The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-20
FLIGHT TO LISBON MAY BEGIN
TODAY If WEATHER IS GOOI
Daring Attempt
Of Harry Hawker
Ends in Disaster
Arplane Drops From Air Ten
Miles Of Mouth of the Shan
non-Hope Held for Rescue
of Men


london. May 20--tTucsday)--
Harry Hawkcr'=. daring attempt
To claim for britain the laureIs Of
the first mir flight across the At
Iantic frsTn America to Europe.
has ended In disaster.
Shortly nfter six o'clock, New
York timc). the admiralty made
the announcement that tho Sop
+ with plane Lad been forced TO
make n STA landing on the Irish
coast. forty miles on tho mouth of
the Shannon,
Up to that hour London had
bcen praying for miracle. that
sone how both Hawkcr and Lieu
tie n n Commander Mckenzie
Gricve. hts navigator. might alicht
either In Ireland or at Brook
lands View London Is only pray.
Ing that Hlwkcr AMI C.rieve may
he alive.
Hope ~ winning tho fight has
heen abandoned.
Out of thu oceans mystery only two
clews give hope for the safety of the
aviators--two code messages caught
by the admiralty wireless at the Liz
ard. manifestlv sent ont hv an aero
nlane at Al 3 and 4:.4a. e. NJ. and re-
layed by ships hut tantal;zin gfv blind.
The messages as received "Kui"
ard "Vkai" are the. undecpherabl BILE
messages either At the air ministry or
atrhe Sopwsth- afs1ees~EsrIxi In the
evening. J. \. Finn. London manager
of The Sopwith bureau Of operations
at the air ministry. said to Universal
Service:
We believe Fawker has been forced
n descend a few hundred miles off
the coast 1T Ireland because of lack
30 ~
the intention 10 descend probably have
been bungied in transmission. They
have every hone Of his rescue by sun
set"
Mrs. Havs-r wife ~ tho aviator.
had gone To Brooklands Field TO
await his arrival early in the after
noon and WAS there when news was
received that he had heen forced to
land in the ocean OF the Irish coast
WITS BRAvE WORDS
God will protect my man" she
back the ears. If te is lost II was
against big odds. NJ man could do
more
After waiting awhile without re-
ceiving any further things, Mrs. Haw-
ker returned 20 her home in Surbi-
ton. suburb Of London, where she
had left her little daughter in the care
of nurse.
Warships were Immediately rushed
10 the aid ct the aviators bur up TO
! o'clock this morning no trace OF
the plane fai been found. despite the
use of wr4less. search lights and
flares. Tn search, il was announced
had turned south towards Dingle Say.
Earlier in III" evening il had been an
nounced that Hawker had landed 100
miles off Dirgle Bay,
News of tic aviatnr's misfortune
coused great depression in London
whore crowds had remained around
fhe newspaper offices ~ Monday af-
ternoon and evening waiting for news
Of the progress of the fight,
Hawker had been in the air ahost
twenty nine hours at 'he time he was
reported TO have been forced down.
II is considered likely that lack Of
fuel made the landing necessary
Hawker, Il waa known. had counted
upon making he fight in a little more
than twenty hours AMI may not have
carried sufficient fuel for a longer
flight
HAWkER DARING PILOT
Harry G., Hawker. whose trans At
lantis flight in ore-engined Sop
with plane has ended In disaster off
the Irish cast has lan. been known
as one of thu most daring pilots in
the British service.
He is tn holder of tho worlds rec
ord for altitude having made an as
cent Of approximately 20 o0a feet in
March. Just before ne started for New
Foundland IL prepare for the Atlantic
flight,
In competition for the Daily Mail
(Ccntinued on Page Two.)