Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-03
IA Killed, Is Survive
AS Plane Flying Yale
Students Crashes
Continued From First Page.)

= (OOHtlnueQ from t1rSC Pa&e.)
farewell after a happy holiday sea-
son, watched in horror as the DC-3
went up in flames.
Z The stricken crowd then saw sur
vivors begin plunging through the
cabin door, which har burst open
, with the crash. Some crawled
through windows, or squeezed
! through a break in the fuselage.
Survivors said they crawled on
4 hands and knees through the flames
: to reach the door, their hair and
: clothes afire.
Field attendants and Boeing and
United Rir Lines employees rushed
= to the rescue. Some crawled into
the burning plane. Others aided
z passengers leaping from the door.
I Some of the victims, too seriously
surt to move after plunging to the
concrete runway, lay their until
: helped or carried from danger.
William J. Leland, head of the
Air Charter service which owned the
plane. was among those who lost
their lives.
The survivors included John Rod
erick, Seattle, star end of Yale'S 1947
football team. He left the crash
scene unaided.
An investigation started today.
Leon D. Cuddeback, regional direc-
) tor of the Civil Aeronautics Board,
said it was too early to determine
the cause, but apparently there
was no explosion" before the plane
hit. Several witnesses reported it
exploded on striking the revetment.
Although full night shift was
at work in the Boeing hangar, none
there was injured. In the hangar
was new Boeing Stratocruiser,
loaded with 1000 gallons of gasoline.
1t was quickly towed from the
danger zone.
Burst Into Flames.
Lynn Brown, Boeing field en-
ployee, estimated the plane was
going 80 to 100 miles an hour when
it struck the hangar revetment and
burst into flames.
Il ran over to the burning plane
and helped some of the fellows who
were on the ground there" Mr..
Brown said. Others from the
crashed plane were running around
crafty and helped quiet them.
Il saw one man with his hair on
fire, screaming and moaning"
The impact and explosion split
the right side of the plane Some
escaped by scrambling through the
broken fuselage; others through the
door.
Tried to Pull Wreck Free.
Firemen struggled to attach cables
to the battered plane so it could be
hauled from the hangar, where the
Stratocruiser stood. They pulled
loose the tail section and rear
fuselage portion, but the front part
was damned in a charred mass
against the revetment.
. Thirteen were taken to hospitals
soon after the crash, several badly
burned.
Although a full night shift was
working inside the hangar, none
there was injured. Workmen inside
the hangar were first to reach the
wreckage. They braved fierce flames
In bringing out survivors.
Fred H. Godfrey, an inspector
working in the hangar, said he was
telephoning when the crash came.
Il thought it was an earthquake"
he said. There was a terrifiic ex-
plosion, and some one yelled lets
get out of here"
There was no immediate explana-
ton for the mishap, except for the
slick runway-made icy by freezing
rain and snow. Mr.. Brown said both
plane engines appeared to be func-
toining as the plane lifted.
He said the left wing appeared to
dip; then the craft dropped, bounced
and swerved. The State policemen
reported only one wheel track show
ed on the runway at the point Of
impact.
One survivor, T. H. Anderson of
Spokane who escaped with minor
injuries gave this version:
"T WAS about r1iduov IN tho riobf