The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-05
SEARCHERS UNABLE ID LOCATE PLANE; FIVE FEARED DEAD
Eyewitness, Flying in Another Machine, Describes Crash of Bomber in Rugged
 Country During Storm
By Associnted Press


 Charleston Va, September 4.-- Searching parties afoot and in the air today climbed or scanned from above the hills in efforts to locate two officers ard three enlisted men who late yesterday fell in an army bombing plane somewhere in the rugged country south of Poe, W. Va.
 Up to noon no word as to their fate Lad come out of the southern part of the state where Poe is situated.
 The machine, piloted by Lieut.. H. L. Speck, and carrying Lieutenant Fitz- patrick and three enlisted ncen, said tc have been Sergt. Arthur Brown of Kentucky, Corp. Alexander Hazleton of Wilmington, Del, and Private Howard of San Francisco, was trav- cling with two other planes to Lang ley Field, Va, from Charleston, when it fell.
 The three big planes were flying in formation, the ill-fated bomber leading and the others trailing as closely as the violence of the electric storm which was raging, would per- init.
 One of the men aboard plane No. 24 declared on reaching here that he had clearly seen each successive de- tail of the tragedy which fliers fear may have spelled death for all men aboard. This was Private Ryston F. Zambro of Hagerstown, Md.
 The fleet was travelling about 70 miles an hour at the time, he said.
 Storm Was Raging
 ''Flane No. , was directly in front of Us" said zambro. "and from our observations we saw that the pilot was making definite left bank with the evident intention of returning to the field in Charleston, The storm had been raging with v.gor.
 After making the bank, he went into nose dive and before he could recover. the machine was in a tail spin. For the size of the plane and her weight, her fall was compara- lively slow. The plane went straight downward.
 ''rhe country in that immediate vi- cinity is very mountainous and we circled around with the intention ot landing, but found it impossible. We glided IS far down as would permit safe flying and saw that the tail of the big machine was pointing up- ward, indicating a nose dive clear to the isroand
 The fallen airplane was known as No. 5, the others Nos 22 and 24.
 Spotted in Flames
 When No 5 was seen to make a spin, plane No. 24 Immediately all tered it's course and flying a little lower was able to spor the fallen plane, which was in flames. Those in No~24 observed several automo- headquarters. owing to the rough 22 nor No q ~as ab.A to make a landing to ii.v.stig gate.
 Besides it's own men. Maj. Daven- port Johnson, in command of the air service detachmen: here .~ con nection witt. the West Virginia troubles, enlisted large forces of citi- zcns in the vicinity of Poe, in search ..i.s .he territory where tLe men were Believed to hay. tallen. It was esti- mated that more than 400 persons were out searching and local tele- Ihoae exchanges were called upon to convey information oi The acci- dent to Various places in rhe hope or having people help in the search.
 If was sald at army headquarters tonight section of the country for 2C to 3J miles in the Vicinity of Poe Was searched during tue day.