Evening star., 1947-10-26
s. Bodies Removed
From Utah Crash Site,
CAB Presses Probe
BY the Associoted Press

| BRYCE CANYON, Utah, Oct. 25
Sober faced workmen and officials
removed torn and burned bodies to-
day from a canyon rim where a
flaming four-enigne sky giant fell
yesterday and So persons perished.
Promising that the investigation
would &C into minutest detail to find
the cause of the United Air Lines
DC-6 crash, James R. Peyton, regi-
onal Civil Aeronautics Board in
vestigator from Los Angeles. said: ::
Our investigation likely will con-
tinue for weeks
Fire broke out in the baggage COM
partment of the Los Angeles-to-New
York plane carrying Al passengers
and crew of Ave. Pilot E. L. Mac
Millen of Balboa Park. Calf, few
beyond the scenic canyon, then
radioed he was turning back to
land here.
Explosion Time Conjectural.
Whether the craft exploded in the
air or as 1t struck ground was a
subject of connective. Official invest
igators kept silent pending a report
to the Civil Aeronautics Board in
Washington. The plane crashed
/ 500 yards from an emergency
landing field just after clearing a
200-foot deep canyon.
This small settlement in Southern
Utah filled today with onlookers and
scores of officials representing the
CAB, Civil Aeronautics Authority,
United Air Lines, Douglas Aircraft
Co., maker of the plane, and the
National Park Service which has
charge Of the canyon park.
AS teams of aircraft experts
examined burned wreckage, the
bodies. most of them unrecogniz-
able, were released to air line Of
ficials. In a morgue at Richf1eld,
100 miles north. of here, attempts
at identification began.
There was no inquest. The cor
oner, Hans P. 1pson. noted only
that the crash caused the deaths
and left the rest to Federal and
air line officials.
Currency. papers and clothes
were widely strewrl with the shat
tered wreckage Postal inspectors
picked up scattered mail.
Largest piece of the plane still
intact was tail section eight by
Is feet.
Wreckage Widely Scattered.
Reporters who had covered major
crashes in mountainous Utah said
they never saw wreckage scattered
so widely and so many bodies un-
identifiable Two of the victims
were infants: a score or more we're
women. one an expectant mother.
Employees of the Civil Aeronautic5
Authority at the airport here and
residents of Tropic. miles away,
rushed to the flaming scene yes5er-
day, but their hand fire extinguish-
ers had little effect on the flames.
The mangled bodies were wrapped
in large pieces of canvas and CAR
ried to the nearby airport by truck.
then flown to Richfield where rela-
tives began assembling to claim
them.
Authorities requested relative to
remain out of the crash area.
Gordon Placed About Scene.
Tourists from nearby Bruce Cam,
yon congresated in the crash area.
but a Gordon of officers was placed
around the scene and kept the
curious at a distance. Before the
guard was established. however, sew
eral persons attempted to carry
away pieces of wreekage. They
we're reprimsnded and ordered to
replace the metal.
Douglas Aircraft ordered sister
ship of the ill-fated plane flown
here in an attempt to match the
pieces to further the investigation.
Scores of persons who live in the
canyon villages of Tropic. Cannon
vile and others reported they saw
the plane in trouble as it headed
for the emergency landing strip
here. They agreed the fire was un-
der the left wing. but was spread
ing. None, however. witnessed the
actual crash because the plane
cleared the rim before 1t plowed into
the soft earth Scores saw the
flames shoot up, they said.
Ii IA A.