Evening star., 1950-11-14
58Found Dead
In nWreckageof
Pilgrim Plane
Cunudiun AirIiner
Hits Alpine Peak on
Return From Rome
BY the Associated Press

lle 1lTSI T6SCu6r TeacneQ J0e scene
today where Canadian airlinel
crashed against the side of an
Alpine cliff and reported nothing
left but pieces of bodies" of the
So passengers and crew.
Most of the 81 passengers were
Canadian Holy Year pilgrims
homeward bound from Rome.
The rescuer, Gen. Valette Dosia
Iof the French Army Alpine troops
reported by radio that the plane
broke into pieces and that bits OF
bodies and parts of metal were
scattered over a 500-yard area.
He said the DC-4 plane had dug
into the rocky face of the noun
tain at full power.
Light Snow Covers Bodies
The bodies were covered by q
light blanket of snow.
Rescue organizers here begar
preparing to remove the bodies al
dawn tomorrow. The pilgrims were
the first to be involved in an all
disaster.
Guides pushed through rain and
snow all last night in search for
the plane, starting as soon as news
OF the crash was received.
Earlier today guides had mes
saged that they had spotted the
Wreckage near the vertical north
face of Mont L'Obiou.
Photographs of Pope Plus XII
who. had blessed the pilgrims
shortly before they took off from
Rome yesterday for Paris and
home, were found scattered in q
forest several miles from the scene
of the crash-apparently carried
by mountain gales.
IS Miles From Earlier Crash,
Scraps of diary written by one
Of the pilgrims told of the audi
ence with the Pope and of recitine
the rosary imploring the mercy OF
Heaven before boarding the plane
The crash occurred about 81
miles from the spot where an In.
dian Constellation plunged into
the face of Mont Blanc less thar
two weeks ago. killing 43 East In
dian seamen and crew of five
Although French mountain guides
reached the scene Of that crash
in one of the most hazardou:
Alpine feats in history. none o1
the bodies has been removed be-
cause of the snow and the DANCE,
OF winter avalanches. One French
guide was killed by an avalanche
during the climb.
But guides believed the victim:
OF the Canadian airliner crash
could be brought down to the
valley.
The plane. which belonged ts
the Curtiss-Reid line, crashed or
a flight to Paris, the first leg ot
the trip to Montreal. 1t was called
the Canadian Pilgrim" and hac
made 80 successful round-trir
flights to Rome with Pilgrims since
last April.
Pontiff in Tears at News
The Canadian pilgrims included
"a monsignor and 10 priests. In.
formed OF the crash at midnight
the Pontiff-with tears streamins
down his face-went to his private
chapel to pray for the victims.
The passenger list at Rome
showed one American aboard
Giuseppe Butera, IS, of Brooklyn
The rest Of the passengers and the
crew were Canadians.
The pilgrims had gone to Rome
for the beatification ceremony last
Sunday of Mother Marguerite
Catherine Bourgeoise, who founded
the order of the Sisters of Oul
Lady in the Canadian wilds 800
years ago.
Msgr. j. Alderville Bureau, At
former dean of the Faculty o1
Canonical Law at Quebec's Lava.
University, was the ranking
churchman's aboard.
Villagers in the area of the
peak said they heard two explo-
sions, then saw the glow of 9
fire.
From Rome Msgr. Maurice Roy
Archbishop of Quebec, left by spe.
cial Italian military plane en- route
to Grenoble. The archbishop was
accompanied by Col. A. Cherrier
Military Attache of the Canadian
Embassy, and Camille Pouliot
Quebec Province Minister of Lands
and Forests.
The Canadian embassy sale
plans for Ambassador Jean Desy
and other clerical and government
officials to make the trip had beer
Cancelled.
From the Vatican Pope Plus
cabled messages of coincidence tc
the Canadian government and te
the families of the pilgrims.