Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-21
Coast Guards Left Scene
After Being Asked to Aid,
Says SabaIo's Captain.
KELLEY'S CHARGES MADE
AT NEW YORK HEARING
Hunt for Baltimore Publisher Is
Abandoned, but Yacht Will Re-
trace Route on Trip Home.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, August 21.-The as
sertion that a Coast Guard vessel
failed to heed call for assistance in
searching for the body Of Van Lear
Black, Baltimore publisher, capitalist
and world flyer, who fell into the sea
from his yacht Sabalo and was lost
Monday evening, was made by Capt
Kelley at today's brief hearing con-
Quoted by the steamboat inspection
service.
Capt. Randolph Ridgley, command
ing the New York division of the Coast
Guard expressed surprise at Capt. KEEL
ley's complaint against Coast Guard
vessel.
He presented the report of Boatswain
r. Anderson, commander of patrol boat
215, who told of seeing the Sabalos
sweeping searchlight at about AS pm
Monday night and of pulling alongside
At am. Tuesday, he said the yacht
again put on her searchlight and the
patrol boat, pullin galongside, was in
formed that a man had fallen ovee-
board, but that the crew did not know
Just where the accident happened and
was not sure just what had occurred.
Anderson said he had concluded then
that the yacht was not seeking as
SiStance.
The Sabalo was to be started for Its
home port of Baltimore today as soon
as the seas grew smoother.
Clearance Papers Given Yacht.
Clearance papers were given to the
Yacht today after a formal report OF
the Baltimore publishers disappearance
from the craft, south of Scotland Light
near the New Jersey Coast, had been
made.
"The first thing I did after Mr.
Black was reported missing was Il
stop the ship" Capt. Kelley said at the
hearing. Then l Immediately begar
q search of the boat. I didn't believe
it was possible that he could have faller
overheard. When I failed to find hin
/ went back TO the pilot house and re.
versed by course. I kept going back
and forth until after daylight scanning
the water to see IL ! could find any
trace of MFR. Black.
."There were several steamers offshore
of us, all out of our zone. Then there
was a fiashlight turned on OUR sterr
and little later a Coast Guard boat
came up. When the boat got close
enough to communicate with they asket
me what was doing and told then
that I'd lost a man overheard. Their
I blew my whistle four times for as
sistance and asked them for help, bu
they simply snapped of their light anc
got no reply. Then the boat fadec
away into the distance"
Capt. Kelley prepared to take the
yacht from its anchorage at Gravesenc
Bay back to Baltimore over the route
the publisher was travelling, on his way
home, when he vanished. He had beer
sitting on a deck rail and chatting
a few moments before he was missed
The search for his body was aban.
doned yesterday, and Paul Patterson
director of the hunt and associate VI
Mr.. Black in the company which pub
lished the Baltimore Sun, left for HON,
at noon today. Planes, Coast GuarC
vessels, the dirigible Los Angeles ant
the Sabalo itself had scanned the sea-
| for two days and night without find
ing a trace of the missing man.
Fail TO Get Ships Number.
Capt. Kelley said he did not get tn
number of the Coast Guard ship.
The wind was so strong and tn
wash of the water against the yacht
| bow so steady that Capt. Kelley doubtet
| whether he could have heard an out
cry II Mr.. Black had made one, as tn
vessel proceeded back along its path
| the captain said.
The publishers disappearance wa
| first noted by Mrs. Walter j. Lord, al
elderly relative and the only guest Oh
the yacht, who had had dinner witt
him and had left the dining room a
about $50. Dinner had been serves
rather late, an hour before. She looke
| for Mr.. Black around the deck an,
when she did not see him she cal1e,
Capt. Kelley.
"There is no mystery about the af
fair--it was purely an accident" MI
Patterson said after the hearing. H
ascribed Il to Mr.. Blacks habit O
sitting on the rail with his feet hang
ing over the water.