The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-10-19
Victims Throlvn From Hole h Lost Plane
tcontlnue0 sroln Page D

Two planes from Salt Lake City, carrying i4 United Airlines officials and employees, arrived here shortly before ' c. m. Tho men will assist in bringing out the 10 bodies.
 Mrs. Ferreira's husband, George, on employe of the United Air Lines, owners of tho wrecked twin-Inotored i8-pasSenger plane, also was Q paS- genger.
 Early Searchers
 The party nearest and perhaps ct tho scene was led by Sheriff Frank l.. Narramore, of Evanston, Wyo. Howard Rollins, one of his three companions, returned to Evanston late last night and reported that at 6 D. rn., the party had been with ing c milo of the summit of Chalk peak. He believed that if anyone survived the crash, he had been frozen to death.
 "Thoy expected then to reach the wreskage in two more hours" Rol. fins Said. "It was below 20 degrees at Q o'clock"
 Sheriff Narramore sent back word that unless stopped by snow he and his followers would not halt until they reached the scene. The other searching parties had been halted by snow and cold.
 While oil energies were concen- trated on tho task of reaching the wreckage, the Bureau of Air Com- rnerce announced in Washington that c special board would irvestl- gate tho causes as soon aS inBpec- tors now struggling to the scene make their reports. If oil the oc- cupantS were killed. 1t will Do the worst tragedy in tho history oi American commercial aviation-sir- passing the toll of the plane crash in the ArkanBAS BWainps near Merl- phis, Tenn, two years ago in which i8 lives were lost.
 Crash Cause Unknown
 No aviation expert would hazard publicly an opinion on the cause oi the crash, but some pointed out privately that the last word from veteran Pilot Earl Woodgerd had said that he was flying intermit- tentiy by instruments. This wal Just 20 minutes before he was te have landed ct Salt Lake City at 9:42 ?. m. (l0.42 ?. m. EST) Sun- day night. 4 few minutes later hC cracked Up near the top of Chalk peak equidistance and 2b miles from tho settlements of Coalville, Utah and Evanston and Knight, Wyo.
 Had Woodgerd had c few hun dred feet more altitude he would have cleared the peak safely. He was familiar with the hazardoui mountain air lanes, and the cir. cuinstances suggested that he might have been betrayed by faulty in- struments indicating Q greater do gree of altitude than his actual one
 The plane had been fiyinp through @ rain storm. Its wreck. age was IA miles of its route, which might indicate that the storm had interfered with its radio causing Woodgerd to lose his radio beam or that he was merely deviatine away from the course to escape the storm. The last message from the plan was SO intermingled with static that 1t was difficult to de- cipher.
 Was One of Latest
 The plane was a "Mainliner", one of the newest, largest and most ex- pensive of air liners. It was en- route from Newark, N. J., to San Francisco.
 United Airlines Pilots Robert Der. geson and William Williams, who flew over the scene yesterday, said the wings had been torn off, the front of the plane crushed, and both motors torn loose. The cabin they said. appeared to be in one section.
 Roy Peck. Thompson Flying serv. ice pilot. said he flew within 100 feet of the kreckage and saw no sign of life. He said the area was cov- cred by about a foot of snow.
 A detachment of 24 soldiers left Fort Douglas with rations and