Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-07
SEARCH FOR 7. A. 7.
PLANE LEADS GRAF |
INTO OLD MEXICO
DesoIate Regions of Southern
California Also Are Being
Thoroughly Combed.
RAILROAD MAN REPORTS
SEEING DISTRESSED SHIP
Aerial Armada Covers so, 1000 Miles.
Lindberghs Leave st. Louis
for Winslow.

Py the Associated Press.
WINSLOW, Ariz., September Two
desolate, widely separate regions--one
in Southern California and the other
in Old Mexico-todav commanded the
attention of searchers for the lost liner
City of San Francisco.
Southern California searchers seized
upon an unconfirmed report that a tri-
motored plane, flashing its lights on and
of. was seen over the Providence Noun
tains. miles north of Bagdad, At 6
pm. last Tuesday.
The report, coming through Santa Fe
Railroad Offices and quoting James L.
Shocks. a section foreman, said the
plane appeared to have been losing
altitude. Shocks declared the plane
passed from his sight and apparently
landed. but that he was not sure. The
sound OF the motors ceased, he said
but whether the engines stopped OF
whether the plane had gone beyond his
hearing he was unable to say.
Right Plane Doubted.
Some doubt was expressed by search
ers that Shocks has seen the City OF
San Francisco. They thought he may
have sighted one of the planes which
flew over the area near Bagdad. Tues
day afternoon hunting for the wrecked
racing craft of Mai John Wood.
Several points in the report, however
aroused the searcherS to action. So faI
as known, no tri-motored plane partici-
pated in the hunt for Woods ship, and
little If any flying WIS done over the
Providence Mountains in search for the
racer.
1t was pointed out that the missing
air liner, piloted by J. B. Stowe. had a
six-hour supply Of gasoline when il
left Albuquerque and that the time
noted by Shocks was about six hours
after the plane left the New Mexico
city for Winslow on its way to Los
Angeles. The air liner had cruising
speed of 110 miles an hour. Bagdad
Is about 500 miles west of albuquerque
ss the crow flies
Searchers believed that inasmuch as
Stowe did not land at Winslow he
might have reached as far West as
the vicinity of Bagdad before exhaust
ing his fuel. The plane was last seen
at Grants. N. Mex, somewhat of its
course and heading southwark.
Two Planes Searching.
Two planes from Cotton. Calf. were
assigned to fly over the Providence
Mountain area on the strength of
Shocks story. Shocks said he had
been in the desert for several days and
did not know that the air liner was
missing until he saw newspapers yes
terday.
Stories of three persons along the
international border near Columbus,
N. Mex. sent two newspaper men about
so miles into the almost inaccessible
border country of Chihuahua where a
strange airplane was reported to have
been sighted south of the line about
pm. Tuesday. This area is some 200
miles south of the place where the
City of San Francisco was last seen on
its flight toward Winslow
Although the aerial armada searching
for tie sky liner scanned about 0,000
square miles of territory in Arizona and
New Mexico yesterday without finding
a trace of the plane, the ships were
destined for more work over that re-
gion.
81 Planes Searching.
Twenty-seven planes were at the
Winslow airport and there were 20 at
Kingman. Ariz., including 10 naval
planes. Three Army planes were re-
ported at Barstow. Calf, en- route to
Winslow. The whereabouts of three
Marine Corps planes, which left San
Diego yesterday afternoon, was not def
initely known.
Two planes were known to be at GAL
1up, N. Mex. and the reported take
off from there of IL planes after dark
last night was unexplained by T. A. T.
officials here. They declared they were
not aware there had been that many
planes there. Gallup reported them
leaving for an unannounced destination.