Crevasse Hazards Braved

Evening Star, Issue 25958, 25 November 1946, Page 7

Crevasse Hazards Braved

The authorities banned interviews with the rescued, who have been made comfortable in a hospital train standing at Meiringen- station.

The Exchange Telegraph’s correspondent at Meiringen says the rescue planes landed in the centre of the glacier. Red flags marked off a level area of 60yds from the wide, deep crevasses.

Major Hitk' of the Swiss Air Force, pilot otf the Storch which brought out General Haynes, 6aid he found the Dakota deserted. He caught up with the land rescue party 3,000 ft lower. The fitst rescue party left the Dakota at 6 a.m., and tne second at 8 a.m. Both were well on their way along the glacier, and he landed on a level Btretch near th% upper rescue column. The lower column was then escorting some of the. passengers to the hut further down the glacier. The rescued, with the exception of Folsom and one of the women', who are suffering from shock, are in “ exceptionally good condition,” according to the United. States army authorities. All, however, show the effects of the ordeal ,‘of v waitin£ ;s for 'discovery arid* rescue.'

The pilots of the Storch planes, Major.. Hitz and Captain Hug, said the Dakota touched down on the snow at the angle of the slope) and skidded some distance before stopping 50ft from a huge crevasse, with crevasses on either side.

The pilot of the Dakota, Captain Tate, wore a blood-stained bandage. He explained that he hit his head on the instrument panel when he crashlanded.

. He stated in reply to questions that he ran into a heavy head wind, which blew him off his course , and into the mountains. He realised that he was in the Alps, and tried to gain altitude, but failed when caught in a down draught. - Suddenly he saw the glacier looming ahead, and made a forced landing on it. Food supplies were exhausted after November 22, after which each passenger was rationed a chocolate bar daily. They used the wooden portions of the. plane to keep fires going. The hospital train with the rescued left Meiringen for Interlaken, where the passengers will be given further medical examination. The train then goes to Vienna. The Swiss authorities had permitted 150 United States mountain troops to enter and assist with the rescue on condition that they.„left their arms at the frontier. They are believed to be the first foreign military detachment permitted to enter •. Switzerland in modem times - The soldiers were clad in Russian-type fur helmets and cloaks and were accompanied* by a convoy of trucks, ambulances, and “ weasels,” which are jeepjs with tractor treads. Brigadierrgeneral Tate paid a tribute to Swiss co-operation in the rescue operations.“ We should never have been able to do this difficult job on our own,” he said. He added that the Swiss had waived all frontier requirements and did not question the flight of planes of different nations across their territory. Eleven-year-old Alice McMahon was grinning while she vigorously chewed gum .when she descended from the Storch plane at Meiringen.