LOSS OF CLIPPER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 87, 22 January 1938, Page 9

LOSS OF CLIPPER.

CAPTAIN MUSICK’S ACTION

GREATER DISASTER AVERTED. ll'er Press Association.) AUCKLAND, January 21. The impression that Captain Musick, knowing that the Samoan Clipper would probably explode in landing, heroically attempted to alight at sea rather than cause inestimable damage and greater loss of life by landing at Pago Pago, was gained by Bishop Kelly, of Oklahoma, who was a passenger in the Monterey, which arived at Auckland to-day. Bishop Kelly said he gathered the impression that Captain Musick had acted in such a heroic manner, when the Monterey called at Pago Pago. “Pago Pago was stirred to tears by tlio said Bishop Kelly; When the ship called there the gloom that the disaster had caused was manifest, and Captain Musick and his officers were deeply mourned by the population.” The Marist Fathers, who have a mission station at Pago Pago, saw the doomed ship coming back as though it were going to land there,” he added. Captain Musick had signalled that he was coming in, but when the Marist Fathers last saw the Clipper it was disappearing behind the mountains. They did not see the disaster, as any further view was obscured by the mountains.”

It was suggested that Captain Musick must have feared an explosion would follow in landing, and to avoid a greater disaster ho performed such an act of heroism, concluded the Bishop. Officers and passengers on the Monterey state that while everyone in Pago Pago was profoundly shocked by the fate of the Samoan Clipper, officers of Pan-American Airways and the United States Navy were extremely reticent regarding the investigations already made. An order had even been issued confiscating all photographs bearing on the disaster.