Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-01
Inquiry foCheck
Story EAL Plane
Lost Tail in Air,
Identification of s.
Victims of Maryland
Crush Proceeds Slowly
CRASHES FATAL TO "a Spur
Demand for Air Safety Board.
Page AS
By Vincent Dryer
Sior Sfcff Correspondent

PORT DEPOSIT, Md, May 81.
Federal experts investigating
the crash of an Eastern Airlines
DC-4 near here will consider EVIL
dence from at least three wit
nesses that the tail section fell
off before the big ship plummet-
ed to earth. killing So persons.
This was the most popular theory
as townspeople quietly discussed the
tragedy that struck miles east of
here Friday night, and relatives of
the victims kept a day-long vigil at
cambridge Naval Training Center.
awaiting the slow. painful process of
identifying the dead.
Two Civil Aeronautics Board in
vestigators, riding in a plane behind
the Inflated liner, did not see the
tail disintegrate, nor did they see an
explosion in mid-air, as some sources
reported.
Party Led to Scene.
Three men on the ground-Sea-
man 1/c James Sweeny of the ma
val station, Seaman 1/c Frank
WEIGH and Chief Boatswain's Mate
w. c. Gorhsm-said they saw the
tail fall off.
1t was reported that Chief Cor
ham led a party to a spot where he
saw the tail surfaces f1utter down,
and there found parts of the rudder,
vertical stabilizer and two sections
Of the horizontal stabilizer. This
was about a half mile from where
the transport began cutting through
an oak grove.
In his description of the crash,
Seaman WEIGH said he saw the plane
flying at a height of 1900 to 1000
feet when 1t started to turn over to
the right.
"The plane tipped a little" he
said, land then started to nose down.
The whole tail assembly disin-
tegrated and I counted nine separate
pieces falling to the ground"
Victims Relatives Arrive.
Early today relatives of the dead
began arriving. They were taken to
a visitors lounge at the training sta
ton where they talked in low tones.
For the most part, grief and shock
kept them silent.
More than "a hours after the
crash, only eight bodies had been
identified. Two truckloads of per-
sonal effects salyaged from the crash
scene were inspected before the rela-
tives were taken by bus to the i'm
provised morgue-the station COM
missary-a few hundred yards away.
There in a long room the bodies
were laid out on trestle-like plat
forms about three inches from the
floor.
In the visitors lounge, where the
silent group sat, Edward Stuart, 81,
of New York City, bit his lip from
time to time and shook his head
His wife, Esther, and year-old son
Michael were among those identi-
fed in the wreckage of the Newark
Miami transport.
Baby CIasped in Arms.
When found, Mrs. Stuart still had
Michael clasped in her arms. They
were the first to be identified, be-
cause of that fact.
Rabbi S. NJ Machtei of Miami
Fla. lost a son, Leo, Is, and a
daughter, Queenie, 81, in the crash
His children have not yet been
identified.
Every few minutes one of those
waiting would rise and walk out.
side. The huge grounds of the
Naval center seemed deserted but
for them. The center has 2,70t
sailors. In the war it had 10000.
DR.. R. C. Dodson, examiner, DR.
H. K. Edwards, Eastern Airline.
medical officer, and five Navy. den.
lists worked at identifying the
bodies.
Identified in addition to MRS
Stuart and her baby, and the Mach.
tets, were Henry Schifrin, New York
Donna Medling, WATERFOWL, Conn.
Theodore Lundstrom, Elmont, N. Y.
the plane purser, and Stewards!
Helena O'Brien, New York City.
DR.. Dodson said the work o.
| (See PORT DEPOSIT, Page A-5.)