Evening star., 1940-09-01
|Lundeen, IS u. S. Workers
Among rs Dead in Air Crash
Ship Blown to Pieces as Blast
Follows Fall in Virginia Storm
Continued From First Page.)

heavy only snap
of your finger when heard the crash
eve didn't any airplane, a large
envelope hoaed partly
it had Pennsylvania Central Arnes Corp, Allegheny Airport
Pittsburgh Pa and below that
what happened.
II got in and the others got in
over to where thought the know
whether there was explosion not.
I'VE found the weckage field of clover Clarence Bishops
farm about two miles the plane
were scattered over nearly of ground"
vivid story of the tragedy also related by Matt Puam
Lesoug druggist who was of the early arrivals at the
Bodies Scattered Over Wide Area.
Bodies and parts of bodies scattered over an area of at
least $50 yards think surely there must have been explosion
after the crash the saw he said
Mr. Pulliam plane plunged to in
open field but that torn and bruised bodies and fragments Of the
craft were strewn over an adjoining cornfed
I'm telling people and parts Of people scattered all
that you through body
about place." he declared
The druggist residents Morsvlle
hamlet short distance from the site of the crash said that he
heard the plane flying low just few minutes before crashed As
OF the disaster spread residents of the vicinity started hurry
to the Immediate calls police
BY the time Mr. Puam arrived from Leesbug about 80
miles away the police had thrown Gordon around the two fields
to keep them clear of the curious
Huge
sights greeted him. Pullam
the body of of the pilots which lay the battered and
torn seage huge hole In the earh he continued apparently
the spot where of the huge engines had poughed
through the earth the sheri
he continued told him that he had picked "a
which the first arrivals idea of the number of occupants
who had gone to their death
Bryce garage Lovettsvlle, quoted
by the Associated having told Frederick
that he saw the ship coming in from the East about appar
emily losing altitude He said the pilot seemed to try to give
gum" o Mountain, plane
suddenly few moments later there "deafenng explosion
W. Beatty washington grocery company eploye told
the living the vicinity
believed the ship struck lightning People living nearby
said that sharp flash of lightning preceded the crash by few
he said 1T appeared that the plane had exploded
Mrs Lydia Jacbos who to the window of her
when she heard the crash quarter of mile distant
i
Thompson another neighbor reported
fire" shoot up in the air Immediately after the explosion
Mrs Walter Bishop, the mother of the of
where the plane hit said that there binding
up room where she was in bed after the crash
Another spectator Henry Thompson
away, also saw the binding flash
! Federal Board Joins Company in Probe.
Another account of the Capt scroggns
may have Rogers lumbernan
lives nearby told reporter
Evening Star that he the plane heading not west few
minutes before the statement issued by the line
however, SAID the plane was on its regular
approximately ESQ pm tE s. ro this afternoon one of
airplanes flying schedule Washington Pitts
bugh made contact with the ground with
sboro Va resulting in the instantaneous death of
persons including 2 passengers two pilots hostess
one other company employe
probable cause of the accident has not been determined
Oiclals OF the at the directing
and cooperating with officials the Civil Board
to determine the Electrical storms present
at the time of the accident.
Capt scroggns the pilot proceeding his regular
course at the time OF contact and approximately AZ miles north
acres is being carfuy studied tonight All
taken to Leesburg Va"
Liner Hit on Fairly Even Terrain.
Suppementng the prepared company statement P. c.
official said the accident fairly
He added the accident have
would be hard how the plane hit the ground with
If the pilot attempting to land it."
Creeks swollen by the coudburst mpassable
hour half before police
the Bishop farm They Joined by
rounding communities
the The falling plane only telephone
the vicinity.
Preparing to leave Lovettsve Branch chairman
the investigation of the experts
do not to hazard opinion the accident
Until thorough investigation completed suggestion by
simply individual opinion and unsupported facts
isrator Lederer, Safety
r. D. Hoy assistant director Inspectors A. W. Koch, w.
Anderson Frank Caldwell Paul Gillespie also
to the Postal Inspectors E. j. Cy and Lewis Hicks also
ordered to Lovettsve to take charge of the planes mail
!. Lundeen Was Going
Gill of National Aeronaucs
Association, commented:
I'VE in aviation profoundly shocked by todayS tragic
accident which after perfect safety record of than
todays accident, but
investigation already being
by Civil Aeronautics Board to determine the facts
Senator Lundeen the second member of the Senate to
Bronson Cutting of New Mexico losing