Indianapolis Times, Volume 48, Number 24, Indianapolis, Marion County, 8 April 1936 — Page 3

APRIL 8, 1936.

RADIO BEACON IS BLAMED BY AVIATION LINE U. S. Denies Charge That Directional Beam Was Faulty. (Continued From Page One) severely. Both are guarded closely. The bodies of the 11 victims—nine passengers and two pilots—have been claimed by friends and relatives. They were carried out over the steep mountain trail yesterday after mountaineers had hacked a path from the mangled plane to a winding mountain road. From the company's resumes of Miss Granger’s story, it appeared that Pilot Ferguson, flying blind in a thick fog, was unaware of his danger until a split second before the twin-motored Douglass monoplane crashed into the mountain top shortly after 10 a. m. yesterday. A short time earlier Miss Granger had gone to the pilot’s cabin and asked Ferguson how soon he would land in Pittsburgh. Ferguson replied, “In a few minutes.” Miss Granger told her passenger to adjust their straps (air passengers are required to strap themsleves to their seats when a plane is about to land), and went to the tail of the plane and sat down in her own seat. A minute or so later the plane crashed. She was thrown clear and recovered consciousness "looking at the sky.” This made it appear that Pilot Ferguson believed he was coming Into the Pittsburgh airport, some 40 miles north of the scene of the crash. At approximately the same time he told Miss Granger he was going to land “in a few minutes,” he said into his radiotelephone: "Flying blind at 3000 feet. Letting down to land at Pittsburgh.” Message Heard at Pittsburgh This message, picked up at T. W. A. ground stations at Newark and Pittsburgh, was the last word from the plane. More than three hours later, Miss Granger's frantic voice, coming over rural telephone lines into Ptitsburgh T. W. A. Headquarters, announced the tragedy. Pilot Ferguson, with Co-pilot H. C. Lewis at his side, took off from Newark rt 7:45 a. m. yesterday in good weather, with good weather promised over the Pennsylvania mountains, one of the worst stretches of flying country in the world. He landed at Camden and continued without incident until he reached the mountains, where a thick fog overtook him. It was cold enough for ice to form on his wings and air experts believed Jiat when he first saw the mountain looming through the fog ahead, his plane might have been so overweighted it could not respond to the controls quickly enough to lift over it. Bears Out Charge Miss Granger's story tended to bear out the company’s charge that the radio beam had not been functioning properly, deceiving the pilot into the belief that he was near the Pittsburgh airport. Four of the victims were students of the Valley Forge Military Academy, of Wayne, Pa., awarded airplane trips for scholastic excellence. They were Robert G. Evans, 18, Lancaster, Pa.; Crawford T. Kelly, 18, McKeesport, Pa.; Donald V. August, 17, Grove City, Pa., and Charles H. Smith, 17, New Kensington, Pa. The other victims were Frank Hardeman, 33, and John J. O’Neil, 32, officials of a Jersey City local of the International Brotherhood of Iron Workers, en route to a union convention in St. Louis; Guy R. D'Aro, an engineer of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and G. W. Heffernan, a salesman, of New York. Misses Birthday Party Otto Ferguson, Transcontinental Western Air pilot, killed W’hen his ph.iie crashed near Uniontown, Pa„ yesteray, was to have celebrated his birthday at Municipal Airport, Nish Dienhart, manager, revealed today. H. C. Lewis, co-pilot who aiso was killed in the crash, and Miss Nellie H. Granger, hostess were to have joined in the celebration. Dienhart arranged for the party after Ferguson remarked Sunday that yesterday would be his birthday. The celebration would have been confined to the 10-minute stop-over before the luxurious Sun Racer was to have left for St. Louis and Kansas City. Three weeks ago Dienhart met Ferguson in Kansas City while the former was making an inspection tour of radio control towers. Ferguson expressed keen interest in the possibility that the Municipal Airport here might soon have a blind landing approach system and offered several suggestions on its installation from a pilot's viewpoint. MICHIGAN CITY ASKS CONGRESS FOR FUNDS PWA Lacks Money for Sewage Plant, Representatives Told. By United Press WASHINGTON. April 8. —Michigan City tlnd.) representatives turned to the White House and Congress today in an effort to obtain funds for additions to the city’s sewage disposal plant, after being informed that the Public Works Administration had no funds available for the purpose. Rep. Samuel B. Pettengill (D.. Ind.), said PWA officials expressed approval of a project to spend $150,000 to complete and perfect the sewage plant, but pointed out that all available PWA money already has been allocated to other projects. RAPS TOWNSEND CHIEFS Rep. Bell Claims They Are Trying to Block Probe. By United Press WASHINGTON, April 8.-Chair-man C. Jasper Bell (D.. Mo.), of the Houseold-age pension investigation, charged today that the Townsend movement was trying to halt the inquiry became some "of its leaders are getting jittery.” The Townsend organization directors previously had ordered legal representatives to start court action to halt the House inquiry.

Fire Adds to Storm’s Toll of Death, Destruction

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Fire increased the toll of death and destruction in the wake of the tornado which leveled one-half of the city of Gainesville, Ga., taking the lives of more than 150 persons, injuring 650, and inflicting damage of $6,000,000. This photo, made by Eastern Airlines from a plane flown

‘UNITED FRONT' IS SAFETY PLAN Industrialists, City Officials Meet to Co-ordinate Traffic Campaign. The Citizens’ Safety Committee, made up of city officials and representatives of private industries, took steps to establish a “united front” in the campaign against traffic accidents at a luncheon meeting in the Columbia Club today. Efforts are to be made, leaders said, to co-ordinate this organization's work with that of the Governor’s Safety Committee and other groups. Traffic Capt. Lewis Johnson told members the new triplicate stickers had reduced parking violations, and relieved congestion in the mile square. He added that police also were working to eliminate other traffic law violations. “The department,” he added, “needs 15 new motorcycles. The city is buying these for us four at a time. Many of our motorcycles are between 6 and 7 years old, and so worn out as to make if difficult to catch speeders.” FACES ARRAIGNMENT IN HUSSM'S DEATH Brownsburg Woman Held on Manslaughter Charge. By United Press DANVILLE, Ind., April B—Mrs. Gertrude Black, 29. was to be arraigned in Hendricks Circuit Court today on involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the fatal shooting of her husband, Harry, 42-year-old Brownsburg farmer. The shooting climaxed a day of domestic quarreling, witnesses said. Heart Disease Fatal William Napier, 57, of 554 Chasest, who has been ill tw r o years, died today of heart disease while talking to a neighbor in front of 1436 Oliver-av. The body was sent to City Morgue by Coroner William E. Arbuckle.

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Rulings on Party Slates Sent Out by Democrats ►State Central Committee Distributes Opinion of Board of Election Commissioners to County Groups. The Democratic State Central Committee today sent all county organizations copies of an opinion of the State Board of Election Ccmmis sioners, citing the law regarding the filing of “slates” at or before the

quinary oil may o. One opinion, signed by Fred C. Gause, election commissioner, defines a slate as “any list, ticket, ballot, or other collection of names, of more than one candidate, which is designed or intended as being an indorsement of such candidate or a recommendation or solicitation of votes, or which is calculated to convey the impression that such candidates arei ndorsed or favored by the persons responsible for such list. Such a list would be within the statute if it is to be either published or distributed in any other manner.” In a second opinion sought on the filing of slates in the office of the Circuit Court clerk in the county in which persons on the slate are candidates, the two election commissioners, Mr. Gause and William W. Spencer, said: Opinion Is Given “If any person or group of persons desire to publish or distribute a slate or list of candidates which such person or group of persons desire to favor at the primary, it is necessary that at least five days before such slate is published or circulated there shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the Circuit Court the written consent of the voters who are sponsoring such slate and the written consent of the candidates in whose behalf such slate is distributed. “If the slate is not to be distributed until the day of the primary, then such consents must be filed at least five days before the primary, and if it is desired to distribute such slate at any time prior to the day of the primary, then such consents must be filed five days before any distribution of the slate is made. “If individuals or an unorganized group of voters are sponsoring such slate, then it is necessary that at least 10 legal voters of the county sign the consent which is to be filed, and the names of the sponsors shall be printed upon the slate and also the name of the printer who printed the slate. “If an organized group of voters

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES .

over the stricken area, shows smoke billowing up from a blaze in the downtown district where shattered buildings made ready fuel for the flames. The two buildings in the foreground were unroofed by the twister, which left 2000 homeless in the city.

is to sponsor such slate, then both the slate as distributed, and the consents as filed, shall show the name of the organization and be signed by its officers. “If any slate is distributed without the said consents having been filed in the office of the clerk of the Circuit Court at least five days before the distribution of such slate, any person distributing such slate may be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to both fine and imprisonment.” ARSON SUSPECT GUILTY Bruce Walters Gets 180 Days on Farm, Draws SIOO Fine. Bruce M. Walters, 1115 S. Den-nison-st, today was found guilty of attempted arson, was fined SIOO and costs and sentenced to 180 days on the Indiana State Farm by Municipal Judge Charles J. Karabell. His convictilon was in connection with the burning of a barn on the land of Mrs. Eva Wright at 4509 W. Morrris-st.

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ANNOUNCE SPECIAL HOME MOW DATES Sponsors Designate Days for Visiting Groups. Special guest days at the Home Show were announced today by J. Frann Cantwell, director of the exposition which will be held at the Manufacturers Euilding, State Fairground, April 16 to 26. Opening-day ceremonies are to be under the direction of the Federal Housing Administration and R. Earl Peters, Indiana director. The FHA is co-sponsor of the exposition. Friday will be known as “All-Build-ing Industry Day” and Saturday has been designated as “Education Day.” Sunday has been selected as “Indiana Day” and special letters of invitation to organizations throughout the state have been issued by Ted C. Erown, Home Show president. Monday is to be ‘Garden club and North side Realtors Day” and “Home Builders and Construction League Day” is scheduled for Tuesday. Wednesday will be “Architects Day.” April 23 will be “Real Estate Board Day”; April 24, “Allied Florists Day”; April 25 will be “Old House Day.” The show will close Sunday..

HOSTESS WANTS TO FLY AT ONCE, REPORTER TOLD •Why Wasn’t I Hurt?’ Sobs Heroine of Air Disaster. (Continued From Page One) on the wing, but it didn’t appear serious. We kept on flying. I still was at my work. Maybe it was one minute, maybe five, but we began to glide. No, it wasn’t a glide, .though, like we were landing. We started to settle; every moment I could feel the plane slipping lower and lower. Couldn’t See Ground It was still foggy. I was kind of perplexed about it', but Ferguson didn’t seem worried about any: |ing. The fog was so bad we couldn’t see ground, though I knew we must have lost plenty of altitude. I remember catching a brief glimpse of a city below us, and thinking there’s Pittsburgh. We still kept slipping, and I was working at the back end of the plane when it happened. I don’t know how to describe it exactly. Thrown From Aisle The plane teetered quickly, sharply in one moment, and threw me from the aisle into a seat, on someone’s lap. I saw that the ring wing had shaved the top off a tree. Or rather the tree had shaved the wing off, and caused the plane to spin to the right. This is what threw us all sideways. I knew then that we were crashing, but you don’t have time to think those things out in the flash it takes to crash. I know that now. I remember a ripping sound, like tearing a piece of cloth, only much rougher and louder, and then the crash. That's all I remember for a while. I must have been thrown clear. When I woke up I was on the ground and the plane was burning. It had broken into two parts, and only one part had caught fire. Not Big at First It wasn’t a big fire like you’d expect, at first; but then the fuel tanks exploded, one by one, and the whole plane, except the small piece that had broken off and was some yards away, was all flames. I didn’t hear anybody screaming in the fire. I couldn’t see anybody. I hardly thought about it. I could see two persons in the part of the plane that wasn’t burning, and I helped them out of the wreck. One was a man, one a woman (C. C. Challinor and Mrs. Ellenstein). I guess I must have realized I couldn’t do anything. The woman was all cut and her

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OFFICIAL WEATHER ___Cnited States Weather Bureau

Sunrise 5:18 Sunset 6:16 ■ TEMPERATURE —April 8. 1935 7 a. m S5 1 p. m 38 —Today—6a. in 26 lrt a. m 84 7a. m 27 11 a. m 37 Ba. m 31 12 (Noon) 40 9 a. m S3 BAROMETER 7 a. m. 30.50 Precipitation 24 hrs. ending 7 a. m... .00 Total precipitation since Jan. 1 8 08 Deficiency since Jan 1 262 Wl ATHER IN OTHER CITIES AT 7 A. M. Station. Weather. Bar. Temp. Aii.arilio. Tex Clear 30 IS 36 Bismarck, N. D. C'-.udy 29 90 32 Boston Clear 29.94 33 Chicago Clear 30 44 24 Cincinnati Clear 30.54 28 Denver Cloudy 29.90 42 Dodge City. Kas Clear 30 06 42 Helena. Mont. Cloudy 30 00 40 Jacksonville. Fla Cloudy 30.28 56 Kansas City. Mo Clear 30.22 40 Little Rock. Ark Cloudy 30 38 38 Los Angeles C:?ar 30 04 58 Miami. Fla Clear 30 18 78 Minneapolis Snow 30.00 32 Mobile. Ala Cloudy 30 30 52 New Orleans Cloudy 30 26 52 New York Clear 30.22 32 Okla. City. Okla Cloudy 30 26 44 Omaha. Neb PtCldv 30.04 36 Pittsburgh Clear 30.46 24 Portland, Ore Cloudy 30.42 44 San Antonio. Tex Cloudy 30.22 52 San Francisco Clear 30 14 48 St. Louis Clear 30 42 32 Tampa. Fla. Foggy 30 20 70 Washington. D. C Clear 30.44 32 legs were hurt badly, and she was moaning. I started running. And I found a road. It was only a little ways from where the plane crashed. Finally I came to a house, and ran up and banged on the door and then went right in. There was nobody there. Then I ran on, and finally came to Mrs. Addis’ place, where there was a. telephone. Called up the airline officials on her phone and told them about it. Then Mrs. Addis got a friend to take me back up the road in his car. (The nurses told Miss Granger she should rest, shouldn't try to talk, that she was tired enough already, and should sleep.) I want to talk about it. I want to tell everything. I want to fly again, too. To show I’m not afraid. I will, too. HOUSE DEMOCRATS AGREE ON TAX PLAN Major Principles of Profits Levy Accepted. By United Press WASHINGTON, April B.—House Ways and Means Committee Democrats formulating a $799,000,000 tax bill today accepted the major principles of the corporate tax plan. With relief and taxes the two chief obstacles to adjournment, the committee speeded action on the tax measure by tentatively agreeing to two minor revisions in the President’s revenue program. The 18 Democratic members tentatively decided to give further tax aid to debtor corporations and not to discriminate in tax rates against foreign insurance companies.

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CHARLES COEN, WESTERN AUDIT OFFICIAL, DEAD President of Firm Was 65; Funeral to Be Held Friday. Funeral services for Charles L. Coen, president ana manager of the Western Audit Cos. and widelyknown in Indianapolis business and accounting circles, are to be held at 10 Friday in Flanner & Buchanan Mortuary. He died yesterday at his home 3055 N. Meridian-st. Mr. Coen, who was 65, became ill last Thursday with pleurisy. Pneumonia developed later. He is survived by the widow* and one son, Cooke C. Coen who was associated with him in business. Mr. Coen was born in Wheeling, W. Va. He came to Indianapolis about 30 years ago and a short time later started the Western Audit Cos. He was a member of the Scottish Rite, the Masonic lodge and the Second Presbyterian Church. RANKIN RECALLED AT JUDGE RITTER TRIAL Boston Attorney Gives Testimony on Receivership Action. By United Press WASHINGTON, April B.—Attorney A. L. Rankm was recalled today at the Senate impeachment trial of Federal Judge Halsted Lu Ritter of the Southern district of Florida. Mr. Rankin was excused late yesterday to allow him a night in which to identify the documents read into records by defense counsel, Frank Walsh. Bert E. Holland. Boston attorney who represented bondholders of a hotel included in the Whitehall receivership case, testified that after asking Mr. Rankin to file a receivership petition for the property he decided to withdraw it. He said Judge Ritter insisted upon appointing a receiver. GIRL, FIRE VICTIM, IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION Brothers Smother Flames After Accident at Home. Miss Maxine Newby, 17, who was burned yesterday at her home, 1048 S. Randolph-st, was reported in a critical condition at City Hospital today. The accident occurred when her dress caught fire as she was standing in front of £n open fireplace. Her brothers, Claude Newby Jr., 12. and Richard Newby, 11, smothered the flames.