Evening star., 1933-09-27
THREE s. OFFICERS
SERIOUSLY INJURED
IN A|RPLANE CRASH
Rex Martin, w. T. Miller and
c. H. Mccall of Commerce
Department Hurt.
FOG CAUSES ACCIDENT
IN BOUNDARY LIGHT TEST
Victims in Undetermined Condi
tions in Hospitals After Craft
Smashes at College Park.


"Pinched of" by dense ground fog
while flight testing a new type Of air
port boundary light last night at COL
lege Park Airport, College Park. Md !.
three prominent officials of the Depart
ment Of Commerce were seriously in
jured when their plane crashed In the
bed of a creek at the north boundary
of the field.
The injured are Rex Martin, IS years
old. assistant director OF the Aeronau-
tics Branch. in charge Of all Federal
airways activities. who is at Providence
Hospital :.
william T. Miller. 80 years old, air
ways superintendent. Aeronautic S
Branch, pilot Of the plane, also at
Providence
Chester H. Mccall. 27 years old. as
sistant to Secretary Of Commerce
Roper, at Casualty Hospital.
Roper to Visit Hospitals.
The conditions of all three men re-
manned undetermined at noon today.
Secretary Roper was to visit the hos
pitals early this afternoon, by which
time the results Of X-ray photographs
which are being taken of all three men
will be available. Though all three
have been conscious for short inter-
walls they have been unable to describe
the crash. Miller is thought to be the
most seriously injured of the three, but
is given an even chance" to recover
IL brain or internal injuries do not
develop.
The plane bounced once in a shall
low pond. plowed across a slight knoll
at the edge of the creek and crashed
into the opposite bank. right at the
edge Of the airport. Miller was thrown
into the instrument panel, his head
striking the cross bracing in back Of
the windshield, and the heel of his
shoe being torn of on the brake pedal.
The seats in which Martin and Mccall
were strapped were torn of the floor
and they were thrown into the front
of the plane, one Of them probably
striking the pilot.
First Class Pilot.
Miller, rated as one of the finest
night pilots in the Government service.
was at the controls when the plane,
Department Of Commerce cabin
monoplane, assigned to Martin, took
of on the test flight. They first flew
to Washington Airport to confer with
Eugene L. Vidal. newly appointed di-
rector of aeronautics, on certain phases
of the test. Vidal was unable to &C
company them because Of another en-
gagement.
Miller few back to College Park and,
although light fog then was coming
in, he made one pass" over the field
and then circled and headed away to
the north for distance apparently to
observe the effectiveness Of the new
light.
Charles I. Stanton, chief engineer Of
the airways division, watching from
Il field noted that the fog was piHng
up too rapidly for them to land safely
and started for the field administration
building to telephone the Washington
airways broadcasting station to warn
Miller by radio that 1t was unsafe to
land at College Park and advising him
t. return to Washington Airport.
Aid Summoned.
Before Stanton could reach the tele-
phone. however, he heard the crash.
without turning back to learn the re-
suit, he continued to the telephone
and summoned ambulances and the
Prince Georges County Rescue Squad.
He then returned and found the plane,
minus landing gear, bridging the creek,
Just clear of the water.
Miller was conscious, and, without
IL - hi inn
Stanton to aid Martin, who was un-
conscious. Because Of the position OF
the plane and the difficulty Of moving
the men without adding to their in
juries, it was decided to leave them
where they were until stretchers could
be brought. In waist-deep water,
Stanton, Joseph Ledaid and George
Brinkerhoff of the College Park field,
and Bert Williams, colored, cleared q
way to the plane and made the injured
men as comfortable as possible until
ambulances arrived nearly an hour
later.
Men Removed With Difficulty.
The men finally were removed from
the plane with considerable d1mcuIty,
the Bladensburg and Berwyn FIRE De
partments aiding in the rescue WORK.
The plane still remained in its place
across the creek at noon today. Tenn
porary bridges probably will have to pc
built to permit its removal. 1t can be
repaired, preliminary examna1on
showed.
Mr.. Martin, whose post as head OF
the Government airways system makes
him one of the Nations leading civil
aviation chiefs, was born in Peoria,
nj He enlisted in the Army air serv-
ice as q flying cadet in October, 1917,
and after ground training at the Uni
versity Of Illinois and flight training
at Kelly Field, Tex, was commissioned
a second lieutenant and rated as q
military aviator.
He came to Washington in 1881 as
/ secretary to Representative Kent e
Keller of Illinois. He Is the author OF
a three volume standard work on civil
aviation.
HoAs Several Ratings.
Miller holds both Army and Navy
| flight ratings and now has q commits
! sion in the Naval Aviation Reserve. He
was born August 8. 1894. at Iona
| Mich, where his mother, Mrs. G. o
Miller, now lives. ri
Miller came to the Department Of
Commerce on April l, 1927, as airways
extension superintendent He was pro-
NOTED to principal airways extension
superintendent on September 81, 1928
and to his present post as airways
superintendent December 10 last.
Miller has flown 80 different types Of
| land and seaplanes, and when he re-
ceived his transport license In April
! 1927, had more than 1000 hours ol
| flying time to his credit.
He was the hero Of two spectacular
aviation accidents, the first while he
was flying between Miami and Havana
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