The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-05-28
Hawker's Story.

LO&NllD-N, 4htty hS wa N'sIN'
ent Of the Daily Mail who is travelling
with Harry Ct. Hawker and Lieutenant
Commander Mackenzie Grierc on their
way to this city sends from Inverness,
Scotland, a detailed account of the diff
ticulties encountered by the two airmen
during their unsuccessful attempt to
fly across tho Atlantic.
During the. first four hours OF the
voyage the air was very bad and clouds
rose 10 great heights. Several times
Hawker tried to cIcar them but lost
height at every attempt, and each time
the machine was started climbing the
water in the radiator boiled furiouSl!'
which involved waste.
At last however, tho airplane reached
a height of 700 feet. and it was decid-
ed to stay at.that level for the rest OF
the trip.
I'VE had not as yet doubted being
successful in getting across, Aa~kcr
said in describing his experience. we
were at that time above most OF tho
clouds. The moon had risen and w"
were keeping q good course, although
we had TO go g. little slower and close
the throttle to-keep the water from
heating up.
I'VE continued at this height until We
had been in the air twelve and hall
hours. Then camo heavy clouds again
They were very high. reaching lever
of $4,000 feet, and being very black. IL
was almost impossible to steer through
them, and each time I tried to CLIMB
the water boiled badly.
Hnwker hen described his efforts to
| find tho, cause of the trouble with the
water cooling system, and said that he
| concluded something had got into the
| wafer filter between the radiator ana
the DUMPS, and that the only thing 10
do was to stop the motor and put the
nose of-the machine down stecplY win
| the homo that this might clear away the
refuse in the filter. This was success
fuL
| through the clouds the aViators oeclo-
ed to go beneath them
Coming down to a height OF ABOUT
stx thousand feet" Hawker said. we
found IT blacker than ever and eVentu-
,llv got TO 10000 feet above the water
before we could see to fly. We started
ON our-course against with the sun Just
rising, but could not keep the temporal
ture below the boiling point
.NThen 1t was We reached the fatetul
decision to play for safety.
I'VE changed our course ana oeEan
flying diagonally for about two hours
when to our great relief We siGh'ed
Danish steamer which proved 10 DC 'he
tramp Mary. al,
from the northeast and we were getting
knocked about badly when We sighted
the shin close to our port bow. We were
fairly in q fog with the clouds low ana
were almost on top Of her before we
saw her. IT.,
'We sent up our light distress sig
| p,Is These were answered promptly
and then we flew on about TWO mics
and landed in the water ahcad oil inc
I'VE made q very good landing al
though the sea ran high the maCh'ne
floated on an even keel well out oil inc
water.
and put out our own boat ana S'o"o Wy
In case the machine should break UP ana
sInk which she began to do rapidly III
,ho heavv sea The sea was running UP
n twelve feet and breaking right oyer
the machine and us. So,
"O,rr life saving suits kept us drF
and for an hour and half we Wa''h'"
tho crow trying to launch HE boat.
The Mary was only 200 yards awaY'
AFTER much difficulty tn" ltf" hoat
succeeded IN reaching us. w" boarded
the life boat and were pulled to the snip
by line. i,oe-
lowing to the heavy sea It was ifhp"S-
sib1e 10 salve anything. When W" GOT
% the ship We were without our boots
and cans. while Gricvc also had lost ms
coat We were very sorry I" los" q lot
NJ valuable instruments and III" mail.
"Climbing aboard w" found thar 'arl;
Dunn spoke very good English. i'' h'"
been afraid that we would go down W.
foro his boat could reach us.
| The aviators were picked up M ~
n m. Greenwich time. Monday. May ~
! .Anothcr hour and you would nave
gone down." ..;,, ,,orc,,,
,bc aviotors were Americans. The r'S-
| c,,od mon were struck with IN" riNh''
-oonpcr In which tn" captain l"k 'H'
rholc business as if it w"r" an 'N rF
day affair 10 tax" airm'n "h' 81 'n'
! Atlantic, Tho aviat"rS asked IN" cap
lain his bearings and what liEl'l"'a
! hero was Of meeting Il ship ana go hE
ir,o thc main route steamers. ~ 'hh'
t,r, tho captain Thought rh'r' wn> II
,.crv rood chance OF sight 'ng snip
ui,h wireless at any moment.
| Monday night tn" storm GOT W"rS"
ond the Mary had TO h"av" Ia. making
about one knot in an hour in n n"r,h"rIE
direction This took the steamer oil inc