The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-31


The plane was wrecked not
far from its regular route
over a thickly populated cOun-
tryside, but searchers on foot
and by air were unable to find
the men until they had been
exposed to the bitter weather
for 60 hours.
Even then. it was a difficult task
to plow through snow drifts to the
wrecked plane and to bring out the
men. The man on the toboggan
was believed either Ernest Dryer, the
pilot, or his brother, Dale Dryer
co-pilot. The injured man had a
wrenched hip, presumably suffered
when the plane crashed.
In sharp contrast to the speedy
modern airplane in which the men
were carried to the mountain top,
the ground rescue party was forced
to resort to primitive means OF
travel. Airplanes, however, circled
overhead constantly and were the
chief factor in finding the plane.
Located Last Night
Pilots circIing low over the snowy
mountainside near the village OF
GRAY, n. Y, described by radio the
arrival of the various ground par
ties at the scene of the crash and
It was arranged to take the res
cued men Immediately to a Utica
hospital, state police said.
1t was apparent, however, that
three of the men we're in compar-
atively good physical condition. They
we're coming down the mountain
side under their own power" 1t
was reported.
-Four searchers discovered the
plane last night. They did not
venture to. bring the filters through
the thickly wooded section until
this morning. Two of the four
rescuers stayed with the marooned
men throughout the night helping
them keep a huge fire burning as
protection against the low tempera-
lures.
The fleet of planes that took of
at dawn circled the mountainside,
guiding the parties on foot closing
in on all sides. One plane dropped
five sticks of tar, hard tack, matches,
thermos bottles of coffee, cigarets,
a Ratchet and sandwiches to the
men. A note instructed them to
throw the tar on the camp fire to
make a thick smoke to guide res
cuers.
Spots Fire of Victims
New supplies were dropped to the
men because there was no certainty
that food and clothing dropped last
night reached them. Pilots aimed
their bundles at what they believed
was their campfire, but reports
reaching Albany said some Of the
bundles were misdirected at lights
of searching parties.
Pilot Dean Smith discovered the
plane late yesterday. Flying low
over the towering lower Adirondacks
as daylight waned, he spotted a fire
high on the side of Pine sometimes
called Kane) Mountain. looming
down, he made out the familiar
outlines Of a Curtis Airliner. A
group of men, he couldn't be sure
of the exact number, suddenly be-
gan leaping and dancing around the
fire, apparently intent upon attract
ing attention.
Pilot Smith circled the mountain
for hours, guiding Army planes to
the scene. Their bomb racks we're
loaded with food and warm cloth
ing and by the light of a flare
dropped by Mr.. Smith, these emer-
gency kits we're released to the
men below.
The wrecked plane-the Boston
Cleveland passenger plane of Amer
lean Air Lines-was believed forced
down by ice formation on its wings.
It was en- route frDm Syracuse to
Albany.
Those marooneo are: Ernest
DRYER, Cleveland, plot; Eale Dryer,
his brother, co-pilots lack H. Brown
Boston, American Air Lines pilot
who was "dead-heading' to Cleve-
land: r. D. Handbook, agent Of the
United States Office of Education,
passenger.