Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-07-16
Honolulu GYeetS
Smith and Mate
After Ocean Hop

Mololsai. Ernest l.. Smith and Emory
+. Bronte explained a. they rested
in Honolulu. their goal. today why
their radio was silent for five hours
after they sent out SOS calls and
why they continued on TO terra firma
without informing rescue ships that
they still were in the air.
When still 500 miles or more from
land. Bronte revealed. the failure of
their gasoline pump led them 10 be-
lieve their fuel was running ex-
\ trcmcly low and il caused the plane
20 lose so much altitude that their
trailing wireless antenna struck the
sea and was torn away
Start Up Again
The decrease in attitude had the
effect Of resuscitating the gasoline
pump and they shot up into the air
again and headed for land without
knowing how long they would last.
without knowing whether their calls
had been heard and uncertain or
their bearing.
Navy fliers announced they had
salvaged TIE motor and instruments
from the wrecked plane and had
found her gasoline tanks absolutely
drv
Flashes Of what was going on in
the minds Of Smith and his master
navigator AZ they fought 70 reach
land before thein gasoline supply
gave out. cropped up a. they were
acclaimed BY thousands On arriving
here. Thev sent the SOS calls "be-
cause II appeared that our gas sup
ply might give out and we were TAX
ing no chances Smith explained
Smith and Bronte distinguished
themselves as being the first civ
ilians n fly from California 10 Ha-
vail; they won a battle with un-
favorable weather. pervcrse luck and
all the natural odds that fliers face
~ crossing the sea with land planes.
They outsmarted fate by diving in-
to the tree when their last dron Of
gasoline had been used. thus fore
stalling the possibility ~ being
pinned beneath their plane IN an up
set.
From the time they left the Gold
en- Gate at III :OS a. m.. Thursday un-
I'll they were near their destination.
they saw neither land nor sea- Sew
eral times Smith reported seeing
beautiful stretches of "land" tempt
ing enough for the exhausted flicrs
70 alight upon but the sights were
only llusiOns-mirago east upon
the clouds and fog by the light Of
The moon.
From the time they dived into the
fog bank Oft the Golden Gate until
they picked the kaiwe tree against
: which TO crash their whole flight
project was a series Of difficulties.
First SOS
The climax Of their trouble came
about 5.l5 a. M, Honolulu time
tHonolulu time II l-2 hours behind
. Pacific time and. ~ hours behind
eastern daylight saving time) at
that moment they sent out their
first sos after having concluded
they had only enough gasoline to
stay IN the air another hour. They
presumably were about TOO miles
from Honolulu and 500 miles from
the nearest land.
I'VE are going u land IN the sea,
we have rubber life boat, but send
help" several ships reported them
a. saying.
Three steamers, the liner Will
hemina, the army transport Kenowis
and the steamer President Pierce,
turned off their course almost i'm
mcdiately and rushed 20 their aid.
the WIlhemina appearing ID w the
nearest OF them-apparently about
200 miles away.
Less than 30 minutes later they
sent out new call for help esti-
mating their gasoline supply suf-
\ ficient 70 last them for four hours.
Land 90 Leper Island
The plea for assistance was con-
tinucd.
Soon the wilhemina wireIessed
that the plane had settled to the wa
ter and that the ship supposedly was
about 30 miles from IL. All radis sta
tions were siienced in the hope that
\ further word would rnnr from the
monoplane's aid. None came. Wis
ions Of possible disaster forced the
ships toward the spot AZ full speed.
Then there was long silence.
Word Of their forced landing on
Molokai AZ g.56 a. m. Honolulu time
then was flashed into Honolulu.
Stunned with surprise rescuers
turned back on their courses and
! army planes shot out from Wheel
tt rlelu near mere 10 take them off
the Leper Island and bring them IN
triumph TO Honolulu.
The little monoplane which had
been groomed for weeks in anticipa-
ton of her overseas flight, thus
came 70 glorious end after battling
me elements in a sustained flight
of - hours and 35 minutes. during
which she travelled about 2.340 miles.
she was wrecked BY her plunge into
the tree. Smith hopes ~ salvage the
engine, but no more
Message Unread
Safe but still sixty miles from
their destination. Smith and Bronte
wireiessed Captain Lowell s. Smith
RI round the world flight fame. now
stationed at Wheeler Field Because
Smith was absent when the message
arrived. .it lay unread for nearly two
hours while thousands were wonder
ing what had become Of the plane
a. Smith and Bronte received the
plagdits of all Hawaii, they each
gave credit to the other for bring
inR the plane to land
Despite the fact that the planes
! receiving apparatus had broken down
Continued Oh page four.)