Evening star., 1935-05-19

The women and children among the
81 passengers lost in the disaster were
members of the families of crack en-
ployes of the Central Aerodynamic In
stitute, on an excursion in the plane.
Among the entire crew of II that
perished were two of the Soviet's most
expert pilots, Giuroff and Mikhaeff.
Officials Are Killed.
The dead passengers included Mat
rosoff, chief production engineer of
the Aerodynamic Institute; KaZarno-
vich, director of the institutes Pilot
Committee, and his two children, and
the Institutes chief mechanic and
head bookkeeper.
Eyewitnesses said the smaller plane
remained wedged into an edge of the
Maxim Gorky's wing and that the two
fell downward together. Then the
pilot of Gorky regained control and
tried to come down in a glide.
Spectators said they believed he
would have succeeded, but the smaller
plane fell away and the giant liner
lost equilibrium and went into a nose
dive.
~ Woo OA4NAoAAJ ooDNAbC0 bAAC RA1OO
cut of the motors and that there was
no explosion. although shortly after
going into the terrifying dive the
Gorky broke up and fell in pieces over
the village of Socol.
Trip Reward" for Workers.
The workers were being rewarded
with the ride for their meritorious
labor and 80 others were waiting at
Moscow Central Airdrome for their
turn to go up in the plane, named
for RusSia'S most DISTINGUISHED con-
temporary author.
The smaller plane was accompany
ing the Maxim Gorky to furnish a
contrast in size for a motion picture
which was being taken from a third
plane.
Built a year ago, the Maxim Gorky,
so-called Soviet palace OF culture
was used for propaganda purposes.
1t had a passenger and crew capacity
Of rs and carried a rotary printing
press and a complete motion picture
projecting apparatus.
An official statement issued tonight
placed the blame for the accident,
which occurred at 12:45 pm, upon
Blagin. A state funeral will be given
the victims and their families will get
special pensions and a lump sum in
demnity, it was announced.
An inhabitant of the village of
Socol who witnessed the disaster
said:
Il was watching, spellbound by the
sight of the huge Maxim Gorky and
the contrast with the small plane,
which seemed like a gnat. The &C
cident happened so unexpectedly
hardly had a chance to realize what
had taken place.
'Dived Crafty"
THE Gorky dived crazily and I
watched with horror while it went
to pieces in the air. I rushed to
place where the pieces fell. They
scattered over a full half mile Of
territory, some wedged between houses.
"One house was hit by a wing
weighted down by four motors and
it tore the roof and the whole side
of the building. The bodies of the
victims, some Of them women and
children, were strewn about with the
wrecksge, many dismembered.
Everybody in the vicinity set
about trying to give help. but they
soon found not soul was aliYe among
the 48 people who had been in the
plane"
Blagin violated instructions not to
stunt while accompanying the Gorky.
His plane rammed headlong into the
leading edge of the giant crafts wing,
between two motors.
One wing of the Gorky, weighted
down by four engines, Sheared of
the roof and side of a house in its
fall Another piece of the wreckage
fell on a man riding a bicycle. Tho
wreckage scattered widely, together
with parts of the victims bodies,
over the village.
H0n0red Noted Writer.
Construction Of the Gorky began
in 1882, on the fortieth anniversary
of the beginning of Maxim Gorky's
literary activity.
The machine had an average speed
of $50 miles an hour and sufficient
Continued on Page 8, Column 50