Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-05-28

HAWKER HAD MANY
HAND|CAPS ON HIS
OVERSEE FLIGHT
Sea Captain Thought Moth
ing of Picking Up Lost
Aviators at Sea.

London, May 27.-The correspond
ent of the Daily Mail who is travelling
with Harry G. Hawker, and Lieuten-
ant Commander Mackenzie Grieve
on their way to this city, sends from
Inkerns, Scotlond, a detail account Of
the difficulties encountered by the
two airmen during their unsuccessful
attempt to fly across the ATLANTIC.
During the first four hours of the
voyage the air was freezing cold but
the airmen were quite comfortable.
Hawker, however, was unable to steer
a good course because Of the clouds.
being at times forced to go around
them.
When about 800 miles out to sea
the weather continued very bad and
clouds rose to great. heights. Several
times Hawker tried to clear them but
lost height at every attempt and each
time the machine was started climb
ing. the water in the radiator boiled
furiously which involved waste.
At last, however, the airplane
reached height of 10000 feet and it
was decided to stay at that level for
the rest of the trip. eve had not as
vet doubted being successful in get
ting across" Hawker said in describ-
ing his experiences, eve were at
that time above most of the clouds.
The moon had risen and we were
keeping a good course although we
bad to go little slower and close the
throttle to keep the water from heat
ing up:
Found Heavy Clouds.
ave continued ut this height until
wa had been in the air IL IL hours.
Then came heavy clouds again. They
were very high. reaching a level of
$1,000 feet and being very black. 1t
was almost impossible to steer thru
them and each time I tried to climb,
tho water boiled badlv.'
Hawker described his efforts to
find the cause of the trouble with the
water COOLING system and said that
he concluded something had got into
the water filter between the radiator
and the humps and that the only thing
to do was to stop the motor and nut
the nose Of the machine down steenlv
with the hone that this mioht clear
away the refuse in the filter. This was
About an hour later. however, the
filter again gave trouble and it was
decided to flv- toward the trans-At1an-
tic steamer hnte After more than
two hours Of flving. steamer was
SIGHTED which proved to he the Marv.
Fawker dropned signal lights which
were answered.
The aviators descended about two
miles ahead of the steamer. The sea
was verv rough and the Danish crew.
at great risk to themselves finally
rescued the aviators after 90 minutes.
Thev were Wicked uD at $3.50 a. m..
Greenwich time. Monday. Nav 10.
Thcught They Were Americans.
Hawker said that the captain
thoupht the aviators were Americans.
the casual manner in which tho
CAPTAIN took the whole business, as if
it were an everyday affair to tete
airmen out Of the Atlantic. The
aviators asked the captain his bear
inUs and what likelihood there was
of meeting shiu and gettinp into the
vain route Of steamers. At that time
the cantain thought there was verv
good chance of sighting ship with
wireless at any moment.
Mondav night the storm got worse
and the Mary had to heave to. max
ing about one knot an hour in
northerly direction. This took the
steamer off the shipping route and
lessened the chances of meeting an
other ship.
Hawker said that he and Grieve
slept or tried to sleep most Of the
time Thew drank tea and read the
cantain's Enplish hooks. They saw the
LIGHTHOUSE at st Kilda, hut We're I'M
able to communicate with land until
the ship reached the Butt of Lewis.
The correspondent adds that there
We're amazing scenes on the trio thru
the Scottish highlands to Inverness.
At every station women threw flow
ers and kisses to the rescued avia-
tors and men chung to the train and
sought to enter it while it was NOV
mo. Hawker and relieve shook hands
with hundreds in a cheering crowd
which had invaded the Inverness sta
ton.
On their arrival at Inverness the
aviators received = telegram from
Kino Georpe invitiro them to Buck
ingham Palace on Wednesday.