SAMOAN CLIPPER DISASTER

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22307, 22 January 1938, Page 12

SAMOAN CLIPPER DISASTER

DELIBERATE LANDING AT SEA? CAPTAIN CREDITED WITH HEROIC ACTION BISHOP'S IMPRESSION AFTER VISIT TO PAGO PAGO JTHE PRESS Special Service.] AUCKLAND, January 21. The impression that Captain E. C. Musick, knowing that the Samoan Clipper would probably explode in landing, heroically attempted to land at sea, rather than cause inestimable damage and greater loss of life by landing at Pago Pago, was gained by Bishop Kelley, of Oklahoma, who was a passenger on the Monterey, which arrived at Auckland to-day.

Bishop Kelley, who will visit Australia before returning to the Dominion tor the Catholic centenary celebrations, said that 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 the disaster," said Bishop Kelley. "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 greater disaster he performed such an act of heroism," concluded the Bishop.