
aware that Hawker' had decided to-
start his perlous flight.
Hawker and Grieve took the air att
.5.55 p. m. today, Greenwish time,
G:55 p. IN. New York timeG and ex-l
pect to reach the Irish coast in twenty
hours, unless some accident forces
them to plung into the sea
When the Sopwith biplane passed
from view beyond the hills to thel
northeast headed for the open sea-
Raynham was tuning up the engine of
his machine. Raynham and his navi-l
gator, Charles w. f. Morgan, instant
" determined to follow him, for all
their preparations had been made a.
week ago.
As the Martinsyde TAXED" along
the uneven surface of the runway, |
preparatory to the take-off, rear
axle broke under its heavy load, and
the machine ploughed into the ground. |
Pilot and navigator were jammed in
the wreckage but apparently neither
wps seriously hurt
The twenty y-hour journey plannedl
by Iawkor would land him on the |
Irish coast at about :55 p. m. Green
wich time tomorrow (9:55 a. m. New
York time). He is flying straight for
Ireland, wing his way regardless of
shipping lanes.
Hawker got away in a lurchins |
300-yard run, humping hazardously
over the unever field. The little plane
careened and rocked recklessly until
hummock lifted it and its wings
took the air for low, swinging
start Hawker was at the control.
Flying straight, the little plane fad
ed rit)idly from view. In six minutes
it was out of sight beyond the hills.
HawkeE and his navigator gravely
considered the hazards of the attempt
and decided to stake everything on an
effort to beat the Americans.
over night reports to the meteoro-
station here showed increased |
atmospheric pressures, smootner seas
and fair barometer conditions. AL
though winds and pressures We're not
all they hoped for Hawker and
Grieve decided to start.
1t was five O'Clock in the afternoon.
time, when Hawker or
dered his Sopwith plane out of it's
hangar for a ground and wind test. He
tried out the Sopwith for a minute or
two and called conditions for a start
good enough Grieve agreed. The
plane was then given a final inspec-
ton.
At 5:55 p. m. Hawker gave the
word and the ground crew 'let go.
The little plane jerked forward moved
tLonLnued on Paae TWo.)