New-York tribune., 1919-05-26

aid, but received a response only from
the cableship Faraday
The log of the Glendevon shows the
development of the weather which
Hawker went through, and which Cap
tain II. w. Sudderby, Of the Glendevon,
said he stated at the time was $50
tempestuous that no plane could live
through it." During the twenty-four
hours covering Hawker's fight, the
weather went from fine, with lightly
westerly winds and moderate sea, to
a full gale with heavy rain, in which
heavily. Officers said that if Hawker
had started a day earlier he would
have met ideal conditions.
Trace of Aviators Lost
Aside from these two earlier reports
that Hawker's plane may have reached
at least midway in the Atlantic before
being forced to alght on the water
there has been nothing to indicate the
fate of the Sopwith team from the day
they rose from their aerodrome at
Mount Pearl, near st. Johns, sailed
across Quidividi field, nearer the city,
where their rivals, Captain Frederick
P. Raynham and Major C. w. f. Nor
gan, were inspecting their Martinsyde
plane, out across the harbor and
toward the horizon until lost to the
view Of even the watchers on the tall
lighthouse signal station at the mouth
OF st. Johns Harbor.
Day after day went by with no news
from the adventdrers. No ship re-
ported having seen the fliers nor hav-
ing heard the call of their tiny wire
less, which had range Of only 15O
miles. Twenty-four hours after they
flew away from the Newfoundland
coast wild rumors Of their supposed
dropping in the sea forty miles off the
Irish coast were widely circulated. But
these were soon discredited and the
following days went by without word.
Destroyers, mine-sweepers, light craft
of all descriptions and other airplanes
were sent out by the British Admiralty
in vain attempt to find the missing
men. Their task was hampered by wind
and rain and a storm that swept the
middle Atlantic the middle Of last
week.
By Tuesday night, forty-eight hours
after the start, the two f1iers had been
given up for lost On Friday "The Daily
Mail" announced that the $4,000 prize
offered for the first flight across the
Atlantic within q period Of seventy-two
hours, and for which Hawker was con-
tending. would be divided among the
relatives Of Hawker and Grieve In the
proportions those men had decided to
divide the prize had they been success
full. Last nights announcement by "The
Daily Mail" that consolidation prize
Of $4,000 would be given to the two
men probably supersedes the previous
announcement, which was made on the
supposition that they had dropped into
the sea and would never be heard from
again.
Bottle Report Discredited
On Saturday the Navy Department in
Washington made public report from
New London, Conn, saying that a
bottle had been picked up three miles
south Of Narragansett Pier, containing
message purporting to have been
written by Hawker. The note said,
May 10, 1919, 1884 a. m-Acci-
dent to plane and I am drifting in
collapsed boat, latitude 81 degrees
81 minutes north, longitude Is de-
grees 30 minutes west"
Inc message was undoubtedly spuri-
ous' as indicated by Secretary Daniels
"nen the announcement was made, as
the point indicated is only about $50
miles Off the west coast Of Ireland. A
nottle could not drift across the At
iantic In five days, even IL the north
easterly current OF the Gulf Stream
were left out of consideration.
however, 1T is pointed out that the
apoYe message might have been some
"hat iiiegible and the longitude given
as 10 degrees 80 minutes might have
Deen meant to read 20 degrees and 80
minutes In that case the story is
more credible, as such position would
De not far from the point at which
hawker actually was rescued. How
ever, this is hardly regarded as likely.