Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-10
SCANT HOPE HELD
FOR PACIFIC PILOTS
Coast Guard Making Search
Despite Little Chance
for Two Flyers.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the associated Press.
SEATTLE, September 1o-What
sounded like the drone Of an airplane
engine, perhaps that of the missing
Tokio-Seattle flyers. Don Moyle and
c. A. Allen, was heard between anG
1920 O'Clock last night by four pas
sengers aboard the steamship Arthur
J. Baldwin near Dutch Harbor. Alaska
in the Aleutian Islands, 1000 miles
from here.
The report received here today. SAID
the sound was coming from the south
west, dying away gradually TO the north
east Thick weather prevailed over the
mountains at the time.
If the supposed plane was that OF
the transpacitic flyers. it indicated they
made forced landing somewhere and
had taken off again. as their fuel sup
ply would have exhausted some hours
before in continuous fight.
The Arthur j. Baldwin carries sup
plies for the Lomen Reindeer Co.'S
camps.
inexperienced Navigators.
Meanwhile, four Coast Guard vessels
as we'll as numerous other ships Of
private lines, kept watch for the avia.
tors along the Aleutian Islands anC
Alaskan and British Columbia Coasts
an hour and 10 minutes after then
take-off. they may be found almost
anywhere along the 4,400-mile great
circle route.
Neither was experienced at navigating
A slight error would have thrown them
far from their path and searcherS had
no idea where to look.
The flyers left Samushiro Beach
Japan, at $3.50 pm. Eastern standard
time) Monday Their fuel supply had
been estimated TO last from 40 to 40
hours. depending on the speed MAIN
tanned by the plane, hence their tanks
would have been emptied some time
yesterday morning, had they remained
in the air.
$500 Miles Out.
Dutch Habor. on Unalaska Island, is
about $500 miles from Samushiro Beach
over the route plotted by Moyle and
Allen. If the aviators followed schedule
they should have passed the island after
about 25 hours of flying or about 4:30
pm. eastern standard time) Tuesday.
One incident remained to bolster up
the convictions of the few who chung
to the belief that the aviatorS were safe
an anonymous message saying a large
monoplane had been seen to land on a
small island off the British Columbia
Coast.
Three Coast Guard cutters. the
Northland, Chelan and Taska. started
searching along the rocky and storm
scourged islands late yesterday on
orders of Capt. H. D. Hinckley, division
commander.
Almost Hopeless Task.
The cutters were ordered to cruise to
the western extremity of the island
chain and make a thorough search of
the water and the coastline for the
flyers or possible wreckage of the plane
ut is almost a hopeless task" said
Capt. Hinckley. We'll do the best we
can-but I'm afraid that will not be
enough"
A check of radio and telegraph sta
tions along the British Columbia coast
last night failed to reveal a trace %
Movie or Allen or the source of the
report that a plane similar to the one
flown by the airmen had been seen
along the coast.
AS hours passed with no reports OF
the airmen, even the most optimistic
began to lose hope they would be found
alive, although some believed there
might be a duplication Of the expert
ence of Maj Frederick L. Martin, one
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