Evening star., 1938-12-25
Toll in Army Plane
Explosion Definitely
Fixed al Seven
Bodies of 3 Victims of
AIobumu Accident
Are Identified
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
UNIONTOWN, Ala, Dec. 24.-The
death toll fixed definitely at seven
officers today pressed examination
Of scattered wreckage at Maxwell
Field, Air Corps post at Montgomery
Ala. They reported late today they
had identified three bodies and said
remains of four others had been
taken to mortuary at Montgomery,
fixing the casualty list at seven, land
no more"
At first it was feared the twin
rotored bomber might have carried
eight or nine to death when it eX-
ploded in rainstorm on a flight
from Hamilton Field, Calf, to
Mitchell Field, N. Y.
Col. j. H. Pirie, commandant of
Maxwell Field, said the cause of the
crash had not been determined
definitely, but Maj Warren A. Max
well, operations officer. conceded gas
collecting in the passenger compart-
ment from a broken pipe line could
have caused the explosion. Mai.
Maxwell declined, however, to ac-
cept the theory pending further
investigation.
A military board of inquiry
ordered the wreckage transported to
Maxwell Field.
Maj Maxwell said he was con-
yinced the explosion occurred upon
contact with the ground. not before.
He was unable to explain why one
body was found 900 feet from the
wreckage and another 500 feet in
the opposite direction.
Weather conditions, Maj Maxwell
believed, did not force the plane
earthWard.
Personal Effects Found.
The three positive identifications
we're made from rings and flying
jackets found on the broken bodies.
Rillfolds and other personal effects
we're found for most of the others
aboard. Maxwell Field declined to
reveal those identified, pending COM
rAetion of examinations.
Maxwell Field authorities an
nounced those aboard the plane
we're:
First 1t. J. D. Underhill, pilot,
Stockton, Calf, stationed at Ham,
ilton Field, Calf.
Second 1t. John w. Pollard. CO.
pilot. Wasco. Calf, stationed at
Hamilton Field.
Second 1t. John H. Hyde, 3Oth
Infantry, Williston, N. OAK, sta
toned at Preside, Calf.
Two Were Passengers.
Capt Fred Rueb, jr., Medical
Corps, home address not available,
stationed at Letterman General
Hospital. San Francisco, Calf.
First Glass Pvt. Shelton S. John
son, flight crew chief mechanic),
Worthwhile, N. Y, stationed at Ham
ilton Field.
Pvt. Ben L. Jones. assistant crew
chief, Asheville, N. c., stationed at
hamilton Field.
First Glass Pvt. Humbert D. Narro,
dAAS oPS1 oooi, 1OS AllSClCSy SOd-
toned at Hamilton Field.
1t. Hyde and Capt. Rueb were
passengers. All other victims were
members of the Air Corps.
Reunion Abandoned.
FAYETTEVILLE, N. c., Dec. "a
R.-Plans for Christmas-t time
family reunion here were SORROW
sully abandoned today as news
came through of the death of seven
4.rmy men in the crash of a big
bombing plane near Uniontown,
Ala, last night.
Mrs. Pearl P. Jones came here
from Montreal, N. c.. and her son,
David S. Jones, came from WASH
!ngton expecting to be joined by
another son. Ben L. Jones of the
Army Air Corps, stationed in Los
Angeles.
Today Mrs. Jones received official
notice from the War Department
Nlat her soldier son was one of
the victims of the Alabama crash.
She and David arranged to proceed
70 UniontoWn this afternoon.
Friends said Ben Jones was
native of Greenwood, Miss, and
mad a sister, Mrs. j. L. Hopkins,
living at Meridian, Miss.