The New York herald., 1921-07-03
PLANE With VIEWS
OF Fight LOST IN FOG
Forced to Alight in Fire
Island Inlet in Chase for
the ICELAND.
NEVER REACHES VESSEL
Alarm Felt for a Time for
Chief Test Pilot Zimmerman
and Kenneth Stone.

For seven hours last night every
ship at sea IN the vicinity Of New York
was searching for a powerful flying
boat carrying pictures of the Demp-
sey-Carpentier fight and piloted by
C. j. Zimmerman. chief test pilot of
the Aeromarine Plane and Motor Com
pany. Zimmerman took off from the
Morris Canal basin. Jersey City, a
few minutes before O'Clock and set
course that he calculated would
take him to the iceland, on board of
which the pictures were to have been
placed. But he ran into a fog bank,
one Of the worst ever experienced by
him and his mechanic, Kenneth Stone,
former Royal Air flyer. and was
forced to drop into Fire Island inlet.
For an hour he was lost In the air.
When he landed he was out of COM
munication with the company's head
quarters at Eshty-second street and
the Hudson River.
Zimmerman tried for several hours TO
reach his brother pilots. but was unable
to do so. He finally succeeded in notify
ing the companys Office at Keyport
N. J.
Between the time Zimmerman left the
Morris Canal basin and the hour 1t had
been expected that he would reach the
iceland no anxiety was felt for him.
When the radio messages reported the
delivery OF pictures by second plane
to the steamship Caronia--the account
of which Is related In another column
efforts were made to locate Zimmerman.
The zeeland reported that he had not
been secn- An attempt to sond oearch-
ers to sea wzs made at once.
A request wn- nwde by Major Smith,
In charge Of AsSomarine Anyways opera
tions. to ths coast guard to send ship
out TO look for tho missing plane. Major
Smith explained to Commander Reed Of
the local coast guard and 10 Executive
Officer Rideout that IL the plane had
alignted on the ocean II was likely that
Il would not ride out the night. as there
Is a heavy swell on the ocean
Wait TIL morning" was the answer
Major Smith received. he said.
When tbs flying boat left Jersey City
she had on board a full tank OF gaso-
lene, sufficient for three hours flying
or more than 200 miles. II was expected
that the pilot would piok up the iceland
when she was about thirty miles Off the
Fire Island light. about sixty or seventy
miles from this harbor. Owing TO a
delay In the conveyance Of the films
from tho ringside TO the plane the fly
ing boat started an hour later than was
plannsd. so had TO fly some distance
further II the liner was TO be overtaken.
The flying boat was big white
H.S.-2. with 400 horsepower Liberty
motor. which was In perfect condition.
The machine was large enough normally
10 carry six persons. but was travelling
light In order to make the best time
POSSIBLE out TO the liner. Both thinner
mann and stone are experienced men.
but II is feared that II they we're forced
down the heavy swell might prevent
them from getting into the air again.
on the other hand II was pointed out.
the flying boat. which few into gloomy
clouds, might possibly have turned back,
fearing a storm. and landed in some
little freQuented part OF the Long Island
coast This proved to be a fact.
Great difficulty was experienced by
another Aeronarine pilot, Deios Thom-
as. In taking off from near the Am
brose lightshfp earlier In tho afternoon
after leaving fight films with the pilot
boat New York. The heavy swells
made the undertaking a very hard one.
hut the big ship finally hoped off the
crest OF a roller.