Evening star., 1936-02-02
1900 Reported Reduced to
Near Starvation Rations
Will Get Relief.
PRELI IMINARY VISIT
IS MADE BY BLIMP
Capital Weather Outlook Bad as
Bay Country Seeks to Con.
quer Ice.
pictures on Page BIZ

Food from the skies was the hope
of / 500 inhabitants of ice-locked Tan
gier Island. in Chesapeake Bay. today.
after two weeks Of Winter isolation
had reduced them to near starvation
rationS
Ready to fulfill this hope was the
privately owned dirigible, piloted by
Comdr. Karl Lange, which yesterday
dropped easily TO the ice some 200
yards offshore from the island, while
200 husky fishermen strained at the
landing ropes. Plans had been COM
pleted this morning 10 load the dirig-
ible with 1000 pounds of assorted
food stuffs and to take off from its
Washington base soon after dawn.
All available space in the ship was
cleared last night and Comdr. Lange
announced he would take only Co.
Pilot Verne Smith on the trip.
Weather forecasts Of increasing
cloudiness. to be followed by snow,
added to uncertainty of the expedi-
ton.
The foodstuff was brought to the
airship hangar last night by the Red
Gross. It Included 300 pounds of -four,
rs pounds of coffee. 700 pounds Of
canned milk and 425 pounds Of fresh
and canned foods.
Dirigible Visits Scene.
Reports of the emergency on the is
land reached Representative Bland.
Democrat, OF Virginia Yesterday with
the dramatic visit of me dirigible fol-
lowing in early afternoon Making the
90-mile fight from It's Washington
base to the island, the bllmp circled
around slowly and at low altitude while
Comdr. Lange shouted directions for
landing assistance to the anxious resi-
dents waiting below.
Settling down over a smooth expanse
of ice, the blimp dropped its landing
ropes to some 200 of the island fisher
men and was pulled to halt.
They grabbed Our lines and pulled
with a cheer" the commander said.
They were glad to see US and mighty
glad to hear We were trying to get
some supplies to them
Present food supplies on the island
had been reduced to about a 36-hour
supply, the investigators reported. un-
less rigid emergency rationing should
be effected In addition. one case Of
pneumonia was reported among the
inhabitants. with the problem of
health preservation becoming increas-
81, ,Y, 1F
severe weather and reduced food
supplies.
Army Flight Plans Ended.
Tentative plans for Army bombers
to make the rescue flight we're aban-
doned, temporarily at least, when Gen.
Malin Craig reported survey fight
showed that the heavy fighting ships
could not land on ice surrounding the
island.
On Smith Island near Tangier,
residents reported themselves ade-
quately supplied with all necessities
for the time being.
Cold, Cloudy Day Predicted.
The Districts weather outlook was
bad as the forecaster predicted a
cloudy Sunday, followed by snow to-
night or tomorrow and not much
change in temperature.
Climbing to 26 at 3 pm. yesterday.
the mercury equaled the high mark
for the current cold wave
Modern records for long period cold
ness here seemed destined to go by
the board when the Weather Bureau
saw no abatement in the subfreezing
temperatures for the next few days.
Yesterday was the tenth consecutive
day the temperature has failed to rise
to 80 degrees. The all-time record
IL days in row of below freezing
weather-was established in February.
1895. Ten straight below freezing
days were experienced here last De-
cember.
Plane to Visit Island.
In the efforts to bring relief to
Tangier. a plane especially designed
for landing on ice took off yesterday
from Cambridge with Capt. Forrest
Wenyon, former British Army pilot
and manager of an airport near Sails
bury, at the controls.
The Associated Press reported he
(See TANGIER, Page A-3)