Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-16
NUNGESSER SEARCH
PRESSED FORWARD
Quebec May Send Plane to
Investigate Mystery Lights
in NorthIand.

By the Associated Press.
QUEBEC, June 16.-Definite steps
to clear up rumors, which thus far
have. proved groundless, that the miss
ing French aviators Nungesser and
Coli had been found alive and to de.
ternaine definitely the source of vari.
Gus flares and distress signals report.
ed north Of the Saguenay River. were
being taken today by the authorities
here.
Searching parties are now reconnoit-
ering the entire district in which the
flares were reported to have been
seen Sunday night and other sections
nearby where other signals also have
been observed, the latest being flashes
reported in the Lake st. John district
last night coming from the direction
of st. Germain township.
May Utilize Planes.
1t Is believed that airplanes will
have to be called into service to help
straighten out the situation and it is
thought likely that a government
plane, which is now stationed at Lake
st. John will leave for the St. Ger
main and Begin townships sometime
today.
Last nights reports that the French
aviators had been found caused much
excitement in Quebec and it was sew
eral hours before the report could be
followed up and found erroneous.
The message was received from Ed
ward Blais, an accountant for Price
Bros. at River Bend, by his mother,
Mrs. Blais of this city. The message
said that Nungesser and Coli had been
reported found at noon. At River
Bend it was learned that there was
nothing definite in the report. but the
general story there ran that the
aviators had been found alive on the
north bank of the Shipshaw River.
Report Proves False.
Blais was reached over the long
distance telephone and said that he
had discovered that the report was
without foundation and that it had
been brought to River Bend by a
forest worker who had proved unre-
liable. Blais said that when he had
first heard the report he thought it
correct and sent the news to his
mother in good faith. On finding that
it was erroneous, he sent a telegram
to this effect.
In the course of investigation into
the report information was received
from two sources telling of further
efforts to find trace of the missing
aviators. The messages were re-
ceived by Avila Bedard, assistant
chief of the provincial forestry serv-
ice.
One message was from Eudore
Racine. a forestry engineer of Chicou-
timi. stating that observers on towers
on the rivers Ferland and Mendache
had seen flashing lights Tuesday
night which appeared to be floati
on the waters of the Perinbonk River.
The message said that instructions
had been issued to the observers to
report further.
Plane Reported Heard.
This was followed by another mes
sage to Mr.. Bedard from Bagotville,
stating that George Brousseau, "a
trapper, who had just arrived there,
reported hearing a sound like that of
an airplane on the evening of May 8,
the day after the take-off of the
French plane from LIE Bourget. The
night was very foggy, he said, but
while near the st. Marguerite River,
he clearly heard the throbbing of a
motor in the air. He expressed the
opinion that it was going in north
erly direction.
Mr.. Bedard, discussing reports that
flares had been stolen from the
Roberval Air Station and that they
were being used to perpetrate a hoax.
said this morning that he had re.
ceived no such report from the air
station, and that he believed the story
of the theft of flares to be absolutely
untrue"