Evening star., 1954-01-11
President of Bronff Airwoys
And77 Others Killed in Crash
PortysW0s Returning
From Hunting Trip
In Louisiunu Marshes
BY the Assoeiotsd Press

A blazing plane crash killed the
presidents of Braniff Interna-
tional Airways and Texas Eastern
Gas Transmission Co. and 10
companions last night.
The big private seaplane,
owned by the United Gas Co.
crashed into an unoccupied
house and burned for more than
two hours, killing 10 wealthy
passengers and two pilots re-
turning from a weekend duck
hunting trip in the Louisiana
marshlands near the gulf coast,
There were no survivors.
The plane tore into the house
after ice formed on it's wings.
The dead included Thomas
Braniff of Dallas, Tex, president
of Braniff. and r. H. Hargrove
of Shreveport. president of Texas
Eastern, which operates the
famed "big inch" and little
inch" gas pipeline to the East.
The bodies remained unidenti-
fed early today because they
were badly mangled and charred
The funeral home said dentists
who have treated the victims
were asked to send dental charts
to aid identification.
The plane went down at Wal
lace Lake, 10 miles south of
Shreveport.
T. j. Rucker of Shreveport,
the first on the scene said: Il
was driving to the lake when
I heard the crash. ! got there
and saw assistance was impos-
sible. I drove to the Forbipg
Community and called the CAA
office at Shreveport Municipal
Airport"
Harold and Julian Martinez
and E. c. Grain. all of the
Shreveport area, said they saw
the plane flying low. They said
it wavered. hit the trees and
then crashed and burned.
The plane tore a l00-yard
swath through the trees and un-
dergrowth before it hit the house
List of Passengers.
United Gas said the passen-
ger list included:
Mr.. Braniff. 70-year-old avia-
ton pioneer who began a COM
mercial flying company in 1928
and saw it grow into a major
airline.
Mr.. Hargrove, 57-year-old
president of Texas Eastern and
former president Of the Ameri-
can Gas Association who was a
former adviser for the Petroleum
Administration for Defense.
Chris Abbott. 65s HyanniS,
Nebr.. one of Nebraska's leading
bankers and a director of the
Mutual Benefit Health and Ac-
cident Association, the North
western Bell Telephone Co., and
the Union Stockyards Of Omaha.
Edgar Tobin. So, San Antonio,
Tex, head of a large aerial map
ping firm and a World War
flying ace with Eddie Ricken-
hackers famed Ring
Squadron.
Justin r. Queries. sr., 81, direc-
tor of Shreveport's First National
Bank, president Of an insurance
company and leader in the city,s
Community Chest drives.
Randolph Queries, ST., So, his
brother and a wholesale cleo
trical company head.
E. Bernard Weiss Of Shreve-
port, vice president of Goldring s,
Inc. a clothing chain with SO
stores.
Milton Weiss of Dallas. Tex,
his brother and manager of
Volk's, a large Dallas clothing
store.
J. P. Evans, SO, a Shreveport
independent oil producer.
John B. Atkins, ST., Sc, a
Shreveport Gilman and chairman
OF the board of two Shreveport
oil firms.
Buddy Huddleston, 80, a pilot,
Houma. La.
Louis Schexnaydre, q pilot.
also Of Houma.
Six Others in Party Safe.
Six other members Of the
hunting party arrived safely at
Shreveport, almost 800 miles
north OF the hunting site, in an
other plane. They included
United Gas President N. c. Nc
Gowen. Shreveport benker Wal
ter. Jacobs. Shreveport ol.:nan w.
c. Woolf. P. H. Hamrick OF Dali
las and two pilots, Dick E.zay
and Harry Ritzheimer.
The group left Thursday on
the hunting trip. The hunting
camp was about 40 miles south
OF Lake Charles, La, and owned
by Bernard Weiss. who was host
to the group.
Seymour Weiss, a brother OF
the dead man and president OF
the Roosevelt Hotel in New
Orleans. said a cold had pre-
vented him from accompanying
the group.
r. G. O'Brien, a Shreveport
Gilman, had gone with the group,
but returned Saturday because
of illness.
Difficulty Reaching Scene.
Rescue crews had difficulty
reaching the crash scene be-
cause of snow flurries and freez-
ing rain. The blacktop road
leading to the lake was clogged
by ambulances, police. relatives
and friends driving to the scene.
It was covered with mud and
ice.
The fire was put out after two
hours by crews from Barksdale
Air Force Base, near Shreve-
port.
Mr.. Braniff's death was an