The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-06-08
Kingsford- Smith Expects to
Reach Australian Shores
Tonight.


BRISBANE, Australia, June 9
Saturday. 1.-The, Southern Cross
was speeding safely along the last
half of it's course from the Fiji Is
lands to Australia early this morn
ing, after riding through the worst
storms of its Pacific flight.
The f1iers reported their position
by radio to Sydney as 49S miles
out from Brisbane at a. m. Sat-
urday.
Cali is WE'LL" the message said.
1--WE are making good time now.
The weather is fine"
For the first few hours out OF
Suva the plane encountered per-
feet flying conditions. The only
difficulty during that stage of the
flight was trouble with the radio
generator.
Brisbane Prepares Welcome
Brisbane, the final goal of his con-
tinent-to-continent flight, made
ready to welcome Capt. Charles
Kingsford-Smith and his three COM
rades as the greatest heroes of
the hour
The sturdy silver winged plane,
which left the Fiji Islands this
afternoon, was expected to reach
the shores Of Australia at $3.50 a.
m. Saturday $3.50 p. m. Friday,
E. D. 10 1t left Suva, Fiji Islands,
at 2:55 p. m. d0:55 p. m. Thurs
day, E. D IT,.
Friday night, long before the hour
Of arrival, hundreds began f1ocking
to the landing field to greet the four
air adventurers, as they end their
triumphal 7,351-mile journey across
the sea.
Short Hop to Sydney
After their arrival here, only
500-mile land hop to Sydney lies
ahead of Captain Kingsford- Smith,
Capt Cha-les T. P. Ulm, Navigator
Harry Lyon and Radio Operator
James Warner.
One of the greatest Homecoming
celebrations in the country's history
awaits the two idolized Australian
pilots and their American COM
panions.
All Government stations, by spe-
cial order, were standing by for
signals from Radio Operator
Warner, and thousands of amateur
operators along the coast sat a..
their posts, listening for word of the
planes progress.
Calls for 1OO-MiIe Speed
Captain Kingsford- Smith expected
to make the flight from Suva to
Brisbane in nineteen or twenty
hours, he said That would call for
an average speed of 95 TO 100 miles
an hour.
But since the gasoline load was
much lighter than On the two
previous Pacific jumps, it was be-
lieved the Southern Cross would
have no trouble adhering to the
faster schedule. The fuel tanks had
908 gallons when the ship took off
from Naselai beach,. where it had
been delayed a day.
The first message received from
the plane showed the JOY with
which the two Australians were an
ticipating the return to their home
land.
Trouble With Compass
They reported that they had
trouble with one of their COM
passes, but refused to worry about
it." The radio generator also went
bad, but their messages did not stop.
Apparently they we're using reserve
batteries.
"Please thank all those who sent
us cables of congratulation at Homo
lulu and Suva," one Of the messages
said. "We have not been able to
thank them individually. We are
happy as larks up here. Cheerio."
Perfect weather favored the fliers
as the huge Fokker plane roared
over the last ocean leg of it's long
voyage. The Australian govern
ment took every precaution for the
safety of the f1iers in event Of a
forced landing at sea.
The destroyer Anzac was ordered
to cruise along the planes course.
All ships at sea Immediately were
notified Of the take-of and asked
to stand by if an emergency should
arise.