Clipper Disaster; Oil Patch on Water; The Worst Feared

Northern Advocate, 1 August 1938, Page 5

Clipper Disaster; Oil Patch on Water; The Worst Feared

(Received noon)

MANILA. July 30. THE UNITED STATES TRANSPORT MEIGS, WHICH HAS BEEN SEARCHING FOR THE PAN-AMERICAN FLYING-BOAT HAWAII CLIPPER, MISSING SINCE YESTERDAY ON A FLIGHT FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO MANILA WITH SIX PASSENGERS AND A CREW OF 10, SENT A RADIO MESSAGE AT 5.4 G P.M. TODAY THAT SHE HAD FOUND A PATCH OF OIL 1300 FEET IN CIRCUMFERENCE ON THE SURFACE OF THE SEA IN LATITUDE 12 DEGREES 11 MINS NORTH, LONGITUDE 120 DEGREES 33 MINS EAST, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES SOUTH-EAST FROM THE POSITION LAST GIVEN BY THE CLIPPER BY RADIO.

It is described as being on the shipping lane south of the Clipper’s course.

The Meigs later sent a radio message to the War Department at Washington saying that samples of water taken from the oil spot contained both petrol and lubricating oil.

Faint Hope

The message has increased fears that the deposit came from the Clipper, because a steamship would be unlikely to leave residue containing petrol. However, it is pointed oiu that even if the oil came from the Clipper it would not necessarily prove that she had crashed and sunk, because she might have dumped both petrol and oil preparatory to making a forced landing.

Although officials of Pan-American Airways declared the finding of the oil patch was “significant but not conclusive,” virtually all hope has been abandoned, and the aeroplane is believed to be at the bottom of the ocean in one of the deepest spots in the vicinity of the Philippines, ranging down to- 5352 fathoms (nearly six miles).

Following the Trail

! The Meigs is drifting with the oil patch in the expectation of resuming the search for wreckage in the morning, when it is expected that all the j naval, air and surface searchers will j converge upon the spot, virtually comj pleting the search over the area in which the Clipper is believed to have come down.

It is expected that afterwards surface vessels numbering 14 will continue to scour the sea, while aircraft will fly over island forests on account of the possibility that the Clipper may have pancaked.