Evening star., 1924-08-02
Smith and Wade Return to
KirkWaIl - Movement of
Companion Cast in Doubt
by Varying Messages
560-MILE HOP STARTED
AFTER TWO-DAY DELAY
Have Trouble in Getting Away
Today, Then Travel But 60
Miles When Heavy Weather
Balks Progress-Faroes Await
Arrival With Interest.
By the Associated Press.

by the As~OclaVeO frpSs.
KIRKWALL. Scotland, August q
Lieut.. Eric Nelson and his mechanic
ian, Lieut.. John Harding. jr., in the
Army airplane New Orleans. were be-
lieved here this afternoon to be max
ing a lone attempt to reach Iceland in
the first leg of the American world
flyers transatlantic flight.
The attempt of Lieut.. Lowell H.
Smith, the flight commander, to lead
the world flyers to Hornafjord, Ice
land, the first scheduled halt on the
trip across the Atlantic, was frus-
trated by heavy fog which lay in
the path of the flyers north of the
Orkneys.
Trapped by Weather.
Lieut.. Smith in the Chicago. and
Lieut.. Leigh Wade in the Boston.
were trapped by the fog when only
60 miles from here, after late start
this morning, and were forced to turn
about and return to their base in
Houton Bay.
Lieut.. Nelson. in the New Orleans,
became separated from his leader and
supposedly took another course out
of the trap, continuing his flight to
Iceland.
Nelson had more petrol and oil than
was necessary to carry him to Ice
land, even though he wasted a guam
tity of it searching for his colleagues.
He was under orders to continue the
flight under such conditions unless
his commander signaled otherwise.
Separated in Fog.
Lieuts. Smith and Wade returned to
kirkwall at 11:20 o'clock Their ma
chimes flew over Kirkwall and a
message from Lieut.. Smith was drop
ped reading: Send a message to the
Richmond that We all became sepa-
rated in the fog and that Wade and
] have returned. Have not seen Nell
son since we became separated on
the course, 25 miles from Birsay."
Lieut.. Smith expressed his belief
that Lieut.. Nelson was continuing on
to Iceland.
Two Are Reunited.
The fight commander said that just
after clearing the Orkneys the three
planes plunged into dense fog, ex-
tending up 5000 feet. The flyers
avoided it by lodging eastward. but
were soon trapped in another and
thicker fog. The flyers Immediately
lost sight o. each other, but Smith and
Wade, turning eastward, came together
in clear space 25 miles off Birsay in
the Orkneys.
They searched half an hour for
Lieut. Nelson and then abandoned the
hunt TO seek for the Richmond in or
der to drop message bag. The Rich
mond was hidden in another fog Off
the West Orkneys, and they gave nm
th1s effort and returned over Kirkwau.
dropping their message and then an>
choring in Houton Bay.
Richmond in Search.
Lieut.. Smith and Lieut.. Wade. after
they returned to Houton Bay. an
chored in safe position and were
taken ashore by fishermen.
"hen they landed Maj. H. c. David
son, who is in charge of the Houton
Nay base. ordered the Richmond
which left to follow the fyers. to
ne told the cruiser to return to Hou-
ton Bay if it was advised of the safe
ty of the flyer
Ihe Richmond's position when che
stopped was about 80 miles soutb ~
Birsay, off the coast
Lieut.. Smith reported to Mai. David
son that he took the decision TO re-
turn rather than run the risk of trv.
ing to get through the fog while fv-
ing In formation. He explained that
the fog appeared to extend all along
ehe route reaching from the water up
to 5000 feet.
The specific reason for the aban-
donment, Lieut.. Smith declared. was
the danger of colliding with Lieut..
"ade's plane during the search for
Lieut.. Nelson's plane.
Hoped For Fair Weather.
The flyers got away from KirkwaIl
at 9:27 with strong hopes of favor
able conditions for the 560-mile flight
to Iceland. The two days of delay
due to fog conditions all along the
route to their first landing in Iceland
had caused the airmen to become i'm
patient. and Lieut.. Smith said that if
the weather favored them he hoped
their next lengthy stop would be at
Boston. where the pontoons would be
changed for wheels.
The reports from the destroyers
stationed at the Farce Islands and or
Iceland carry today said the fog had
dispersed, that the visibility was
from seven to nine miles and that
there was little wind. There was only
the merest ripple on the water when
the three planes, led by the flight
commander. in the Chicago. TAXED out
of the little sheltered cove at Houton