After Twelve Days.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 68, 22 April 1929, Page 7

After Twelve Days.

Lieutenant Anderson Missing Sinoe Aprii 10.

An Experienced Flier. Lieutenant KeiUi Ander.son , the mi.ssing Southern Cross seureher, who is reported to have lieen fouml' dead nortli oi Powell s creek, had heen lost t or l2 days, with liis meelianic, Alr 11. b. llitchcock, wlio is still missing. I' lying his Westlanti monopiane Kookaburra, to aid in the searcli for the Southern Cross, Lieut. Anderson left Alice Springs 011 April 10. witli Alr Hitchcock as meehanie, with the iirtention oi niaking oue jump to Wyndham, an air line of nearly 700 miles. Tlie next morning Danvin, wliich liad been in touoh witli AVyridbam bv wireless, reported tliat Wyndham lmil not beard or sqcn anything of the Kookaburra. Siniilar adviees were received from Perth. Tliere is a landing ground and also supplies of petrol at Wave Hill station, wliieli is about .300 air miles from Alice Springs. and not very far off tlie (lirect route to Wyndham. Alr John Cantor. wlio assisted in lielping tho Kookaburra to get away, stated 011 Tliursday last tliat he made inquries from Wave Hill, but tliat Anderson liad not lnnded tliere, nor had he heen board of since. Tlie fliers were said to liave been seen at Woodford, 100 miles north-wost of Alice Springs. Nortliern Territory, on April 10. They tlien liad a 600mife fiigbt ahead of tlieni to Wyndhani, largelv over a sandy desert. ()n Friday the eables flashed tbe story tliat their maehine tvas seen aiirl beard, two days later, 100 miles soutli of Wyndham. LONELY CQUNTRY. There are few more lonely stretehes of country in Australia tban tliat which lics between Alice Spriims and Wyndham. It is even more empty of settlement tlian tbe Kimberley regioii, where tbe Southern Cross and its crevv tvere. Tbe direcfc air line between the two places lies a little to tlie west of tlie overland telegraph route for nearly 100 miles. About 150 miles from Aliee Springs lies Stafford Station, from wliieli point it is over 200 miles to ihe Tanami goldficlds, wliich are slightly to the soutli of the direct air line. Tbe country between is absolutely eniptv of white settlement, and mucb of it is praetically unknown. Tn a direct line, there are over 300 miles of empty country between Stafford Station and Gordon Downs, on Sturt's Creek, tlie first out-station on tlie Wyndham side. EXPERIENCED FLIER Lieutenant Keith Anderson liad con,6iderable experience on active serviee

and in England witli tbe Royal Flying Corps. Lie is a frieml of Squadroin Lender Kiiigsford-Sniith and was one of liis original partners in tlie Pacific fiigbt venture. He went with Smitli and FliglitLieutenant Ulm to Ainerica last ycar, but returnod some timo bel'ore tlie fiigbt to Australia was made. When the Southern Cross was reported lost Anderson voliintecred to go and aid in tlie searcli and Tio left Richmond aerodrome on Sunday. April 7. He reached Aliee Springs. Soutli Australia, on Wednesday. having flown via Broken Hill and Afaree. His rourse 011 his last hop to AVyndliam lay partly over a large sandy desert.