Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-11-23
BY the Associated Press

MEIRINGEN, Switzerland, Nov,
23.-The vanguard of a noun
taineer rescue squad plowed
through treacherous snowdrifts
and reached the United States
Army's wrecked C-53 in the Swiss
Alps today. They Immediately
began preparations to bring the
II marooned Americans down
from the 8,000-foot glacial bowl.
Brig. Gen. Ralph Snavely, direct.
ing rescue operations for the Army,
announced that two Alpinists had
reached the wreck scene this AFTER
noon and that about so more noun
tain climbers were close behind.
Omitted States Army head
quarters at Frankfurt said all II
were alive)
Most Sick, Injured First.
Brig. Gen. Ralph Tate, deputy
commander of American forces in
Austria, said the passengers most
seriously sick or injured would be
the first to be brought down. He
expressed hope they would reach a
hut halfway down the mountains
side by tonight. The wives of both
Gen. Snavely and Gen. Tate are
among the IL marooned.
"We don't know how many are in
jured, or how seriously, but in any
event, we can't expect any of them
down here Tin the Valley before
tomorrow" Gen. Tate said.
When the injured finally are
brought down into the valley, they
will be placed on a special train,
and I'VE hope they will be taken to
an Army hospital In Munich" Gen.
Tate said.
They have been up there more
than four days now, and undoubted-
" are suffering from shock and ex-
posure."
Near Strahlegg Peak.
The C-53, on trip from Munich
to Pisa. crasi1-landed Tuesday near
the steep, 11,000-foot Strahlegg Peak
in the heart Of the Bernese Ober-
land, an area laced with fnnumer-
able treacherous crevasses. The peak
is Is miles southeast of Interlaken,
and Just northeast of the mighty
Jmgfrau.
The wives of Gems. Tate and Sna-
vely and an 11-year-old girl were
among the seven passengers. Gen.
Tate's son, Capt. Ralph Ttate, IT.,
piloted the C-53. Gen. Tate said
he talked with his son by radio tele-
phone and was told all had survived
the ordeal.
The passengers were Brig. Gen.
Loyal M. Haynes, head of the Ad-
visory Board of American forces in
Austria; Mrs. Haynes, Col. william
c. Mcmahon, retiring chief of staff,
United States forces in Austria, his
wife and their daughter Mary Alice;
Mrs. Tate and Mrs. Snavely. The
crew members, as announced at
Vienna, were Capt. Tate, End 1t.
Irving Mathews Of Richmond, Va,
co-pilot; Sergt. Lewis G. Hill, Por-
tales, N. Mex, radio operator, and
S/Sergt. Wayne G. Folsom of POST
Vile, Iowa.
Huge Snake in. Snow.
Silhouetted against the snow, the
rescue party looked like huge snake
as it crept slowly ahead over the
snow-clad glacier. Newly fallen snow
hid many crevasses and the noun
taineers. roped together, ventured
forward at the peril of their lives.
The lead man in the party had
to work his way forward at times
by crawling on his belly while his
companions dug in to hold him In
case the snow should give way be-
meath him. When the lead AL.
pinist reached the end of the rope,
he, in turn, dug in to hold while
the second member of the party
followed with equal caution. The
operation was repeated until the
entire group had been pulled for
ward another few yards.
Gen. Snavely said the vanguard Of
the Alpine rescue squad reached the
scene Of the crash at 2:21 pm. 1921
am. EST.
Ca European Air Transport
Service hospital plane took of
just before 8 am. EST for In
(Sen or ANE pace An