Evening star., 1952-02-12

that snuffed out 81 lives, now is
the scene Of ghost-like silence.
Its future hangs in the balance
and will be discussed in New York
today at a meeting between the
Port Of New York Authority and
Officials of II airlines. Gov. AL
fred E. Driscoll of New Jersey and
Gov. Dewey of New York have
been advised of the session. The
port authority has operated the
$50 million field since 1947.
Wary Elizabeth residents, terri
fed and furious because of the
three crashes within less than two
months, wondered whether the
close-down order would last.
Death Toll Now 81.
"In my opinion, the present
Newark Airport is dead" said Rep
|reSentatiue Canfleld, Republican,
of New Jersey.
The death toll from the crash
yesterday Of the four-engined
IDC-6 rose to 81 last night. The
craft plunged out of control into
this crowded city and tore into the
top of a 52-family Apartment house.
lsetting 1t ablaze. Twenty-Seven
Of the 63 aboard perished and four
persons trapped in the inferno-like
apartment building lost their lives.
Forty persons-mostly plane pas
lsengers-were injured, many Of
them seriously.
Harold De Fiore Of Lynbrook,
IN. Y, passenger on the plane,
died in Elizabeth General Hospital
last night. He was on a honey
moon with his bride, who was re-
ported in good condition.
This brought the combined
death toll Of the three tragedies
Ito lit.
In the other two crashes, one
LOT the planes-aS in yesterdays
disaster was wrecked within
minutes after taking off from
Newark Airport on December 16.
The other, rlose-dived January "a
as it groped its way to a landing
on the field in fog and rain.
At Least One Engine Quit.
One or more Of the engines on
the Miami bound DC-6 quit dur
ling the takeoff. There was no
clue, however, to the engine fail
lure. Senator Smith, Republican,
of New Jersey, In Washington,
Suggested "a strong possibility of
inadequate inspection" But the
Civil AeronauticS Board said the
doomed plane had been inspected
twice before takeoff.
This most recent crash in Eliz-
abeth was called lone Of the rar-
lest condolences in the annals Of
aviation" by Joseph E. Fluet, a
CAB regional investigator.
The port authority operates
three other major airportS in the
New York-New Jersey metropoli-
tan area. These are Teterboro, in
New Jersey, and LaGuardia and
Idlewild in New York.
Flights Are Shunted.
Flights scheduled for Newark
Airport were shunted to New York.
Philadelphia and Teterboro.
Gov. Driscoll said the port au-
Ithority had ordered the shutdown
Iof Newark Airport after confer
ence with him because I'VE could
not afford to await action Of Fed
leral authorities"
For some time, even before the
first plane crash here, residents Of
this city and other areas near the
airport have protested about low
flying planes over residential
lareaS.
The majority of the passengers
who escaped death in yesterdays
crash were seated in the rear Of
the deg. The impact on this
section Of the craft was cushioned
by the branches Of tree.
In Washington, a Civil Aero
nautics Administration expert said
today the series of air disasters at
Elizabeth. is lone Of the most
baffling condolences that will ever
happen in aviation history"
E. s. Hensley. director of CAA's
office Of Aviation Safety, said
there probably is no way Of ex-
planning how three major crashes
could have occurred in the same
place within less than so days.
"It could just as easily have
been San Francisco. Timbukto or
Saskatchewan" Mr.. Hensley said.
"Why the Lord let it happen at
Elizabeth. I cannot guess. There
is no earthly reason"
Mr.. Hensley said Newark AIR
port is one Of the oldest and
safest In the country.
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