AIRLINER DOWN IN ATLANTIC

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 101, 23 January 1939, Page 9

AIRLINER DOWN IN ATLANTIC

Landing On Rough Sea

In Storm

NEW YORK-BERMUDA

FLYING-BOAT

Dramatic Radio Report Ot Fight To Keep Aloft

Bv Telegraph. —Pres? A^n.—Copy right. (Received January 22, 6.30 p.m.)

NEW YORK, January 21

Black storm-tossed seas, streaked by flares from searching steamships and aircraft tonight, concealed the fate of Imperial Airways’ Ber-muda-bound Empire flying-boat Cavalier, which landed in the Atlantic midway between New York and Bermuda this afternoon.

With eight passengers and a crew of five aboard, the Cavalier was forced down by bad weather and engine failure, caused by ice accumulation, at 1.13 p.m. One minute after reporting a safe landing, her radio operator ended the starkly dramatic story of the fight to keep the plane aloft with one ominious word, “Sinking.

A number of aircraft, eight coastguard cutters, 12 steamships, two British destroyers, an American gunboat and the Vincent Astors’ yacht Nourmabi, raced to the rescue. One aeroplane and a steamship reached the scene at. nightfall, but could not find the machine or any survivors. It is feared that the hull of the plane was damaged while landing on the rough sea, but Imperial Airways officials believe that, as the .sea is now moderating, the survivors may ride out the night. The Cavalier's seats are designed for conversion into liferafts. A navy blimp, carrying. liferafts, jackets and Hares, is leaving Lakehurst at midnight, and nine, army “Hying fortress” bombers, similarly equipped, are taking off before dawn to comb the area. Pilots who were out tonight report hazardous conditions witli ice forming on the wings. Path to Disaster. The Cavalier’s path to disaster was recorded in the following terse messages by radio:—l2.23 p.m., “Running into bad weather; may have to land’;; 12.37 p.m., “Still in bad weatner” ; 12.57 p.m., “All engines failing. Ise. Altitude 1500 feet. Forced landing in a few minutes”; 1.7 p.m., ‘Still have two motors going; trying to get others started’ ; 1.11 p.m., “Landing now”; 1.12 p.m., “Landed okay. Switchoff. Stand Dy’.'; 1.13 p.m., “Sinking.” Nothing further was beard. It is presumed that ice in the ca run ret tors caused the engine failure. The Cavalier had been engaged in tlie New York-Bermuda service since 1037. Her veteran captain, M. Rowland Anderson. Hew in the Londou-Auoiralia service till April. Others in the allBritish crew were: Neil Richardson, first officer, Patrick Chapman, radio officer, and Robert. Spence and David Williams, stewards.

Of the eight passengers five were men and three women. Five wete Americans and three Bermudans. The Americans included the wealthy head of the New York Auction Company, Mr. J. Gordon Noakes, and his wife. He was recently honoured by a transcontinental airline for having travelled 100,000 miles in its planes. His wife was making her first flight. 10 SURVIVORS FOUND Thrilling Rescue Follows Terrible Sufferings (Independent Cable Service.) (Received January 23, 12.15 a.m.) NEW YORK, January 22. Wireless messages early this morning from Hie steamer Baytown and oilier vessels describe a thrilling rescue -and the terrible sufferings of the. survivors of the Cavalier. The Baytown is returning with leu survivors, who are in a bad way owing Io cold and exposure. Other steamers are .standing by with searchlights seeking the three oilier passengers. -

ATLANTIC SHIPPING BATTERED

Miraculous Rescues In Terrific Storms (Independent Cable Service.) NEW YORK, January 20. One ship broke in two, another lost a propeller, and several liners were badly battered in terrific midwinter storms on the Atlantic. The crew of 37 were miraculously rescued from the oil tanker Juguar, which broke in two in mid-Atlantic so suddenly that she was unable to send a distress signal. The small freighter Duala, which was apparently nearby, wirelessed that it had picked up seven of the crew from the forecastle and 30 from tlie aftersection. which remained floating. Despite tremendous seas a coastguard cutter reached the freighter Black Condor, which lost her propeller off Nova Scotia.