The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-04-26

CABS national -, office, wa:
scheduled to arrive this after
noon to take charge of the in,
quiry. -
Cuban Civil, Aeronautics au.
thorities are also in Key West tc
participate in the investigation.
So far, nothing is known of the
cause of the tragedy. Eye witness,
eS Yesterday. numbering hun.
dredS. who" were on the beaches
Opposite the scene of the crash
were not !, in agreement as &c
the planes had collided
Naval officials today said, how
ever, that it was@certain they had
struck in mid-air. The airlineI
was apparently on its regular
The navy has asked all per.
sons who witnessed the mid.
air collision yesterday between
a engine passenger plane
and 4 Navy SNB.s sireraft to
contact the Naval Base Legal
Officer st the. earliest possible
time and furnish him with .
complete storY of !. what they
saw. s..
Coroner Roy Hamlin met with
relatives of the victims at
o'clock this afternoon in the
County Court House. The bodies
were to be released to next OF
kin after proof Of the relation.
ship had been made ard the vic
Tins identified.
Relatives were not being per-
mitted to see the bodies be
cause of their, condition. As
the remains were raised. they
were taken to the Naval Sta
ton and from there to the
Naval Hospital where finger
prints were taken. identifying
marks noted. and photographs
made. In many cases. identifica-
ton was almost impossible.
The bodies were tagged anC
numbered and then taken to tho
local funeral homes where they
were to be released to relative.
for burial. : .e."
A team of 10 divers from the
U,S.S, Howard Gilmore operated
in teams of two from 1.-THE Yarc
Salvage Derrick during the day
They stayed down for only few
minutes at time. The water
was rough, a factor which in
creased the difficulty of the op
The muddied water de
creased visibility below the sur,
face.
The Salvage vessel Petrol anc
a diving barge were engaged il
trying to raise the navy plane
The bodies of two of the navy
men, 1t. (jg) Robert Lowlel
Stuart of Pensacola and Avia,
ton Electronicsman first class
c. Gasser of La Vale
have been recovered
The bodies of Ensign Eugene
Samuel Bardsley of Spokane
Washington, and Midshipmar
Francis Lavelle Ready of Colo
Springs Harbor, Long Island, New
York were expected to be brought
up with the wrcckage of the
plane.
1t. Stuart is survived by his
wife, Mrs. Rebecca Bell Stuart
and two year old daughter
Kathryn Ann. of 1912 Duck ave
nue., Kew West.
Ensign Bardsley is survived by
his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Paul S
BardSley of Spokane.
Midshipman Ready is survived
by his parents, Colonel and Mrs
Francis L. Ready of Cold Spring
Harbor. Long Island, New York
Gasser is survived by his par
ents Mr.. and Mrs. Martin Gas
ser of Lavalle, Wisconsin.
Captain c. G. Adell, command
er of the Naval Base, said today
that "the Navy. working in close
cooperation with the Civil Aero
Authority, the Cuban
Civilian Airline officials, the city
and county officials, is doing
everything possible to assist all
those involved in this tragic &C.
cident.
THE Key West Coast Guard
init and all naval activities in
the area are doing their utmost
TO do a thorough and complete
salvage operation. The facilities
Of the Naval hospital have been