Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-26
Hemingways Return
From Plane Crashes
In WiIds Of Africa
8v the Assoeiossd Press

~ VIZ @eSOetotSo GtOSS
ENTEBBE. Uganda. Jan. 90
Novelist Ernest Hemingway re-
turned to civilization last night
with only slight cuts and burns
after two plane crackups in the
wild East African bush. But Mrs.
Hemingway, his fourth wife, had
two rib fractures and was in
need of a rest.
The Hemingway party arrived
from q 125-mile motor trip over
jungle and mountain roads after
spending the night near the Al
bert Nile. tributary Of the Vic
toria Nile River. After the sec
ond crackup, all they had to
worry about was the herds Of
elephants and other unidentified
wild beasts which howled around
them and the swarms Of mos
QuitoeS from the river. A camp
fire kept the beats and insects at
bay.
No Heroism, He Says.
ST feel wonderful" Mr.. Hem
ingway said as he arrived, "but
my wife has to rest as she has
two cracked ribs.
There has been no heroism,
no hardship, no lack Of direction
at any time"
Coming from a man who has
described death on Italy'S World
War I battleflelds. in the noun
tainS of civil war Spain. and in
the Chicago gang wars. that ap-
peared to be a conservative ac-
count of his latest real life adj
venture.
The first crackup occurred
Saturday when the Hemingways
were flying in a chartered sight
seeing plane near Murchison
Falls. noted Uganda beauty spot.
Mr.. Hemingway said the river
was full of crocodiles and that
when the plane got into trouble
it was choice between crashing
in the river of the bush.
A tourist launch took the
Hemingways and their pilot, Roy
March, from the falls 60 miles to
Butiaba.
Opens Door With Head.
The second crackup came there
when another plane failed to ne
gotiate a takeoff. Mr.. Heming-
way said all aboard had braced
themselves for the shock. One
wing broke into flames from fire
originating in the engine. Mr..
Hemingway opened the door with
his head and shoulder and suf-
fered cuts on the head, and Slight
burns. His wife and the other
occupants left through the front
OF the plane and were not burned.
Mrs. Hemingway's ribs appar-
emily were cracked when the
plane swerVed of the runway
and into a plantation before
catching fire.
Mr.. Hemingway and his wife,
the former Mary Welsh, we'll
known magazine correspondent.
are making a f1ve-month safari
through East Africa.
Bananas and Bottle of Gin.
He was clutching a bunch of
bananas and a bottle of gin as
he and his, wife climbed pain
fully from their automobile here.
The novelist's shirt was torn,
his arm was swollen. and there
was a big patch of adhesive tape
on his head.
He said the first crackup was
caused when the sightseeing
plane dived to avoid a fight of
1bises-black and white birds big
enough to smash the pilots win
dow.
The party had to choose be-
tween landing on a sandpit in
the river where several croco-
diles lay baSking or on an ele-
phant track through the thick
scrub growth. and they chose
the scrub. They spent the night
around the campfire surrounded
by herd of elephants, attracted
by my wife's snoring"
Asked about his luck, he said:
Il think she is running very
good"
He explained the trip was his
wife's Christmas present but
added he plans to write a book
about it. He said he will com
plete it after finding another
plane.
The Hemingways lost their
gear when the second plane
burned.