Evening star., 1938-01-07
PLANE, 8 ABOARD,
LANDS IN SWAMP
Pilot Brings Aid to Others
After Smile Journey
Through Marsh.
By the Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
NEWARK, N. j., Jan. "A trans
port airsiner whose pilot undershot
his marx in an early morning rain
storm bounced to a forced landing
In a treacherous swamp near New
ark Airport today but settled into
mud and water with its five passengers
and crew of three little the worse for
their dramatic experience.
Isolated for four hours in the g.
mile-square marsh until rescuers and
dawn brought them aid. the water
soaked and mud-stained passengers
merely wise-cracked about their mar
row escape. After trudging through
knee-deep mire to dry land, they
laughed about it all, paid rosy COM
pliments to the pretty, blond steward
ess who stayed by their side during
the hectic landing.
All the raves 60 to Veronica Lal-
ley said Jack Ryan of Evanston,
Ill, one of the five men who flew in on
the giant plane from Chicago. She's
aces, She kidded us all into thinking
We were coming into the airport, got
our coats ready and everything"
Praise for Stewardess.
Shes a peach of a girl" echoed
A. R. Watkins of Chicago making
his first flight. She got us out in
nothing fiat
The plane was due at 239 am
tE. S. T) and came down to its muddy
berth about 3 am. Quickly after it
bounded to a stop Miss Lalley herded
the passengers out in the rain until
danger of explosion was past. From
then until daylight they stayed inside
the protecting cabin, waiting for
help.
The airline announced later that
Operations Manager T. A. Schmidt,
Chief Pilot George McCabe and Nell
son Davis. Commerce Department in
spector stationed here would conduct
an investigation into the mishap later
today. Only the three crew members,
1t said, would be called.
Leads Rescue Party Back.
Pilot Usher Rousch of Chicago
plunged through the marsh in the
dark to the airport three miles away,
led a rescue party back to return the
passengers to safety
Mr., Rousch suffered a cut over one
eve in the bumpy landing but none
OF the others, the airline said, was
injured. After walking through mud
and water to the airport, the pass
engers warmed up on hot coffee and
sandwiches and went on to New York
by automobile, apparently none the
worse for their experience.
Other passengers were William Ogil-
vie of Chicago, Mike Lunder of Boston,
and Herbert Shapiro of Newton. Mass.
Besides Mr.. Rousch and Miss IAllev.
the crew included Stanley Gerding,
co-pilot, of Chicago
Mr.. Watkins said he was .pravinp
hard" when the big airliner first hit
the soft ground, but was confident
everything would be all right after
we bounced the third time
Mr.. Rousch, near exhaustion after
his trek through the swamp in the
rain. said he misjudged the position
OF the runway because of the low visi-
bility.
Official Airport Report.
The official airport report gave the
visibility at the time as three-quarters
OF mile and the ceiling as 1000 feet.
Airline officials said conditions were
variable and indefinite, however.
The soft landing place was credited
by airport officials with saving a bad
crash that probably would have re-
suited in fatalities. To get the plane
out OF the swamp, the airline said, it
would be necessary to dismantle it and
bring the parts in on skids.
The crew knew before the forced
landing there might be trouble, they
said. Miss Lalley, pretty graduate
nurse of Mercy Hospital, GAINESVILLE,
Wis, fastened all the passengers into
their seats with safety belts, served
tea and crackers and cheese Imme-
dlately after the plane came to a halt
she routed everybody out until danger
Of explosion had passed.
Too Busy for Excitement.
THE passengers were very nice" she
said. There was no excitement. AS
for myself, 1 had no time for excite
ment. 1 was too busy"
When word OF the planes plight
reached the airport by radio, T. A.
Schmidt, operations manager of Amer
ican Arlines, and Sergt Ben Herman
of the 18th Observation Squadron,
New Jersey National Guard, donned
hip boots and forged into the swamp.
They shot off Very pistols to show
them the way and sent up more flares
to attract other searchers when they
reached the ship. The planes own
flares were useless, buried in the mud.