Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-05-19

in attempting to follow the Austria
liam with his Martinsyde plane,
broke an axle on his machine. Rayn-
ham and his navigator, Charles w.
F. Morgan, were not injured, but
the plane was wrecked.
Delayed for Weeks.
Both Hawker and Raynham have
been here for weeks awaiting favor
able weather to- start their flight
for the $4,000 London Daily Mail
prize, but day after day the start
was postponed because of unfavor-
able conditions on the Atlantic. To-
day, however, with the news that
the NC-4, the American navy sea-
plane, had reached the Azores on
the first leg of its transatlantic !
attempt, Hawker decided to wait no
longer, and quietly slipped away.
The hundreds of persons lining
the shore thought he was merely
making test flight, but suddenly
he was observed to drop his land
ing gear, thus tightening the load,
and only then were the spectators
and Raynham aware that Hawker
had decided to start his perilous
flight.
Hawker and Grieve took the air at
SIS p. m. today, Greenwich time
Q:55 p. m. New York time), and
expect to reach the Irish coast in
20 hours, unless some accident
forces them to plunge into the sea.
Attempts to Follow.
When the Sopwith biplane passed
from view beyond the hills to the
northeast, headed for the open sea,
Raynham was tuning up the engine
of his machine. Raynham and his
navigator, Charles w. F. Morgan,
instantly determined to follow him,
for all their preparations had been
made weeks ago.
AS the Martinsyde TAXED" along
the uneaven surface of the runway,
preparatory to A1e take-off, a rear
axle broke under its heavy load and
the machine ploughed into the
ground. Pilot and navigator were
jammed in. the wreckage, but ap-
parently neither was seriously hurt.
/. The 2O-hour journey planned by
Hawker would land him on the
Irish coast at about 1:55 D. M,
Greenwich time, tomorrow (9:55 a.
IN. New York time). He is flying
straight for Ireland, winging his
way regardless of shipping lanes.
Hawker got away in lurching
300-yard run, humping hazardously
over the uneaven field. The little
plane careened and rocked reck-
lessly until hummock lifted it and
its wings took the air" for a low,
swinging start. Hawker was at the
control.
Flying straight, the little plane
faded rapidly from view. In six
minutes it was out of sight beyond
the hills.
Hawker and his navigator gravelv
considered the hazards of the at
tempt, and decided to stake every
thing on an effort to "beat the
Americans"
& Decide to Start.
Overnight reports to the meteoro.
logical station here showed in
creased atmospheric pressures,
smoother seas and fair barometer
conditions. Although winds and
pressures were not all they hoped
for, Hawker and Grieve decided to
start.
1t was 5 o'clock in the afternoon
Greenwich time, when Hawker or.
dered his Sopwith plane out of its
hangar for ground and wind test.
He tried out the Sopwith for min
ute or two and called conditions for
start good enough" Grieve
agreed. The plane then was given
a final inspection.
AT 5:5o p. m. ~Hawker gave the
word and the ground crew "let GO"
The little plane jerked forward.
moved steadily over the uneven
ground and with last lurch took.
the air"
Hawker and Grieve are flying
over course all their own, figured
out last night and this morning with
the one object in mind of "how TO
head off the Americans" Early
today they hurried to the Offices OF
the Royal air force meteorologists.
Finding conditions improved a lit
tCoatiaued On Psxs gxn CslunD NJ