Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-07-16

steamers about 700 miles east OF Hon
olulu.
The first word came out of town of
Kaunakaki, on the eastern shore OF
Molokai, when a message was sent to
Captain Lowell Smith here telling OF
the fliers' safety.
In the meantime the vessels Will
helmina, President Pierce and the
army transport Kenowis, reported they
were rushing toward the point indi-
Gated by Bronte in his las5 message
as the vicinity of forced descent be-
cause of depleted gasoline supply.
Preparations were started at Wheel
er Field, the armys airport 20 miles
from Honolulu to send out the giant
Fokker used by LieutenantS Lester j.
Maitland and Albert Hegenberger in
their recent flight from Oakland to
Hawaii.
Then, just as the S. S. Wilhelmina
advised land stations she was within
16 miles of the position designated by
Bronte and expected to pick up the
fliers within an hour word was receiv-
ed here that the fliers filed radio
message at MoloRai reading forced
landing near radio station, both O. K.
Send someone for us. Notify others we
are OK"
1t was believed here that when
Bronte broadcast his SOS at 5:15 a. m.
Honolulu time GAS a. m. Pacific
tine) he miscalculated his distance
from the nearest land.
Bronte gave latitude and longitude
indicating the plane was about 500
miles northeast of Paia. Frantic calls
for help were received by the land
stations and the government order
ed all radio stations Silenced so that
the plane be heard by all ships.
AT 7:45 a. H., Pacific time, alter
receiving the word from Bronte that
Eve are going to land in the sea,
We have rubber life boat but send
help" there was no further messages
and the Wilhelmina advised land
stations thta the plane had landed
at sea and that she was going to
the aid of the filters.
Four and half hours later, dur
ing which time no word was received
from the fliers, the nonoplane City
OF Oakland landed on the Island OF
Molokai, crashing into a tree.
Messages received of the fliers from
Kaunakaki this afternoon we're in
consistent with Brontes appeal for
help III that they quoted Smith as
telling a mutual telephone company
operator that his plane did not run
out of gasoline. This strengthened
+, the belief that Bronte must have
nliscalculated his distance to the
! nearest land.
1t did not explain, however, the
silence between the time the last
i call for aid was sent out by Bronte
and the time the plane landed.
/! Smith and Bronte started their
! flight from Oakland, Calf, 10:40 a.
M, (Pacific time) Thursday after
making one false start and nearly
wrecking the plane by striking
rut along the edge of the runway.
The plane Strengthened out over
/ San Francisco for Hawaii at 11:08
| a. m. (P. ID
Bronte sent out hourly messages
on his small radio set, telling OF a
sea of fog stretched out below the
plane as far as eye could reach. Al
2 p. IN. he said I'VE hope to run out
of it soon
| The planes radio receiving set was
reported con the bum" at 2:30 p. m.
The first steamer to report hear
| ing the planes messages was the
steamer Manoa, about $50 miles out
of San Francisco at 3:45 D. m.
| Land radio stations received WORD
regularly from the plane until 7:45
a. M, Thursday at which time the
planes position was estimated tc be
j 725 miles out from San Francisco,
and it's average speed up to then
! figured at 81 miles an hour.
Then there was silence until 3 q.
M, when the steamer Wilhelnlina,
| 1850 miles out of San Francisco, anc
the army transport, Kenowis, 700
miles out of San Francisco, reported
hearing Bronte's signals. The ships
said they COULD not read the mess
\, ages because it was took Weas.
At 4 a. M (P. .TD the steamer
Wahiwa reported the plane $50 miles
from Honolulu at 2:57 a. nl
The first S. o. S. call from the
plane was received by ships at 6:l3
a. m. Up. T) the message re-
laved from the ships said that the
plane had put an hours supply OF
gasoline and was 700 miles from the
nearest land.
About half hour later another S.
O. S. call was received from the plane
correcting the first report to say that
there was fuel enough aboard to fly
four hours and repeating the call for
help.
At 6:2O a. m. (PT) the steamer Will
helmina, then 200 miles from the posi-
ton given by Bronte, reported that it
had started to the aid of the airmen.
The Wilhelmina estimated the planes
point of descent at 500 miles north
east of Paia.
RESTRAIN REFERENDUM
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