Salt Lake Telegram | 1936-12-17 | Page 9 | Reporter Tells Search Flight over Mountainous Wilderness

J. J 5 Reporter Tells Search Flight t tM T M Over Mountainous s Wilderness By MORRIS l GUSS Tel Staff Writer I have seen what searchers are up against in ut their seeking h of f the lost Western Air Express airliner At 11 1145 a a. a m m. Thursday I boarded boarded board board- ed a Boeing transport of National Parks Airways sister ship of the lost one and for an hour and 40 minutes observed from the clouds the studded ravine t terrain in which the big craft is being hunted hunted hunted hunt hunt- ed the hundreds of gashes in the earth in any anyone one of which it might be nestling virtually in- in visible At the controls of the searching searching searching search search- ing plane were A. A W W. Stephenson vice president in charge of Ra Rational National National Na- Na Parks operations as pilot and S. S J. J Cavill copilot Chet Elliott of Los Angeles a a. veteran air observer was a a. passenger We headed for Fairfield south of Salt Lake City from where reports reports re re- re ports of a plane being heard have been received Skirting the Oquirrh range west of Salt Lake City we passed Jordan Jordan Jordan Jor Jor- dan Narrows and rose e to feet There was no sign of ha halli- halli l- l tation Fog and mist covered the Wasatch range to the east We rose steadily Soon we were south of Utah lake our objective being to scan mountains in that region Visibility Visibility Visibility had improved at noon and the sun was WM shining on the clouds Past Fairfield and on to Cedar valley only wide marshes were visible below us Clouds again rose to block the sun We swung back north retracing retracing retracing ing over mountains Rays of sunlight sunlight sun sun- light that pierced the cloud bank painted painted- bright spots on the ice covering of Utah lake Up to feet and more fog and clouds On up to and the sun was out again Then swinging to the south and east we neared Mount gos gas on which one groundless rumor had placed the missing plane Up another feet and we were able to look directly out of the windows upon the peak of Timp Tamp There was not a a. sign of life below us WI Only snow snow ice and trees On up to feet and we saw saw sav a United Air Lines plane also searching At p. p m. m we passed Lone peak where ground parties were working They could not be seen however Northward again and slowly descending we headed homeward with another report of nothing found Landing at p. p m m. w we had covered miles