The Wilmington morning star., 1945-07-29
Is KILLED AS BOMBER
RAMS, FIRES EMPIRE
STATE TOWER IN FOG
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fled sight of thousands of mid
town office workers who had rush
ed to windows at the sound of the
explosion which echoed over cen
trail Manhattan like a block-buster.
Inside the building there was
pandemonium.
En- Route To Newark
The plane was en- route to New
ark, N. j., from New Bedford,
Mass, on the final lap of cross
country flight which started at
Sioux Falls; S. D.
1t was piloted by 1t. Col. William
F. Smith, Jr., q, 81 Beachwood
Avenue, Watertown,, Mass. He and
his crew member, S-Sgt Christoph-
er S. Donitrovich, 81, 1921 Madison
Ave-, Granite City, ILL.,, were in
stantly killed.
A Navy chief petty officer riding
in the plane as passenger was
also killed.
The plane had inquired of La
Guardai Field by radio few min
utes before for instructions on
landing conditions at Newark.
Suddenly scattered observers
near the Empire State tower heard
the deep-throated roar of its mot
ors. It was flying in the overcast
at about 1000 feet and headed
straight for the fog-hidden sky
scraper.
Strike Building
A moment later it struck the
north side of the building, between
the 18th and 10th floors, penetrating
with such force one motor drove
straight through t ehbuilding to
land on the roof of the history
Waldorf building adjoining it on
33rd street.
Only the fact that the disaster
occurred on Saturday morning
when many Empire State offices
are closed kept down the toll of
dead and injured. Casualties were
low among pedestrians outside the
building also because midtown
streets are not crowded on Satur.
days as they are during the week,
and rain and drizzle held down
the number out of doors.
The force of the impact and ex-
plosion was such that many OF the
bodies were blown to bits. Hours
after the tragedy police, firemen
and emergency workers were still
trying to establish the exact death
toll.
The 18th floor office wnere the
plane struck was not occupied. Bu'
the 10th floor office, just above,
was occupied by the National Cath
Ole Welfare Council War Relief
Services. Some 40 persons normally
worked on this floor, about Is Of
them in the Catholic Welfare Of
fees. Many were absent due to
Saturday holidays.
The most severe casualties were
in the Catholic Welfare Offices.
Nine bodies were reported found or
the 10th floor. Three were found
in two of the smashed elevators
in the basement. The third eleva.
tor was empty.
Worst Damage
The worst damage was on the
six floors from the 18th to the 84th
story. Windows were blown from
every frame and the plaster turn
ed to dust. Much of the furnishings
had vanished In the soaring gas.
oline flames.
The marble thing along the walls
of one section of the 10th floor
had been blown off. One of the
planes engines caromed off and
plunged into an elevator, killing
an elevator girl and dropping down
the shaft.
The planes cowling and part O.
its propeller were imbedded in the
walls. Steel Orders of the wrecked
floors were twisted like jackstraWs
by the blast.
Rescue workers, knee deep ir
mortar, bricks and bomber frag
ments, saw small card, its ed
ges charred. 1t said do not re
move from plane no. 577.'
There were IS persons on the
86th floor observation platform
when the plane hit. They had palo
81 to "see the sights of New York
from the Empire State Tower"
Louis Petley, 81, the guide was
apolozing for the fog which spoil
ed their view when disaster struck.
II never heard anything like il
in my life,' Petley said. Il Jumped
three feet in the air. ] saw a
flash Of flame envelope the tower. y
With difficulty Petley managed
to herd his horror stricken sight
seers down a stairway to the 9Th
floor where they took an elevator
to the lobby.
IT wanted to keep them in the
lobby for minute he said, "but
they all ran out, saying we
want to get out of here.
Dazed
Survivors on the 18th and 18th
floors were almost too dazed to
tell what had happened. Most OF
them were burned or had been
cut by splinters of glass.
There was great difficulty in
identifying bodies as mos ri them
had been charred almost beyond
recognition. One body lay on the
65th floor parapet, apparently
blown there by the explosion. Paul
Deering, 40, a reporter for the Buff
falo Courier Express, jumped from