New-York tribune., 1922-03-24
Six i'm Air Boat
Missiilns; s; as Gale
Sweeps Florida
seaplane Left Miami Cor
the Bahamas Wednesday,
Morning, but Failed To
Make Port; Flight 45 Miles
Big Fleet Now Searching
Some Hope Felt That Pleas
ure Seekers Found Shell
ter in Friendly Inlet
sneolal ptsra.ch 70 TIC 7L.Lb.me


MIAMI. Fla, March % Six persons
,,r n1ssing on the flying beat MISS
>iian1i, which left here yesterday morn
ing for Bimini Bahama Islands forty
five miles away and never made port.
A search orrarized this incoming with
four airplanes. a destroyer and several
cruiser launches failed to find any
trace Of the missing craft, although the
traffic lane between the islands and the
mainland was gone over thoroughly. A
gale and heavy rain are sweeping the
ocean tonight and aviation experts
here doubt whether the Miss Miami
could weather such storm unless tied
up in some -of-the-way key. The
search will be resumed tomorrow with
additional planes and SHIPS.
Aboard the Miss Miami when she left
iere were August Bulte. SIXTY years
Old. vice president Of the Larabee Flour
Mills Corporation Of Kansas CITY. and
his wife; Lawrence +. Smith, Gfty-two.
president and general manager OF the
smith Gresves Printing Company. Of
Kansas City, and his Wife; Mrs. j. <.
Dickson wife Of the head Of lumber
company in Memphis, Tenn, and Rob
ert Moore, pilot.
Winds halt the Search
The searching party covered an
area OF approximately 250 square miles.
The presumption here is that the Miss
Miami was forced to land at sea on
account of engine trouble. Although
she had rockets aboard for use in case
Of emergency none Of the score Of
steamships passing that way to-day re
ported seeing any signals.
Roland Rohlfs, holder of the worlds
altitude record for flying boats. is
directing the search. Among the flyers
cooperating with him are Captain
David McC ullough. Who drove the NC-3
OIL her transatlantic voyage ". X.
Vanderbilt. on his way to Nassau in
his yacht Eagle, Is taking circuitous
route in order TO search for the Mis-
Miami among the keys.
The searching parties were them
selves driven to shelter tonight by the
y.Sing winds and rain, and express the
belief that the only hope for the Miss
Mani hes in the possibility that she
landed far out Of the traffic lane and
has reached the harbor OF some KEY tin
thc storm passes.
The radio .tao.on hcre was in touch
Win eleven vessels. warming them to be
or the lookout for the Mss Miami. bat
- ray Of hope has been received from
an source. One report from Jupiter.
fo.t> niles north, said q plane had been
seea here, but It is believed that it
"a not the Miss Miami.
Never Reached the Bahamas
fe hrst word Of the nying boats
!, =.
N'.G from Bimini which reported that
te d .ss Miami had not arrived in the
Baha, As. She left here at 11:30 g. m.
Ggd wcs due in Bimini at 12:45. A snip
w. sent to Bimini at once TO C. eek up
the report and returned at dawn to
announce that the Miss Miami was
missing.
G'ho Miss Miami incident is the
second Of its kind TO occur here within
,a. asst three months.
Oh January IL the flying boat New
YJt5 set out for pjmini With three
rns ncers, pilot and mconanican. She
'.- iorced down in the Gulf Stream
and drifted helpless'y for day. rln-
ey her crew manaoc Cd to paddle her
into Great Esaacs LIGHT, forty miles
north OF the main island, after har
wing experience.
KANSAS CITY. March 23.-Mr. and
Mrs August J. Rulte and Mr.. and Mrs
Lawrence Z. Smith, members of the
fying boat party missing in Galf Of
Mexico waters, left here March Z for
Florida and Cuba, relatives said to-
day.
According to Harold Smith, son,
tnis is the first trip for pleasure ever
taken by his father Tho son said nc
had telegram from Mr.. Smith ycster-
day morning. but that nothing was
I'D about a flying boat trip. Both
t'e Smith and Butte families arc soci-
aILy MelI known herc.