The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-20
Story That He Was Forty
Miles From Mouth of
Shannon Unverified.
MANY OTHER RUMORS
Parliament Informed That
Government Has No News
of Australian.
POSSIBILITY OF RESCUE
Bulk Of Reports Are That
Aviator Was Seen Within
100 Miles Of Goal.
POSSIBILITY OF RESCUE

LONDON, May 1o.-Harry G. Hawker.
the Australian aviator, who samely
flew from St Johns, Newfoundland,
in a single motored Sopworth airplans
aiming at the coast of ireland in
desperate attempt to be the first man
to fly across the Atlantic, has failed.
That much Is certain, for the rea.
son that his plane cannot still be in
the air, and 1t has not arrived In Ire
land or England. 1t must be down in
the Atlantic.
But where it fell and whether the
aviator and his navigator, Lieut.
Commander Mackenzie Grieve of the
British Navy, were killed or have been
rescued is matter of doubt after
day Of strain and anxiety
There were rumors aplenty.
The bulk of them, If there is any
truth In them at all. indicate that
Hawker fell almost in sight of his
goal after most wonderful flight OF
1000 miles.
News Doubted by Admiralty.
One report was that his machine
, had been found in the sea forty
miles off Loop Head, al the mouth
or the river shannon. Nothing was
said about the aviators. This report
was denied later by the Admiralty,
which received notification from
the Admiral at the base at Queens
town that the report that Hawker's
machine had fallen at sea west OF
the Shannon River was considered
unreliable"
Another report sent out by the Cen.
tral News was that Hawker dropped
into the sen thirty miles from Valentia,
Off the west coast Of County Kerry
and south of Dingle Bay. This re-
port stated that the pilot was safe.
| although nothing was added concern
ing his navigator Later dispatches
tended strongly to discredit this iu-
| formation
A despatch to the Exchange Tee.
graph from Londonderry. Ireland, re.
porting Hawker ms missing says that
| destroyers have been ordered to sea
to search for him.
Lieut.. Col. Leslie Orme Wilson
| stated in the House of Commons on
behalf of the Government that the
! British Government at 9:15 o'clock
this evening had no information what
ever concerning the fate Of Hnwker.
Another wireless message quoted by
the Exchange Telegraph Company as
received at Limerick during the day
was 10 the effect that Hawker's plane
was seen in the air 400 miles on the
Irish coast. The machine appeared 10
be travelling in perfect safety.
sopwIth Reports ConhictIng
AT Brooklands. where representa-
tives OF the Sopwith Airplane Com
pany, by which concern Hawker was
employed as test pilot, gathered
the manager OF the concern stated he
had received a report at 6 o'clock
this afternoon that Hawker was $50
miles off Ireland at 4 p. NJ. This
was preceded by report that IIaw-
ker was 500 miles from Ireland at
| 3 p. NJ. One or the other OF the re-
ports must necessarily be inaccurate.
The Air Ministry announced shortly
before Z O'Clock that 1t had no con-
flrmation OF the report that Hawker
was off Ireland at in the afternoon
At various times during the day
came reports that Hawker had been
sighted at various points Off the Irish
coast and soon would land. Brook
lands particularly received many OF
these reports, for II was here that
Hnwker had declared that he would
land. A great crowd came to the field.
and among them was Mrs. Hawker,
the pilots wife, who asserted her con.
fdence that her husband would win
out long hours after he was due
During the long wait first in day.
light, then in dusk and at last in
black night, Mrs, Hawker retained heI
composure, reiterating her faith in her
husbands skill. When O'Clock came
and brought with 1t no definite word