Evening star., 1948-08-30
Crash
Continued From First Page1

tCOnLlnueQ from f1rSL Pdge.t
efforts we're halted last night. The
wooded and rocky ravine has ASIDE
gree slopes.
The plane was one of the airlines
newer Martin 2-0-2 ships and was
bound for Minneapolis from Chicago
with 33 passengers and three crew
members.
1t left Chicago at $50 pm. CCST)
and although due in Minneapolis at
$50 pm. apparently was behind
schedule because of the storm.
NorthWests Twin Cities head
quarters said its last message from
the plane was received at about
S pm. and read. Am descending
through heavy overcast The plane
then was at 1000 feet and in the
vicinity of La Crosse, Wis, about 80
miles from the crash scene The
pilot indicated he would go down to
5000 feet.
A spokesman said 1t is normal
procedure for the planes to begin
their descent at la Crosse prepara-
tory to landing at the Twin Cities.
Reported Struck by Lightning.
A crash witness told the coroner
he saw the plane fall into the
ravine on Suffers Ridge after
lightning shattered wing. A
Northwest Airlines pilot, Capt. Jack
Volkel, who was among the first to
reach the crash scene, said he
thought the ship had been struck by
lightning.
Howard Rackow, a farmer living
on Perry Island in the Mississippi
River, told the corner he was get
ting some livestock out of the storm
when the plane passed over.
Il was in the yard with my
mother" he said. There was fash
of lightning. 1t struck the plane.
A part of wing fell off and the
ship started down"
Mrs. Charles Guenther, foun-
tain City farm woman, told a SINH
lar story. She and her husband saw
the crash from their automobile.
We were returning from Winona
and saw the plane rolling like
barrel" she said. Some pieces of
the plane fell of. Then it crashed"
Mrs. Guenther placed the crash at
at about $50 pm.
Bits of wreckage were scattered
over a wide area. Some of it was
found in ball park in Winona 7
miles away.
Executive Editor Gordon Closway
and Reporter William White of the
Winona Republican-Herald, and
Officer Walter Haeussinger of the
Winona police were among the
first to reach the crash scene.
They searched for nearly two
hours before locating the wreckage
deep in the ravine. Capt. Volkel,
who was in the search party, identi-
fed it as that of a Northwest plane.
10 Bodies Found in Fuselage.
Mr. Closwav said several times
they waded waist deep in storm
swollen streams.
They counted 10 bodies in the
battered fuselage Among the dead
they saw a woman still holding a
small child in her arms.
Mr. Closway said the plane
sheered off trees as it bounced across
the top of the ridge and then
dropped into the ravine.
The body of Capt Robert Johnson,
80, st. Paul. the pilot. was still in
the smashed nose of the plane.
Bodies were scattered over a
mile wide area" Mr.. Closway said.
I'VE found the deoapitated body of
man at the edge of swirling creek.
We found the body of woman
whose clothes had been torn off by
the impact and she was still clinging
to red purse"
Some Wreckage Found in Swamp.
Mr.. Closway said some of the
wreckage was found in the swamp.
William Pehler, farmer living
on the bluff, said he and his son
Charles, were in their barn when
they heard the plane.
I'VE thought it was going to hit
the barn." Mr.. Pehler said. 1T was
flying so low. 1t went over a rise
and then we heard it crash
United Air Lines said in Chicago
that the father and mother and A.
year-old son Of one of their senior
pilots were passengers on the North
west Air.ines plane.
The three members OF the family
were Stephen Learned, 4. and his
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