The New York herald., 1922-08-24
SHIP AND AIRPLANE
ELUDE SEA SEARCH
Airmen Saved by Supposed
Rum Runner Fail to EX-
plain Mystery.
CHANGE STORY A BIT
Say Rickety Dory Wasn't
Swamped, Rum Skipper Took
1t Back After Landing.

The nameless schooner that succored
the crew of the seaplane Ambassador
H. off Long Beach on Sunday and the
crippled seaplane itself. which is reputed
to be adrift somewhere on the Atlantic,
continue to be paired in a minor mys-
terry of the sea. No one has sighted
either.
Prohibition agents. who suspect that
the schooner Is rum runner, have not
carried out their announced purpose Of
having talk with the crew of the
plane, W. L. Miller and Harold Thomp-
son. and with Bernard L. Smith. gen.
eral manager of the company employ
ing them, Aeromarine Always. Inc.
John d. Appleby, zone enforcement chief,
said last night he had been so busy
in Newark that he had not had time to
invite the three men in for consulta-
tion. He said he might do so to-day If
his other work permitted.
". s. Robinson n Mystery Too.
Miller and Thompson, who carried as
far as Albany on Tuesday two passen-
gers bound for Saratoga. swere back at
their landing place near West Eighty
second street yesterday Certainly they
have not disappeared. But their pas
senger on the unlucky Long Island fight
of Sunday-"V. S. Robinson of Pitts
burgh" he signed himself-is undiscov-
erabe.
General Manager Smith of the air
plane company reported yesterday that
diligent search for the Ambassador ii.
was being made by the Coast Guard.
Guard headquarters at the Custom
House. said he had not been informed
of any continuing search.
Two Coast Guard vessels cruised for
the seaplane on Tuesday, but not finding
her went on their way. Major Smith
felt sure, he said that when the plane
was found everything about it, including
the damaged machinery and the Very
signaling pistol with two cartridges dis
charged, would substantiate the story of
the crew of the accident which caused
them to drop to the ocean and ride the
waves until the strange schooner picked
them up. In the story Of the subse-
quent events Major Smith corrected one
detail He said that the ships dory in
which the airmen and their passenger
Il
vas not abandoned there, as before re-
lated, but that one of the schoonsr's 5
crew accompanied the seaplane party
tc shore and then rowed back to the
schooner. According to the original mar
rative the captain OF the schooner gave
his guests rickety old dory to go to
Long Beach in, and when it swamped
near shore they waded to safety ana
abandoned 1t. This, Major Smith said
he learned from Pilot Miller yesterday.
was a mistake.
Seen Last at Long Beach.
Major Smith has not heard from ".
s. Robinson of Pittsburgh" He says.
however. that persons unknown to him.
te,ephoning on Monday. when the plane
was missing. reported that they had a
friend named Robinson who had been
talking of going up in a seaplane. 1t
was agreed that this man must have
been v. s. Robinson. Pilot Miller and
tic mechanician, Thompson, say they
last saw Robinson at the Hotel Nassau
Long Beach, and he told them he was
going to Atlantic City and rejoin his
friends.
A gray seaplane of an old model
buoyed off West Eighty-second street. Is
exciting the interest Of aviators. Major
Smith says that it appeared about two
weeks ago. and he heard 1t was for sale
for $4,000 and later that some one had
bought Il A man aboard the plane yes
terday said he was the pilot, j. II. De
Nett, and that the owner was a company
known as New York Always.