Evening star., 1947-06-14
Rescuers Toilinq
To Reach Scene
Of Disaster
By George Kennedy
Stcr Stoff Correspondent

LEESBURG, Va, June IA
With all so persons aboard ap-
parently dead, the wreckage
of a Pittsburgh Washington
Capital Airlines DC-4 was found
today on the western slope OF the
Glue Ridge Mountains, about Is
miles northwest of here.
Early this afternoon rescue
workers of three States toiled up
foliage -choked trail to reach the
isolated scene. There seemed little
hope for any survivors among the
broken sections of the Skymaster
At least seven of the At passengers
and tnsee crew members lived In the
Washington area.
Ruins Sighted by Official.
The wreckage was first sighted
from the air by James Franklin. d.
rector of maintenance for Capital
Airlines.
After he reported his discovery
rescue teams started toward the
scene. Earlier reports from Mr
Franklin said it seemed doubtful
there were any survivors.
(An Associated Press reporter
who flew over the scene said the
wreckage was burned out and
scattered over an area 200 yards
longO
Passengers on the Inflated flight
which began and ended on Friday
the 18th included couple married
but a day and on their honeymoon
a baby in arms, the husband OF q
congressional secretary, and a IT.
year-old girl student who had re-
ceived her trip as a graduation
present. .
The plane was last heard from
when the pilot reported at 7:15
o'clock last night to a radio station
at Martinsburg, w. Va.
Crossed Shenandoah Valley.
The big, 200-mile-an-hour trans
port had crossed a 20-mile fiat
stretch of the Shenandoah Valley
lust before it struck the ridge,
apparently in level flight while
driving through a rainstorm.
The ridge, which has an altitude
of about 1,700 feet, was the last
land barrier between the plane and
the descending slopes of the Poto-
mac River Valley.
It. was believed that the trans
port crashed few minutes after
the crew checked in by radio with
Martinsburg, some Is miles to the
northwest.
A search was launched shortly
thereafter when the airmen failed
to respond to radio queries from
Washington. Throughout last night
police from West Virginia and
Maryland as well as Virginia, and
volunteers, secuted the mountain
roads in the rain.
They followed false rumors into
dark hollows and along winding
hill trails that led nowhere. Some
residents of the vicinity believed
they had heard an airplane in dis
tress, but nothing definite developed
until Mr.. Franklin took off in a
light plane from Winchester, Va,
early this morning and followed
the radio range beneath the shroud
OF rain and mist clinging to the
mountains.
Braves Rain for Flight.
Mr.. Franklin, who has headquar-
ters at National Airport, drove to
Winchester. Va, last night and this
morning braved low-hanging clouds
and drenching rain to take off in
light airplane.
Mr.. Franklin followed the route
which the four-motored airliner
wctld take on the run to Washing
ton and skinned under the clouds
to scan the rain-sodden mountains
Just over the crest on a northwest
ward course he saw the wreckage.
The spot is near the point where
Highway crosses the Blue Ridge
divide at Bluemont. 1t is about SIS
miles northwest of Washington and
5 miles west of Hillsboro, in the last
mountain range of the Appalachians
before the foothills level off into the