The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-05-27
Aviator Who Fell Into Sea
When Half Way Across,
Has Become England's
Hero.
BIG WELCOME TO LONDON
Men Carry Him Through Streets on
Their Shoulders and Crowds
CIamor to Shake His
Hand.

TUnited Press Leased Wire Service.l
LONDON. May 27.-Harry Hawker
and Mackenzie Grieve are proceeding
toward London today, cheered all
along their route like conquering
heroes. When the avfators, who fell
into the sea while attempting to fly
In Sopwith plane from New Found
land to ireland, arrive in London to-
night they are assured Of reception
probably the equal of that ever ac-
corded a national hero entering the
metropolis.
Britain's enthusiasm for Hawker
and Grieve, his navigator, was un-
diminished today.
Dispatches from the north told OF
the triumphal progress from Thurso,
the little town where the aviators
landed after having been mourned as
lost for nearly week. There were
cheering crowds at all stations in
the highlands.
When their train pulled into In
verness they were greeted by Pro
vost Mcdonald.
I'm glad you've lived to fly again"
he said. Il hope that after a needed
rest you'll win the prize
"This welcome is most embarrass-
ing" replied Hawker. "The risk
wasn't SO great as people thought
1t was a perfectly straightforward
attempt to fly over, not an ordinary
enterprise"
After having been entertained at
dinner by the provost, Hawker ap-
peared on the balcony Of the hotel
and thanked the crowd which block
ed the streets, calling for him. The
crowds at Edenburg, where 'Hawker
arrived this morning, were even
more insistent. When Hawker left
the train he was seized, elevated to
the shoulders of a cluster of men
and borne in triumph through the
streets to his hotel, while people
struggled on all sides to shake his
hand. Mrs. Hawker eagerly heard
the accounts Of the airmen's prog
ress. She starts for Grantham,
twenty-three miles from London. to-
day and will meet her husband there.
Preparations were started today
for an aviation carnival at Hendon
airdrome Saturday and Sunday in
honor of Hawker and Grieve. Many
famous pilots are expected to do
tricks in the air. Hawker will be
asked to loop the loop and perform
other aerial capers.
Thurso, where the aviators landed,
paid them high honors and gave them
an enthusiastic sendoff when they
started for London. The provost,
meeting them at the pier, called at
tention to the fact that In landing
from their historic voyage they step
ped on the same dock that Lord Kitch-
iner departed from when he left on the
trip that resulted in his death at sea.
officers of the British warship
which removed Hawker and Grieve
from the Danish tramp steamer Mary
declared the crew Of that vessel was
astounded at the sudden appearance
of an airplane in mid-ocean.
They had been at sea more than
twenty days and knew nothing of the
flight having started until .hey saw
the biplane descending from the
clouds.
Hawker told the Commander of the
destroyer that his engine began to
heat when he was about five hours
from New Foundland. This trouble
continued all night. Meanwhile the
Sopwitll encountered a heavy rain
storm. About dawn Hawker decided
he must land. He seal ched the sea
for ships, saw the Mary, and came
down near her.
In an interview given to the Lon
don Daily Mail, Hawker declared
that when the engine began to heat
he descended several thousand feet.
Later It's water began to boil.
after we had been out about
twelve hours" he said, 1--WE reached
the fateful decision--to try for safe
Continued On page 2.)