Evening star., 1946-12-29
Indiana Crash Landinq
Kills Pilot and Co-PiIot
And Injuries 10 Others
BY the Associated Press

and 10 other persons were injured
today IN the crash of an American
Airlines plane near here.
The plane, described by an air.
lines spokesman as an extra Sec
tion," was en- route from Buffalo,
N. Y, to Chicago.
It glided down from heavy over
cast over Lake Michigan. skinned
low over the beach and crashed
through trees and other vegetation
at scenic international Friendship
Gardens, 3 miles east of here.
The pilot, Frank Mates Hamm,
jr., of Bridgeport, Conn, and Chi
cago, was killed instantly, and the
co-pilot, Harmon Edwin Ring, Mus
catine, Iowa, died short time
later.
Stewardess Helen Friel, 20, of
South Glastonbury, Conn.,, and
three passengers, all injured in the
crash, administered to the others
until medical aid arrived from
Michigan City.
Helped Others From Wreck.
Miss Friel suffered possible in
ternal injuries but assisted in get
ting others from the wreckage.
"I saw ice accumulate on the
wings when the pilot Let down
through the overcast" Miss Friel
said. But it was not dangerous
amount. It began to peel off as
we emerged from the clouds but the
engines sounded strange. Just be-
fore the crash I realized something
was wrong but there wasn't time
to warn anyone"
Miss Helen Bass, "a, of New York,
q nurse who was passenger,
supervised the removal of other
passengers despite fractured ribs
and other injuries. The injured
were treated under supervision of
DR.. M. ]. Lobel, Al. of New York,
another passenger, who suffered a
broken arm.
Two Sailors Helped.
Two sailors, Dominick Bifaro, 20,
of Buffalo, N. Y, and Jack Story OF
Chicago, also gave first aid to the
wounded.
AS the plane came in from the
lake it was sighted by a section
crew for the New York Central
Railroad.
"The plane made hardly a sound
as it passed over our heads going
southeast" S. E. Hall, member OF
the section crew, reported. I'VE saw
it disappear into the woods and
knew it had crashed"
The plane was in a direct line
with the Michigan City airport and
it appeared the pilot may have been
attempting to reach it for an emer-
gency landing.
It cut a wide swath for several
yards through trees of the gardens
before coming to halt against
tree. The pilots cabin, tail assembly
and wings were sheared from the
passengers compartment, which was
relatively intact. The wreckage did
not catch fire.
Had No Warning.
"I don't know how I ever got out
of it." DR.. Lobel said. He also veri-
fled the statement Of the stewardess
that there was ice on the wings.
He said none of the passengers had
any indication the crash was i'm
pending" -
Leo Boyle, press agent for the
American Airlines, said the plane
left Buffalo at 4:49 am. It left the
Detroit Airport at 8:42 am. and
was expected to arrive at Chicago
at 9:31. The crash occurred about
9:22
Twenty minutes before the crash,
Pilot Hamm reported to the Chicago
operations Office that he was flying |
at 1000 feet altitude over South
Bend.
At GIT he reported he was hav-
ing trouble with both engines and
was descending.
Kellogg Air Field at Battle Greek,
Mich, reported hearing the plane
in trouble west of South Bend. At
that time the plane was at 900 feet
and losing 100 feet a minute when
last heard from.
The scene of the crash is large
area devoted to horticultural devel-
opment. It was once offered as a
permanent home for the United
Nations.
List of Injured.
Those hurt in the crash and their
injuries are:
Miss Friel, %, possible internal
injuries
Mr.. Bifaro, 20, cuts and bruises.
Mr.. Story, cuts and bruises.
Homer Kerns, A, Forest Hills,
N. Y, left leg fractured, internal
injuries, condition critical.
T. P. Kennedy, "a, Chicago, frac-
tured arm.
!. Miss Betsy Blaisdale, 20, James
town, N. Y, possible internal in
juries.
Robert Ritter, %, Chicago, broken
right arm.
DR.. Lobel, Al, broken arm.
Peter Avella, 25, Garfield, N. j.,
back and possible internal injuries.
Miss Lillian McVan, so, Buffalo,
possible fractured back, internal in
juries.
Don Burns, As, Buffalo, cuts and
bruises.
His wife, Mrs. Roslyn Burns, IS,
cuts and bruises.
Allen Gaines, Buffalo, head in
juries. a
Miss M. Messerole, Brooklyn,
fractured skull, condition critical.
Anthony Cuviello, %, Buffalo, in
juries undetermined.
Charles zehler, AZ, Buffalo,
bruises.
Robert French, 18, Jersey City,
N. j., head injuries.
Mrs. Eileen Lyons, 46, Port Ale
gheny, Pa, chest injuries, possible
fracture of both legs. 1
Miss Bass, "a, fractured ribs.
Bodies Are Being Removed
From Western ArIiner
SAN DIEGO, Calf, Dec. 28 (P.-l
The grim task of removing bodies
of II victims from the wreckage of
a Western Air Lines transport be-
gan this afternoon as ground crews
started the long trek down the