Imperial Valley press., 1932-02-03
HUNT FOR LOST
CENTURY PLANE
AGAIN RESUMED
Clearing Weather Per-
mits Large Number OF
Ships To Join Search.

Search for a Century-Pacific pas
senger airplane which carried
eight persons to almost certain
death in the Tehachapi mountains
Friday narrowed today, and inn
proved weather conditions brought
hope the plane would be found
soon
Clearing wea her permitted
searching airplanes to fly over
large portion of the rough, snow
blanketed territory yesterday, and
at nightfall two pilots brought in
reports which speeded the hunt
today.
One of these was the gruesome
sight of a flock of buzzards wheel
ing and dipping over an area in
Modelo canyon, near Piru ecreek.
Nearby a swath had been cut in
the small timber, with trees broken
off close to the ground.
The carrion hunters were sighted
by Polit E. L. Benway of the
Century Pacific line, but because
of poor visibility and great snow
drifts, he was unable to determine
if any Wreckage was on the ground.
Mountaineers credit the keen-eyed
birds with infallibility, and whether
they sought human prey could not
be determined.
Another report was of evidence
of an airplane crash on the north
side of Frazier mountain, in an
erea considered one Of the most
likely. Captain Jones of the Los
Angeles sheriff's office and a party
of hunters reported sighting
strip of mountainside apparently
sheared by a falling plane, and
wreckage at the bottom of
canyon.
Merle Nelson, an oil company
pilot, reported seeing five persons
wave to him from canyon III
miles north of Neemach. They ap-
parently wanted him to fly further
into the canyon, he said, but
raging storm prevented. 1t was be-
lieved they might have been ground
searchers with something OF I'M
portance to report.
Reports of fire on Cobblestone
mountain. similar to that which
would have been made by burn
ing plane we're checked partially
Yesterday, but no trace found when
searchers were called in for the
night.
These and similar reports fur
nished detectives for the scores OF
planes which went out. More than
80 flights were made from Los An
geles airports, and other planes
took off throughout the valley
areas. The weather was the most
favorable yet encountered but
scattered storms in the mountains
still hindered. and there was the
great snowfall Of the previous
three days.
RIVERSIDE, Feb. 8. U.R)-Sixty-
three army planes from March
Field took off at 7:30 a. m, to-
day to Join the search for the miss
ing Century-Pacific airplane and
its eight passengers, all believed
dead.
Fory-five pursuit planes, Is bomb
ers and transport ships were IN
cluded in the mighty armada, which
will make its base at Bakersfield.
Mai. Joseph P. McNerney is in COM
mand of the squadron.
A number of the planes will
search the mountains around Sc
quota National Park for trace OF
Lieut.. Edward D. Hoffman, believed
down in that area after a search
for the Century liner.
MIAMI, Fla, Feb 8. (U.R)-Search
for the Bimini Airways seaplane,
missing since it left here Monday
was abandoned today.
Five men were believed to have
been on the plane, although the
passenger list has not been divulged
Plane pilots and coast guardsmer
who had participated in the search
were convinced that no aircraft
could have survived this long the
buffetting Of the heavy seas.
IC