The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-27
8 DEAD, SEAPLANE
LOST, IN COLLISION
Patrolling Air Craft Crash in
Dense Fog IL Miles OFF
Fire Island Light.
ONE DEsCENDs SAFELY
Mine Swcepcrs Search in Vain
for Wrecked Machine and
Bodies of Crew.

In a dense fog. which was settling
over the Long Island coast, two, navy
seaplanes crashed head on in fight.
twelve miles Off Fire Island lishtship,
at O'clock Saturday evening. and three
navy airmen fell to their deaths in the
first collision that has occurred In ac-
tive service since the planes were as
signed the task OF hunting the German
undersea raiders that have been OPP
Grating of the Atlantic coast.
All of the men who lost their lives
were In one seaplane. The other slipped
gracefully into a tail spin. and its pilot.
Ensign II. Stevens. made successful
landing on the water. Immediately he
waters near the scene of the accident,
but apparently the second plane plunged
deep into the mud without any Of It's
three occupants having the slightest
chance to free himself.
The pilot who lost his life was En-
sign Donald c. Pero of Springfield.
Mass. With him were w. c. Jaegel.
chief machinist's mate. 1885 Southern
Boulevard. New York. and F. A. New
man. machinist's mate. first class. Buff
falo.
Mine sweepers Hunt for Bodies.
Only meagre details OF the accident
were furnished by the Navy Depart
ment which made known the fact that
mine sweepers still are searching the
waters for the wrecked plant and the
bodies Of the men.
The accident occurred within short
distance OF the spot where the cruiser
San Diego hit a mine in July and sank,
many of her crew losing their livee.
Only a short distance away, also. a
raiding U-boat two weeks ago torpedoed
and sank the Norwegian steamship
Sommerstad, which was under charter
to the United States Shipping Board.
1t is assumed that both eaplanes when
the accident occurred were patrolling the
coast as part OF the aerial guard that
has been maintained in that vicinity ever
since the raiders made their appearance
Following is the official statement from
the Navy Department:
"A seaplane was wrecked apd the
crew of three are missing as a result OF
a collision with another plane about I
south southeast of Fire Island light ves-
sci in a fog.
One Plane Towed to Port.
Following the collision both planes
went into tail spin. The one COM
manded by Ensign II. Stevens landed i'm
mediately and for forty minutes searched
for the survivors OF the other plane. but
found no trace OF any Of the crew. En-
sign Stevens's plane was later towed
safely into port
The other plane, commanded by En-
sign Donald c. Pero, went straight down
after the collision and disappeared. The
other two members Of the crew, who are
missing. are w. G. Jaegel. chief ma
chinist mate. and F. A Newman. ma
chinist mate. first class.
Mine sweepers and patrol vessels
searched the vicinity for the missing
men,
Ensign Pero was % years old. a son
OF Mr.. and Mrs. George F. Pero, and
enlisted in the naval aviation service
while in his first year at Massachusetts
Institute Of Technology. He completed
his training at the Navy Training School
at Miami. Fla. His brother. Joseph.
is a photographer in the naval aviation
service
Jaegel quit his studies in the me
chanical engineering department at Cor
nell University and enlisted in the Naval
Reserve the day after this country en-
tered the war, his father and mother.
Mr.. and Mrs. William C. Jaegel. said
last night. At college he gained con-
siderable reputation as a football player
and all round athlete.
Recently Jaegel was stationed at Fort
Tilden. but had qualified for A commits
sion as an ensign and had been noti-
fed that he soon would be transferred
to another part Of the Atlantic coast
where a navy aviation station was to
be established. He was "a years old.