Evening star., 1930-06-24
SOUTHERN CROSS
IS HALF WAY over
Everything Going Well, Radio
Messages From Plane Say
After Passing Ships.
Continued From First page.)

ern Cross was at APT am. (lo:27 pm,
e. S. T., Monday. Although loaded to
capacity with gasoline the big ship
raced 1000 yards down the runway and
then rose gradually. It circled Port
Marnock, which is miles northeast of
Dublin, once and then turned west
ward toward Galway and the open
ocean.
Ten thousand spectators witnessed
the departure, cheering frantically as
the plane left the ground. Among
the American Minister, Frederick A..
Sterling, and Mrs. Sterling.
Ahead of the ship at its departure lay
q course of 1884 miles to New York.
Avoids UnIucky Number.
The airmen expected trip Of about
"a hours, which would bring them to
New York at about 8:27 am. (E. S. T)
Wednesday. The ships tanks were
loaded with 1928 gallons of gasoline
2 gallons less than capacity in order to
escape the unlucky numeral l3-which
would be sufficient for 38 hours fight.
Capt. Kingsford-Smith considered the
margin sufficient for most contingencies.
The westward flight to New York
never before has been made, although
tried frequently from various parts of
Europe. In the Spring of 1928 the
airplane Bremen did complete a west
ward North Atlantic cross from Bal
donnel Airfield, near here, to Greenly
Island, lonely spot on the coast of
Labrador, but it fell short of its goal,
New York. Aboard the Bremen was
Col. James Fitzmaurice. an IriShman,
and two Germans, Capt. Hermann
E1Innnfn16
Romance few with Capt. Kingsford-
Smith If his flight is successful he
will give up ventureSome long-distance
attempts and marry Miss Mary Powell
a pretty 24-year-old Irish girl of Mel
bourne, Australia. whom he met a year
ago on a boat going down to the Anti
podeS from Vancouver. They fell in love
with each other almost at first sight and
became engaged. Save to few friends
their engagement was not revealed until
few days ago.
Will Manage Company.
Capt. Kingsford-Smi said then that
II successful on this trip he would never
fly the Southern Cross again, but would
settle down to the less hazardous work
of managing a commercial aviation
company in Australia which he and
Charles Ulm, a companion in the
transpacif1c flight of two years ago, al
ready are associated.
Capt. Kingsford-Smith already is an
aviator of more than ordinary achieve
ment. On May 81, 1923, with Ulm and
two Americans, Harry w. Lyon and
Hawaii and thence to Australia by way
of the Fiji Islands, which when COM
pleted June 10, after 1900 miles and
about 3212 hours of flying, brought
him many decorations.
An attempted record flight to Eng
land from Australia last year almost
ended disastrously when the Southern
Cross was forced to land in the desolate
mud fats of the bush country near Fort
George Mission. Twelve days elapsed
before the flyers were found, in the
course of one of the most extensive
searches by air in the history of avia-
ton.
Reconditioning the Southern Cross
they took off again for England from
Sydney, and this time were successful,
reaching Croydon. distance of about
10000 miles in 1914 days, breaking the
16-day record set by Bert Hinkler two
years ago.
The weather ahead Of the flyers to-
day was most propitious. there was a
clear sky and at the start a five-mile
southeast breeze behind them. Predic-
tions were for continued fine weather,
although headwinds, as usual on an
east-to-west flight, were to be ex-
pected.
Party in High Spirits.
For a half hour before the start of
the plane its engines roared so loudly
that conversation was impossible. Hand
shakings and gestures alone marked the