20th Century

1947 — Feb 24, USAF B-29 weather reconnaissance plane lost, Bering Sea or west AK– 12

lornajarrettblanchard February 24, 1947

–12 Lednicer. “Intrusions, Overflights, Shootdowns and Defections…Cold War…” 4-16-2011.

–12 Liefer, Gregory. Missing B-29 Superfortress (webpage). 10-11-2020. Accessed 10-9-2023.

Narrative Information

Lednicer: “24 February 1947 A US Air Force B-29 Superfortress, of the 28th BS disappeared, over the Bering Sea. The crew of twelve were presumed dead.” (Lednicer. “Intrusions, Overflights, Shootdowns and Defections…Cold War…” 4-16-2011.)

Liefer: “On February 24, 1947, a weather reconnaissance B-29-95-BW assigned to the 717th Bomb Squadron/28th Bomb Group (VH) of Alaska Air Command at Elmendorf Air Force Base, vanished while on a routine reconnaissance flight. Operated by Captain Raymond Tutton and a twelve-man crew, the B-29 was flying a set course over the Bering Sea and western coast of Alaska before returning to Elmendorf AFB. Radio transmissions and possible sightings indicated the aircraft likely crashed somewhere in interior of Alaska, but no evidence of the B-29 or its crew has ever been found.”

Sources

Lednicer, David. “Intrusions, Over-flights, Shoot-downs and Defections During the Cold War and Thereafter.” 4-16-2011 revision. Accessed 2-20-2012: http://myplace.frontier.com/~anneled/ColdWar.html

Liefer, Gregory P. Missing B-29 Superfortress (webpage). 10-11-2020. Accessed 10-9-2023 at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/missing-b-29-superfortress-gregory-liefer

20th Century

1947 – Feb 22, USCG PBM-5 Mariner plane crash in Mexico on way back to San Diego–10

lornajarrettblanchard February 22, 1947

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard 10-15-2023 for upload to: https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

— 10 Baugher. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (39999 to 50359). 8-7-2011

— 10 USCG. “Coast Guard Roll of Honor: Aviators & Aircrews That Did Not Return…” 2011.

Narrative Information

United States Coast Guard:
“Date of incident: 22 February 1947

“Crash related deaths:
LTJG Emerson W. Miles (CG Aviator #231)
AP1 Fabian J. Kestell
AMM2 Eugene A. Widener
ARM1 Winford C. Williams
AOM3 Quell V. Buchanan
AerM1 R. Merrill J. Murphy
AOM1 John G. Steuer
AMM1 George R. A. Tracy
ARM1 Robert G. Peshek
Mr. Gabe C. Leavitt (Civilian)

“Air Station the aircraft and/or crew were assigned to: AIRSTA [Air Station] San Diego, CA

“Aircraft type and Coast Guard tail number…: Martin PBM-5G Mariner, 45435

“Location of the incident: Mexico

“Description of the incident: The crew was flying back to CGAS San Diego in a heavy fog after completing a 1,400 mile ‘mercy’ flight. All but two of the entire crew perished when the PBM-5 crashed due to ‘adverse weather, low visibility and low ceiling’.” (USCG. “Coast Guard Roll of Honor: Aviators & Aircrews That Did Not Return…” 2011.)

Sources

Baugher, Joseph F. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (39999 to 50359). 8-7-2011 revision. Accessed at: http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries5.html

United States Coast Guard. “Coast Guard Roll of Honor: Aviators & Aircrews That Did Not Return…” 2-22-2011 modification. At: http://www.uscg.mil/history/AviationCasualties.asp

20th Century

1947 — Feb 20-22 Snow-storm, esp. East Coast, esp. NJ/13, PA/23, New Eng./12, DC –53-56

lornajarrettblanchard February 20, 1947

–56 Blanchard tally based on State and District of Columbia breakouts below.
–53 AP. “53 Deaths Result of 3-Day Storm.” Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD. 2-24-1947, p. 1.
–51 AP. “51 Dead in Eastern Storm; Hits Maine.” Council Bluffs Nonpareil, IA. 2-23-1947, p1.
–51 UP. “Eastern Storm Leaves 51 Dead!” Bakersfield Californian, 2-22-1947, p. 1.
— 1 Delaware
–12 New England.
— 2 New Jersey, southern.
–20 New York metropolitan area (apparently including northeast NJ).
–16 PA, eastern.

Connecticut ( 8)
–8 AP. “8 Persons Die In New England During Storm.” Fitchburg Sentinel, MA, 2-22-1947, p6.
–5 Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY. “Freeze Bites Snow-Gripped East; 45 Dead.” 2-22-1947, pp. 1-2.
–2 AP. “Snowstorm Closes Schools; Big Area of East…” Kingston Freeman, NY, 2-21-1947, p. 1.

Delaware ( 1)
–1 Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY. “Freeze Bites Snow-Gripped East; 45 Dead.” 2-22-1947, pp. 1-2.

District of Columbia ( 3)
–3 Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY. “Freeze Bites Snow-Gripped East; 45 Dead.” 2-22-1947, pp. 1-2.
–1 AP. “Snowstorm Closes Schools; Big Area of East…” Kingston Freeman, NY, 2-21-1947, p. 1.

Illinois ( 2)
–2 AP. “Snowstorm Closes Schools; Big Area of East…” Kingston Freeman, NY, 2-21-1947, p. 1.

Maine ( 1)
–1 Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY. “Freeze Bites Snow-Gripped East; 45 Dead.” 2-22-1947, pp. 1-2.

Massachusetts ( 2)
–2 Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY. “Freeze Bites Snow-Gripped East; 45 Dead.” 2-22-1947, pp. 1-2.
–2 Winchendon. Apparent heart attacks shoveling snow.

New Jersey (13)
–13 Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY. “Freeze Bites Snow-Gripped East; 45 Dead.” 2-22-1947, pp. 1-2.
–11 AP. “Snowstorm Closes Schools; Big Area of East…” Kingston Freeman, NY, 2-21-1947, p. 1.
— 2 So. NJ. UP. “Eastern Storm Leaves 51 Dead!” Bakersfield Californian, 2-22-1947, p1.

New York ( 3)
–20 NYC Metropolitan area (probably includes NJ in that UP piece does not note NJ deaths).
— 3 AP. “Snowstorm Closes Schools; Big Area of East…” Kingston Freeman, NY, 2-21-1947, p. 1.
— 1 New York City. AP. “Snowstorm Closes Schools; Big Area of East…” 2-21-1947.

Pennsylvania (23)
–23 AP. “23 Deaths In Penna. Due To Weather.” Somerset Daily American, PA, 2-24-1947, p.1.
— 5 Traffic accidents
–~3 Heart attacks shoveling snow.
–1 Philadelphia. Paul Fasbender, 60.
— 1 Braddock. Snow-sledding; Paul Burns, 19. Sled his parked car.
— 2 Eastern PA. Exposure.
–17 Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY. “Freeze Bites Snow-Gripped East; 45 Dead.” 2-22-1947, pp. 1-2.
–16 Eastern PA. UP. “Eastern Storm Leaves 51 Dead!” Bakersfield Californian, 2-22-1947, p1.
–14 Eastern PA. UP. “47 Dead Following Eastern Storm.” Dunkirk Observer, NY. 2-22-1947, 1.
— 7 AP. “Snowstorm Closes Schools; Big Area of East…” Kingston Freeman, NY, 2-21-1947, p. 1.
–2 Highway accidents.

Narrative Information

Feb 21: “By the Associated Press) The heaviest snowstorm in recent years brought death to at least 27 persons today as the east struggled to maintain business as usual through falling snow that reached a depth of 27 inches in Virginia – and kept on falling.

“Over-exertion with snow shovels and traffic accidents were the chief causes of death as schools closed, highways were snowbound and business and industry slowed down.

“Deaths by states were New Jersey, 11; Pennsylvania, 7; Connecticut, 2; New York, 3; District of Columbia, 1; Illinois, 2; Massachusetts, 1.

“Sessions of the United Nations at Lake Success, N.Y., were postponed today as the snow disrupted communications. It was the first time the U.N. postponed a Security Council meeting….

“The snowfall was part of a huge storm that broke over the eastern sector of the country late Thursday afternoon [20th] and was expected to continue until this afternoon when it will blow out over the Atlantic ocean….

“The storm extended from Maine into North Carolina, but hope of abatement for the Middle Atlantic states came with reports that the storm was reduced to flurries in western Pennsylvania.

“New York city was an icy fingertip in the grip of the storm with snow still swirling. The weather bureau said it was expected to be a foot deep by noon after piling up a two-year record of 10 inches by 9 a.m. (E.S.T.). Worst previous storm occurred March 7-9, 1941, when 12.1 inches of snow fell. A task force of 8,000 workers struggled to clear New York streets, working in 35-mile-hour winds that whipped among the skyscrapers.

“The experience of those who wandered outside was dramatically highlighted in Nottingham, N.H., where two boys, three and four years ole, were found sound asleep last night in deep woods by 250 frantic searchers after they had wandered from their home.

“In New England the storm gained in fury during the night, locking highways in drifts that brought out all road-clearing equipment…..

“In New Jersey two mail highways were blocked. Nearly all trains throughout the northeast were running behind schedule….

“In Pennsylvania two deaths were attributed to highway accidents.

“There was one storm death in New York city….” (Associated Press. “Snowstorm Closes Schools; Big Area of East Covered.” Kingston Daily Freeman, NY, 2-21-1947, p. 1-2.)

Feb 22: “Freezing winds and falling temperatures gripped the east today, moving in the wake of a snowstorm which blew out to sea Friday [21st] after causing at least 45 deaths and burying the eastern seaboard from the Carolinas north to Maine under a thick coating of white. The storm raged in many sections for almost 24 hours, snarling air and surface transportation and retarding industrial activities. It blew a few final flurries in Manhattan Friday afternoon, then headed northward toward Newfoundland and the sea….

“New York City continued its efforts today to dig itself out from under an 11½-inch blanket of snow. An army of 10,000 sanitation workers, manning 2,000 pieces of equipment, worked around the clock in shifts keeping primary arteries open in a battle to keep traffic moving. Buses ran behind schedule. Three deaths were reported.

“On Long Island, in Westchester County and in nearby New Jersey, motor trucks, especially trailer-trucks, were far behind schedule but vital supplies, including milk, came into the city in ample volume….

“Gusty winds kept planes grounded. In New York harbor, scores of longshoremen failed to appear for work and many ships were idle at piers.

“Traffic accidents on drift-choked highways and over exertion from snow shoveling accounted for most of the deaths. The toll by states: New Jersey 13, District of Columbia 3, Pennsylvania 17, New York 3, Connecticut 5, Massachusetts 2, Delaware 1, Maine 1.

“A record fall of 27 inches was reported at Dickenson County, Virginia.

“Many schools were closed in a dozen states. The storm closed down eastern seaboard airports, including La Guardia, Newark, N.M., and Washington terminals which were buried under two feet of snow until snowplows were loosed on them Friday night.

“Washington wallowed in seven inches of snow, hampering operations in Federal buildings and forcing President Truman to cancel his regular early morning walk….

“Sections of Pennsylvania were buried under four feet of snow. Connecticut was deeply drifted also, but the northern New England states generally reported lighter falls than lower New York State, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.” (Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY. “Freeze Bites Snow-Gripped East; 45 Dead.” 2-22-1947, pp. 1-2.)

Sources

Associated Press. “23 Deaths In Penna. Due To Weather.” Somerset Daily American, PA, 2-24-1947, p. 1. Accessed 5-18-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/somerset-daily-american-feb-24-1947-p-1/

Associated Press. “51 Dead in Eastern Storm; Hits Maine.” Council Bluffs Nonpareil, IA. 2-23-1947, p.1. Accessed 5-18-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/council-bluffs-nonpareil-feb-23-1947-p-1/

Associated Press. “53 Deaths Result of 3-Day Storm.” Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD. 2-24-1947, p. 1. Accessed 5-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/hagerstown-daily-mail-feb-24-1947-p-1/

Associated Press. “Snowstorm Closes Schools; Big Area of East Covered.” Kingston Daily Freeman, NY, 2-21-1947, p. 1. Accessed 5-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/kingston-daily-freeman-feb-21-1947-p-1/

Associated Press. “8 Persons Die In New England During Storm.” Fitchburg Sentinel, MA, 2-22-1947, p. 6. Accessed 5-18-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/fitchburg-sentinel-feb-22-1947-p-6/

Fitchburg Sentinel, MA. “Two Die in Northeaster; 12-In. Fall Buries N.E.” 2-22-1947, p. 1. Accessed 5-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/fitchburg-sentinel-feb-22-1947-p-1/

Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY. “Freeze Bites Snow-Gripped East; 45 Dead.” 2-22-1947, pp. 1-2. Accessed 5-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/syracuse-herald-journal-feb-22-1947-p-1/

United Press. “47 Dead Following Eastern Storm.” Dunkirk Evening Observer, NY. 2-22-1947, p.1. Accessed 5-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/dunkirk-evening-observer-feb-22-1947-p-1/

United Press. “Eastern Storm Leaves 51 Dead!” The Bakersfield Californian, 2-22-1947, p. 1. Accessed 5-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/bakersfield-californian-feb-22-1947-p-1/

United Press. “Snow Storm Leave 49 Dead; State Roads Nearing Normal.” Chester Times, PA, 2-22-1947, p. 2. Accessed 5-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/chester-times-feb-22-1947-p-2/

20th Century

1947 — Feb 20, Chemical Explosion, O’Connor Electroplating Works, Los Angeles — 17

lornajarrettblanchard February 20, 1947

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard 10-15-2023 for upload to: https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–15-17 AP. “Blast’s Violence Like Nitroglycerin.” The Bakersfield Californian, 2-22-1947, p. 1.[1]

— 17 NFPA. “Fires Causing Large Loss of Life.” Handbook of Fire Protection. 1954, p. 35.

— 17 NFPA. “Large Loss Fires of 1947.” Quarterly, Vol. 41, No. 3, Jan 1948, p. 175.

— 17 National Fire Protection Assoc. “Recent Fires.” Quarterly, V40, N4, Apr 1947, p. 275.

— 17 UP. “Los Angeles Blast Inquest March 11.” Oxnard Press-Courier, CA, 2-24-1947, p.3.

— 15 Connellsville Daily Courier, PA. “Blast Like That of A-Bomb…,” February 21, 1947.

— 15 Cornell, James. The Great International Disaster Book (Third Edition). 1982, p. 285.

Narrative Information

National Fire Protection Association, Apr 1947: “Feb. 20, 1947, Los Angeles, Calif. Perchloric Acid Explosion.

“Seventeen persons were killed and more than 130 injured when a shattering explosion demolished the one-story brick-joisted plant of the O’Connor Electro-Plating Corp. and either wrecked or damaged 28 neighboring buildings, including 24 dwellings, 3 one-story brick mercantile buildings and a frame church. Interior partitions were damaged and windows broken in structures within an area of 12 city blocks. Fire that broke forth in the building of origin did some additional damage. Rapid work by gas company employees prevented ignition of escaping gas in other affected properties.

“At the time of the explosion the plant was engaged in a new method of electrolytic polishing of aluminum which removed the outer film of metal electrically, leaving the surface bright. The process involved the use of an electrolyte consisting of 300 gals. Of perchloric acid-acetic anhydride solution. This mixture was placed in a steel, plastic-lined vat, 6 ft. long, 2½ ft. wide and 3½ ft. deep, in which the aluminum was suspended in a metal basket during treatment. The tank contained a plastic screen to catch any parts that might fall from the basket. On the previous day a plastic rod had been introduced to hold the screen near the bottom. According to statements of survivors aluminum fountain pen caps, after machine work under oil, were cleaned, placed in a basket (which acted as the cathode) and lowered into the perchloric acid solution.

“The process was installed and operated under the supervision of an alleged chemist, who, it was subsequently determined, had not had the technical training and university degrees when he claimed. The process had been in use for 4 days when, about 9:45 a.m. on Feb. 20, the vat started to heat violently. A refrigeration system, designed to prevent hearing, was not in operation at the time.

“The ‘chemist’ and a helper were approaching the vat when it exploded, presumably due to the disintegration of perchloric acid which, in addition to being a powerful oxidizing agent, is subject to explosive decomposition when heated. The explosion effect was said to be similar to what might have been expected from the explosion of 1½ tons of nitroglycerine. The blast left a hole 8 ft. deep and 20 ft. in diameter beneath the spot where the vat had stood on a 4-in. earth-supported concrete floor. Disintegration was so complete that no identifiable part of the vat or of the bodies of the ‘chemist’ and his helper could be found.

“It is know that organic material will react violently under certain conditions with perchloric acid. The most plausible theory, as indicated by expert testimony at the coroner’s inquest, was that the acid solution became contaminated by organic material, probably the recently installed plastic rod. An exothermic reaction took place, which heated the perchloric acid to the point of explosion. Loss: $2,000,000.” (National Fire Protection Association. “Recent Fires.” Quarterly, Vol. 40, No. 4, Apr 1947, pp. 276-277.)

National Fire Protection Association, Jan 1948: “Feb. 20, Los Angeles, Calif. A perchloric acid explosion in an electroplating plant caused the damage illustrated [photo omitted here] and additional damage to other structures in a twelve city block area. Seventeen persons were killed and property damage and public liability losses are presently estimated at $3,500,000. The process involved the use of an electrolyte consisting of 300 gallons of perchloric acid-acetic anhydride solution. This mixture was placed in a steel, plastic lined vat 6 ft. long, 2½ ft. wide and 3½ ft. deep in which aluminum was suspended in a metal basket during treatment. The acid solution probably became contaminated by organic material and an exothermic reaction took place which, under the influence of evolved heat, resulted in the explosion.” (NFPA. “Large Loss Fires of 1947.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, V.41, N.3, Jan 1948, pp. 153-195, p. 175.)

Newspapers

Feb 20: “Los Angeles, Feb. 20 — An explosion today demolished a downtown plating works, shattered buildings throughout the block, and injured many persons. At least 10 persons were killed, and more than 100 injured. Fire Chief John Alderson said it was the city’s worst explosion.

“A solidly-built six-story building across the street absorbed most of the concussion, he said, preventing the blast from leveling the entire block. Alderson said some of the bodies were burned so badly it was impossible to determine sex. ‘The people inside were almost cooked alive by the terrible heat,’ he said. Cries could be heard from persons trapped in the wreckage.
The entire one-story brick building housing the O’Connor Plating Works at Pico and Stafford streets collapsed in the explosion at 9:45 A. M. (PST). Windows two miles away were broken. The explosion was heard 15 miles away…” (Connellsville Daily Courier, PA. “Los Angeles’ Worst Blast Causes 10 Deaths; Bodies Burned Beyond Recognition.” February 20, 1947.)

Feb 21: “Los Angeles, Feb. 21 — Bulldozers and steam-shovels ground through the debris of an electroplating plant today, clearing the way for an investigation of the explosion which leveled a city block and left 15 persons dead and hundreds injured. The death toll was established by Coroner Ben Brown, who said that the casualty figure may be revised upward from the list of critically injured. More than 100 of the known 200 injured remained in hospitals today.

”The city’s worst explosion might have been caused by a breakdown in the plant refrigeration system only an hour earlier, Fire Prevention Chief Earl H. Richardson, said. He said the plant was using a new plating process for aluminum which employs concentrated perchloric acid. The acid is so volatile it must be kept under constant refrigeration.

”The mushrooming blast, so deafening that persons miles from the scene believed an atom bomb had fallen, left an estimated 500 survivors homeless. At least 100 families were fed in emergency canteens and then transferred to housing projects for the night. Many of them lost all their possessions when the explosion tore up their homes.

”Property damage amounted to $1,000,000 and possibly may double that. The one-story O’Connor electro-plating works was virtually disintegrated. A dozen homes in the same block were demolished. Thirty others were said by city building inspectors to be unsafe until repaired. A total of 300 buildings were demolished or damaged. Windows were broken two miles away.

“A 12-year-old…boy riding his bicycle three blocks distant was killed by a flying pipe. The reverberating roar and blast shook homes more than 15 miles from the scene….

”John J. O’Connor, the 68-year-old owner, said the blast might have been from a short circuit in a vat of chemicals. He was near collapse as he looked over the wreckage. Fire Chief John H. Alderson said it was “only a miracle” that more were not killed. Twenty-six persons were in the plant at the time, although at other times 70 are employed. The blast broke gas mains and felled power lines. Occupants of all buildings within two blocks of the industrial area were evacuated in fear of fire.” (Connellsville Daily Courier, PA. “Blast Like That of A-Bomb,” Feb. 21, 1947.)

Feb 22, AP: “Los Angeles, Feb. 22. (AP) – Chemical experts agreed today that a 300-gallon mixture of chemicals equivalent of 3600 pounds of explosive virtually as violent as nitroglycerin caused the downtown Los Angeles explosion which killed 15 and injured 158 Thursday. A mixture of perchloric acid and acetic anhydride was the lethal potion which disintegrated the O’Connor Electro-Plating plant, wrecked nearly a block of buildings and rattled a square mile of the city, said Police Chemist Ray Pinker, Captain Carl Halter of the fire department arson squad and G. I. Cheney, analytical chemist. Workmen still searched today for two persons still missing. The three said the blast…caused damage in the area estimated at $1,500,000 by fire officials.

“Captain Halter said the mixture of the two chemicals was first used at the plant last September to put a high shine on aluminum articles. He said the process apparently was devised by Dr. Robert M. Magee, 35, a graduate of California Institute of Technology.

“Although an intensive search continued today through the twisted wreckage, no trace had been found of Doctor Magee and his assistant, Alice Shemeta Iba, 21-year-old Japanese-American girl who was hired just last Saturday. Doctor Magee and the assistant were in his office at the time of the explosion. The three experts said they believed these to had been blown to bits and that the search for their bodies probably is hopeless….” (AP. “Blast’s Violence Like Nitroglycerin.” The Bakersfield Californian, 2-22-1947, p. 1.)

Feb 22, INS: “Los Angeles, Feb 22. (INS). Evidence indicating that one of the victims of Thursday’s disastrous explosion was the chemist whose secret formula has been blamed for the blast was found today amid the ruins of O’Connor Electro-Plating factory. The chemist, Dr. Robert Magee, nephew of M. C. Schafer of Long Beach, who was injured in the blast, has been missing since the explosion, along with his assistant, Alice Shemeta Iba, 21-year-old Japanese-American girl. Today, on the edge of a 15-foot crater in the center of the demolished building, investigators picked up what appeared to be fragments of human bones and a piece of a man’s coat. Both the bone fragments and the cloth are being subjected to laboratory analysis.

“Fire department officials theorized that Dr. Magee and Miss Iba were standing beside a vat, mixing his formula, when, for some reason, the mixture exploded. Capt. Carl Halter of the fire department arson squad said he had learned that the formula involved the use of perchloric acid and acetic anhydride. It was employed in a new process for electro-plating aluminum. Halter said: ‘Magee was well aware of the explosive nature of the solution. He had been using it since last September and was in the final phases of perfecting the process before requesting a patent.’

“The disaster claimed a known 15 lives, seriously injured 158 persons and wrecked nearby buildings, rendering 185 families homeless.” (Independent News Service. “Scientist Believed Killed in Blast.” Long Beach Independent, CA. 2-23-1947, pp. 1 and 40.)

Feb 25, UP: “Los Angeles (U.P. – An inquest into a plating works explosion that killed a possible 17 and injured 134 persons, the most exhaustive study of devastation ever conducted here, was set today for March 11.” (United Press. “Los Angeles Blast Inquest March 11.” Oxnard Press-Courier, CA, 2-24-1947, p. 3.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Blast’s Violence Like Nitroglycerin.” The Bakersfield Californian, 2-22-1947, p. 1. Accessed 5-18-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/bakersfield-californian-feb-22-1947-p-1/

Connellsville Daily Courier, PA. “Blast Like That of A-Bomb Levels Los Angeles Area.” 2-21- 1947. Accessed 5-18-2020 at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=32785525&firstvisit=true&src=search&currentResult=1

Connellsville Daily Courier, PA. “Los Angeles’ Worst Blast Causes 10 Deaths; Bodies Burned Beyond Recognition.” February 20, 1947. Accessed 5-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/connellsville-daily-courier-feb-20-1947-p-1/

Cornell, James. The Great International Disaster Book (Third Edition). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1982.

Independent News Service. “Scientist Believed Killed in Blast.” Long Beach Independent, CA. 2-23-1947, pp. 1 and 40. Accessed 5-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/long-beach-independent-feb-23-1947-p-1/

National Fire Protection Association. “Fires Causing Large Loss of Life.” Handbook of Fire Protection (11^th Ed.). Boston, MA: NFPA, 1954, pp. 33-36.

National Fire Protection Association. “Large Loss Fires of 1947.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 41, No. 3, Jan 1948, pp. 153-195.

National Fire Protection Association. “Recent Fires.” Quarterly, Vol. 40, No. 4, Apr 1947, pp. 265-280.

United Press. “Los Angeles Blast Inquest March 11.” Oxnard Press-Courier, CA, 2-24-1947, p. 3. Accessed 5-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/oxnard-press-courier-feb-25-1947-p-3/

[1] Fifteen bodies recovered; two others in nearby office missing and believed by investigators to be “blown to bits.”

20th Century

1947 — Feb 18, Pennsylvania RR Red Arrow Train Derails, , near (west of) Altoona, PA– 24

lornajarrettblanchard February 18, 1947

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard 10-15-2023 for upload to: https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

— 24 Altoona Mirror. “Locals tell story of the Red Arrow 70 years after railroad disaster.” 10-10-2023.

— 24 Chester Times, PA. Railroad accident article continued from p. 1., 2-28-1947, p. 2.

— 24 Wikipedia. “List of Rail Accidents (Pre-1950).”

Narrative Information

Wikipedia: “February 18, 1947 – Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States: The Red Arrow, a Pennsylvania Railroad express passenger train, jumped off the track on the Bennington Curve near Altoona, Pennsylvania and tumbled down a large hill. 24 killed, 131 injured.” (Wikipedia. “List of Rail Accidents (Pre-1950).”)

Newspapers

Feb 18, The Daily News, Huntingdon, PA: “Altoona, Pa., Feb. 18. – The Pennsylvania Railroad’s Red Arrow express, speeding downhill through the Allegheny Mountains an hour and six minutes behind schedule, plunged from the winding tracks today. At least 17 persons lost their lives. Seven additional bodies arrived here aboard a relief train shortly after noon. Ten arrived previously. The railroad reported that about 85 were injured when the two locomotives and five cars hurtled over a steep 90-foot embankment and ground into an awry, twisted wreckage. Three other cars toppled on their sides. Railroad officials feared the toll would rise. Rescue workers, using acetylene torches, cut through a maze if girders, jammed doors and broke compartments seeking dead and injured. Railroad officials said determination of the cause of the derailment must await completion of the rescue task and examination of wrecked equipment and ripped out rails.

“Many of the injured, brought here in hospital trains, were reported in critical condition. Ten of those hurt were Naval personnel en route to Bainbridge, Md., Naval Training Station.

“The wreck occurred five miles west of famed Horseshoe Curve, according to the railroad, when the two big steam locomotives leaped the track at a bend. Ten cars of the 14-car crack train careened off the rails. Three sleepers, a diner and a baggage coach rolled down the embankment after the engines. A combination passenger-baggage coach and a passenger coach toppled onto their sides along the winding roadbed. Three sleepers left the tracks but remained upright. Only four cars, including two sleepers, remained on the tracks.

“The wreck occurred at 3:25 a.m. – three hours and 24 minutes after the Red Arrow pulled out of Pittsburgh. Wreck and hospital trains were sent from Altoona, Conemaugh and Cresson.

“Meanwhile, uninjured passengers and crewmen worked frantically to extricate the injured. They were sheltered in the upright coach from the sub-freezing weather, until the rescue trains arrived.

“Altoona’s two hospitals filled rapidly as the relief trains began bringing in the injured. Taxicabs were used to supplement ambulances in hauling the hurt from the railroad station to the hospital.

“Nearly seven hours passed before railroad officials announced that 10 bodies had been recovered. The announcement identified only the three crewmen. They were: J. L. Parasock, Altoona, fireman of the first engine; M. E. McArdle, of Scottdale, Pa., engineman of the second locomotive; and R. K. Henry, of Derry, Pa., fireman of the second engine.

“The wreckage was strewn across three of the four tracks of the right-of-way hampering rescue efforts. Railroad officials said communication lines were torn down, delaying reports.

“ ‘The cause of the accident is being investigated,’ J. A. Appleton, vice president of the PRR’s central region, said ‘It might be several hours before anything definite can be learned.’

“A 14-car hospital train, loaded with all available nurses and doctors arrived at the scene. Many of the injured were reported in extremely serious condition. Arriving here, most of the victims appeared dazed and unable to talk….

“The Red Arrow pulled out of Detroit at 5:20 p.m. last night with a ‘normal load.’ It was due in New York at 8:50 this morning.

“Rain threatened as the rescue workers hunted through the wreckage. The temperature hung in the low thirties….

“The scene of the wreck was deep in one of the most rugged ranges of the Alleghenies – Bennington Curve. The nearest improved highway was a mile and a half away. Red Cross disaster crews pushed mobile relief units over narrow, winding mountain roads to reach the wreck….” (The Daily News, Huntingdon, PA. “PRR ‘Red Arrow’ Wrecks West of Altoona; 17 Bodies Recovered, At Least 85 Injured.” 2-18-1947, p. 1.)

Feb 19, The Daily News, Huntingdon, PA: “Altoona, Pa., Feb. 19. – The Pennsylvania Railroad disclosed today that its Cincinnati Limited, carrying more than 200 passengers, sped over Bennington curve just 14 minutes before the Red Arrow express leaped from the same looping track to carry 22 persons to death….[when] its two locomotives and five coaches careened down a steep 90-foot embankment of crash in a twisted maze….

“More than 50 of the 128 persons reported by the railroad company to have been injured in the derailment were still under treatment in Altoona’s two hospitals. Several were reported in serious condition.

“One of the injured, George C. Bowman, 47, Tyrone, Pa., mail clerk, died during the night. Ronald File, 17, of Toledo, was reported in critical condition with a fractured skull.

“Another of the injured was Larry English, 20, Midland, Mich., who was en route to New York on his honeymoon. His bride, Dorothy, whom he married in Midland Saturday, was killed….

“The railroad fixed the death toll at 22, all identified at local morgues, but Coroner Daniel M. Replogle said he counted 23 bodies taken from the wreckage. The dead included 13 passengers, six mail clerks and three crew members of the two locomotives. Twenty-one persons were killed instantly in the wreck and the 22^nd victim, George C. Bowman, 47, Tyrone, Pa., a mail clerk, died last night….” (The Daily News, Huntingdon, PA. “Three-Way Investigation of PRR Wreck Opens; 22 Dead, 128 Injured.” 2-19-1947, p. 1.)

Sources

Altoona Mirror (Sean Sauro), PA. “Locals tell story of the Red Arrow 70 years after railroad disaster.” 10-10-2023. Accessed 10-15-2023 at: https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2017/02/locals-tell-story-of-the-red-arrow-70-years-after-railroad-disaster/

Chester Times, PA. Railroad accident article continued from p. 1., 2-28-1947, p. 2. Accessed 10-15-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/chester-times-feb-28-1947-p-2/

The Daily News, Huntingdon, PA. “PRR ‘Red Arrow’ Wrecks West of Altoona; 17 Bodies Recovered, At Least 85 Injured.” 2-18-1947, p. 1. Accessed 10-15-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/huntingdon-daily-news-feb-18-1947-p-1/

The Daily News, Huntingdon, PA. “Three-Way Investigation of PRR Wreck Opens; 22 Dead, 128 Injured.” 2-19-1947, p. 1. Accessed 10-15-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/huntingdon-daily-news-feb-19-1947-p-1/

Wikipedia. “List of Rail Accidents (Pre-1950).” Accessed at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pre-1950_rail_accidents

20th Century

1947 — Feb 17, train-crew bus drives into path of one-car electric train, Andry, IN — 13

lornajarrettblanchard February 17, 1947

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard 10-15-2023 for upload to: https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–13 Gettysburg Times, PA, “Train Kills 13 Riding in Bus,” February 18, 1947.

–13 Interstate Commerce Commission. Investigation No. 3077…February 17, 1947. 3-19-47, p2.

–13 Traverse City Record Eagle, MI. “Train Kills 13 Riding in Bus.” February 18, 1947.

–13 Wikipedia. “List of Rail Accidents (Pre-1950).”

Narrative Information

Interstate Commerce Commission: “Accident at Andry, Ind.,[1] on February, 17, 1947, caused by
failure to operate a bus, approaching a railroad crossing at grade in accordance with requirements
of law.

“On February 17, 1947, there was a collision between a passenger train on the Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railroad and a bus at a highway grade crossing at Andry, Ind.,
which resulted in the death of the driver of the bus and 12 bus passengers, and the injury of 2 train passengers, 14 bus passengers and 2 train-service employees.

“This accident occurred on that part of the railroad extending between South Bend and Michigan City, Ind. … The accident occurred 26.9 miles west of South Bend, at a point 45 feet west of the station at Andry, where the railroad is crossed at grade by Andry Road, The main track
is tangent throughout a distance of about one mile east of the crossing and a considerable distance westward. The grade is 0.198 percent descending westward….

Description of Accident

“No. 26, a west-bound first-class passenger train, consisted of electric-traction car 107. This car s of steel construction, and is operated from a control station at the front end. This train departed from South Bend, 26.9 miles east of Andry, at 2:25 p. m., on time, and while moving at
an estimated speed of 60 miles per hour it struck a bus on a grade crossing 45 feet west of the station at Andry.

“The bus involved was owned and operated by the Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railroad Company….This vehicle was occupied by the driver and 26 maintenance-of-way employees, and was moving southward on the highway at an estimated speed of 3 miles per hour when it entered upon the crossing and was struck by No. 26. The bus was demolished….

Discussion

“No. 26 was approaching the crossing at a speed of about 60 miles per hour, in territory where no maximum speed was specified. The motorman was maintaining a lookout ahead from the control station at the front end of the traction car, and the conductor was in the rear portion of the car. The whistle signal for the crossing was sounded in compliance with the rules, and the last blast of the whistle was being sounded as the front end of the traction car entered upon the crossing. The motorman first observed the bus as it started to move southward on the highway in the immediate vicinity of the crossing. At that time he thought the bus would stop clear of the crossing. When the traction car was about 30 feet east of the crossing the motorman observed that the bus had not been stopped, and he moved the brake valve to emergency position. The brakes of this train had been tested and had functioned properly en route….

“About 3:05 p.m. the bus was started and, without stopping, it entered upon the crossing immediately in front of the approaching train. The driver of the bus was an experienced driver and was familiar with the route. Visibility was not impaired by weather conditions and the driver could have seen the approaching train throughout a considerable distance immediately north of the crossing. The laws of he state of Indiana require drivers of motor vehicles to stop within 50 feet but not less than 10 feet from the nearest railroad track and not to proceed until it is safe to do so. It could not be determined why the driver failed to take action to stop the bus short of the crossing, as he was killed in the accident.

Cause

“It is found that this accident was caused by failure to operate a bus approaching railroad crossing at grade in accordance with requirements of law.” (Interstate Commerce Commission. Investigation No. 3077, Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railroad Company, Report in RE Accident, At Andry, Ind., on February 17, 1947. Washington, DC: ICC, 3-19-1947.)

Newspapers

Feb 18, AP: “Michigan City, Ind., Feb. 18 (AP) – Thirteen men, members of a railroad section crew, were killed and 16 other men were injured when a bus carrying the railroad workers was struck by a one-car Chicago, South Shore and South Bend electric train yesterday at the Andry road crossing five miles east of here.” (Gettysburg Times, PA, “Train Kills 13 Riding in Bus,” Feb 18, 1947.)

Feb 18, UP: “Michigan City, Ind., Feb. 18 – (UP) – Witnesses who saw a speeding one-car electric train knife through a big bus load of railroad workers, killing 13 persons and injuring 16 others, said today they could see no cause for the accident. The bus driver, Glenn Morris, Michigan City, had an unobstructed view for miles either way down the track, but apparently did not see the train as it bore down on the bus at 65 to 70 miles an hour at a grade crossing five miles east of here yesterday afternoon.

“Ten of the injured still were in serious condition at Clinic hospital here. All of those killed and 14 of the injured were riding in the bus. They were members of a railroad section gang…who had just completed work on another section of the company’s right-of-way.

”Morris stopped the bus, witnesses said, and then started slowly across the tracks in the path of the Chicago, South Shore and South Bend passenger car. The collision sliced the bus in two, strewing bodies of the dead and the screaming injured along the track. Morris’ body was found 500 yards from the crossing. W. E. Willard, 45, South Bend, motorman on the suburban train, and one of his passengers were treated for injuries at a hospital and released. The other 25 train passengers continued on their way after transferring to another South Bend-to-Chicago suburban train. Willard said he had no time to stop. He said the bus stopped then slowly moved into the path of his train.” (Traverse City Record Eagle (MI). February 18, 1947.)

Wikipedia: “February 17, 1947 – Michigan City, Indiana, United States: A westbound Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad train strikes a bus carrying track workers. 13 are killed, 14 others injured.” (Wikipedia. “List of Rail Accidents (Pre-1950).”)

Sources

Gettysburg Times, PA. “Train Kills 13 Riding in Bus,” February 18, 1947. Accessed at: http://www.gendisasters.com/data1/in/trains/michigancity-trainwreckfeb1947.htm

Interstate Commerce Commission. Investigation No. 3077, Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railroad Company, Report in RE Accident, At Andry, Ind., on February 17, 1947. Washington, DC: ICC, 3-19-1947. Accessed 10-15-2023 at: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/45138

Traverse City Record Eagle, MI. “Train Kills 13 Riding in Bus,” 2-18-1947. Accessed at: http://www.gendisasters.com/data1/in/trains/michigancity-trainwreckfeb1947.htm

Wikipedia. “List of Rail Accidents (Pre-1950).” Accessed at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pre-1950_rail_accidents

[1] Today [2023] Andry is a Michigan City neighborhood.

20th Century

1947 – Feb 4, USN R-4D-5S (DC-3), crashed during storm, off Chincoteague Island, VA–10

lornajarrettblanchard February 4, 1947

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard 10-16-2023 for upload to: https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–10 Aviation Safety Network. USN R4D-5S disappeared in a storm off Assateague Island, MD.

–10 AP. “Wreckage Seen May Be Missing Navy Transport.” Titusville Herald, PA. 2-6-1947, p.1.

–10 Baugher. USN and US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (10317 to 21191). 7-17-2011 rev.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Network, Database, 1947:[1]

Date: Tuesday 4 February 1947

“Type: Douglas R4D-5S (DC-3)

“Operator: United States Navy

“Registration 17131

“MSN: 12275

“First flight: 1944

“Crew: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4

“Passengers: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6

“Total: Fatalities: 10/ Occupants: 10

“Aircraft damage: Missing

….

“Location: Off Assateague Island, ME [MD] – USA

“Departure airport: Portsmouth AFB, NH…USA

“Destination airport: Norfolk NAS Chambers, VA…USA

“Narrative: Aircraft disappeared in storm at night; four crew, six passengers on board.

Baugher: “17131 (MSN 12275) ex USAAF (42-92471. To US Navy Jan 11, 1944. VR-3 Aug44. VR-7 30Sep44. Norfolk 27Jun46. W/o Feb 4, 1947, missing off Assateague Island, VA.”

Newspaper

Feb 5, AP: “Norfolk. (AP) – A navy R4D plane carrying a crew of four and possibly two other men, which messaged weakly last night that it was lost and encountering storms, was the object of an air search in the Chesapeake bay region today [the Chesapeake Bay, within the flight path of a plane coming down from NH, would be in VA]. The lost plane, which was trying to return to the Norfolk naval air station [VA] from Portsmouth, N.H., radioed at 6:17 p.m. (EST) last night that it was heading west. The message gave the plane’s location as over Chincoteague [VA] on the eastern shore of Virginia. That would have put the plane only an hour away from Norfolk, and it presumably had enough fuel to last two hours, but nothing further was heard from it.

“The air station listed the crew as Pilot C. A. Urban, chief aviation pilot; Lt. (jg) B. W. Schofield, co-pilot; J. M. Dawdy, aviation machinist’s mate, second class, and W. R. Weeks, aviation radioman, third class. In addition, two marine guards on 72-hour leave from the Norfolk retraining command whether were aboard or remained at Portsmouth. The command did not announce their names.” (AP. “Navy Searches Chesapeake Bay For Lost Plane.” The Southwest Times, Pulaski, VA. 2-5-1947, p. 1.)

Feb 5, AP: “By The Associated Press

“Norfolk, Va., Feb. 5. – Search for a missing Navy transport plane with a crew of four and six passengers aboard turned to the Richmond area tonight on the report of an Army pilot that he had sighted wreckage of ‘A DC-3” transport in a swampy almost inaccessible area ten miles southeast of Richmond. Coast Guard headquarters here, conducting a saturation air search to the west of Chincoteague Island where the plane reported it was lost in the icy gales of last night, said the Army flier’s identification of the wreckage had not been verified but ‘we are taking it as a good lead.’ The missing ship bears the Navy classification of R4D, the equivalent of the Army’s C-47 and the commercial DC-3.

“The Army airman on a routine local flight gave the position as ten miles south-southeast, from the Richmond base which would put the wreckage in Henrico or Charles City county on the north banks of the James river [entirely within VA]. At the request of the Coast Guard the Army ordered another plane to fly over the area, but darkness precluded any protracted search and the communications tower at the Richmond base said nothing further could be done by air until morning. The general search for the missing craft will be continued, the Coast Guard said, but a helicopter will be sent to the Richmond area from the Elizabeth City, N.C., base tomorrow. The Navy plans to send a couple of ‘weasels,’ amphibious, tracked, combat vehicles, into the swampy peninsula tomorrow, the Coast Guard said.

“The area in which the plane was sighted was in the general area embraced by searching planes from the Army, Navy and Coast Guard, and it was believed by Coast Guard headquarters that it is not inconceivable the wreckage is that of the missing naval transport.” (Associated Press. “Wreckage Seen May Be Missing Navy Transport. Sighted in Swampland Ten Miles Southeast of Richmond, VA.” The Titusville Herald, PA. 2-6-1947, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Navy Searches Chesapeake Bay For Lost Plane.” The Southwest Times, Pulaski, VA. 2-5-1947, p. 1. Accessed 10-17-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/pulaski-southwest-times-feb-05-1947-p-1/

Associated Press. “Wreckage Seen May Be Missing Navy Transport. Sighted in Swampland Ten Miles Southeast of Richmond, VA.” The Titusville Herald, PA. 2-6-1947, p. 1.

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Network, Database, 1947. USN R4D-5S disappeared in a storm off Assateague Island, MD. 4 Feb 1947. Accessed 10-17-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19470204-0

Baugher, Joseph F. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (10317 to 21191). July 17, 2011 revision. Accessed at: http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries2.html

[1] Sites two newspaper sources: (1) Free Lance-Star, 7 Feb 1947, p. 1. And (2) Biddeford Daily Journal, 2-5-1947.

20th Century

1947 — Jan 27, USAAF B-29 takeoff crash (engine trouble), Kirtland Field, NM –all 12

lornajarrettblanchard January 27, 1947

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard 10-16-2023 for upload to: https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–12 AP. “Sole Survivor of Plane Crash Dies of Injuries.” Las Vegas Daily Optic, NM. 1-30-1947, p.1.

–12 Aviation Safety Network. USAAF B-29 take off crash Kirtland AAF, 27 Jan 1947.

–12 Wikipedia. List of Accidents and Incidents Involving Military Aircraft (pre-1950).[1]

–11 AP. “Blame Motor Trouble for B-29 Crash,” Iowa City Press-Citizen.1-28-1947, p. 1.

–11 AP. “Lone Survivor of Air Mishap is Conscious.” Las Vegas Daily Optic, NM. 1-29-1947, 1.

–11 NFPA. “Large Loss Fires of 1947…Transportation.” Quarterly, V41, N3, Jan 1948, p. 167.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1947: (USAAF B-29.)[2]

“Date: Monday 27 January 1947

….

“Type: Boeing B-29 Superfortress

“Owner/operator: United States Army Air Force (USAAF)

“Registration: 42-65385

….

“Fatalities: Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 13 [Incorrect[3]

….

“Location: Kirtland AAF / 1/4mi S – USA

“Phase: Take off

….

“Narrative: Crashed.”

National Fire Protection Association: “Jan. 27 [1947] near Albuquerque, N.M. U.S. Air Forces. Fire at impact caused destruction of a B-29 aircraft. Eleven of twelve occupants were killed.”[4]

(National Fire Protection Association. “Large Loss Fires of 1947…Transportation.” Quarterly of the NFPA, Vol. 41, No. 3, Jan 1948, p. 167.)

Wikipedia: “27 January – United States Army Air Force Silverplate B-29-36-MO Superfortress, 44-65385, of the 428th Base Unit, Kirtland Army Air Field, New Mexico, for Los Alamos bomb development testing, crashed immediately after take-off from Kirtland on routine maintenance test flight. No specific cause is documented, a fire in one engine and the pilot’s failure to compensate for loss of power is believed to have caused the accident. Twelve crew KWF [killed while flying[5]].” (Wikipedia. List of Accidents and Incidents Involving Military Aircraft (pre-1950).)

Newspaper

Jan 28, AP: “Albuquerque, N.M. (AP)—Engine trouble was officially advanced today as the likely cause of a B-29 Super-Fortress crash which carried 11 men to fiery deaths at the army’s Kirtland Field. Laden with secret equipment, the big ship wavered on the takeoff, climbed no more than 200 feet and cracked up and burned in a narrow gully Monday just south of the field’s mile and a half-long main runway. One member of the 12-man crew survived, rescued by a pair of GI firefighters. Hospital attendants gave him a fair chance to recover….

“Col. Perry M. Hoisington, Kirtland commandant, reported one engine of the plane was seen smoking and probably caught fire. He ventured a guess that another on the same side also many have gone out of commission. This, he observed would have left the pilot…without directional control.” (AP. “Blame Motor Trouble for B-29 Crash,” Iowa City Press-Citizen. 1-28-1947, p. 1.)

Jan 29, AP: “Albuquerque, Jan. 29, (AP) – T-Sgt. Francis L. Podleski, lone survivor of a B-29 crash at Kirtland Field Monday afternoon, has regained consciousness at intervals long enough to inquire about the fate of his 11 fellow crew members, all of whom died in the flaming craft. Kirtland Field authorities said there ahs been some improvement in Podleski’s condition and quoted physicians as saying the crisis would be passed tonight and tomorrow….

“Bodies of four of the 11 who were killed when engine trouble was encountered in a takeoff have been sent to their homes for burial.” (Associated Press. “Lone Survivor of Air Mishap is Conscious.” Las Vegas Daily Optic, NM. 1-29-1947, p.1.

Jan 30, AP: “Albuquerque, Jan. 30, (AP) – T-Sgt. Francis L. Podleski, 33, of Albuquerque, sole survivor of a B-29 crash at Kirtland Field Monday in which 11 other crew members lost their lives, died at U.S. Veterans Hospital today. Podleski was badly burned when the big ship, one of its engines afire plunged into an arroyo a moment after lifting from the runway. He was pulled from the flaming wreckage y a couple of GIs who risked their lives in the rescue effort. A veteran of ore than 20 years in the Air Forces, Podleski is survived by his wife and two sons of Albuquerque, and his mother, Mrs. Mary Podleski, Alberta, Mich.” (Associated Press. “Sole Survivor of Plane Crash Dies of Injuries.” Las Vegas Daily Optic, NM. 1-30-1947, p.1.)

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1947. USAAF B-29 take-off crash Kirtland AAF, 27 Jan 1947. Accessed 10-15-2023 at:

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/98575

Associated Press. “Blame Motor Trouble for B-29 Crash.” Iowa City Press-Citizen, IA. 1-28-1947, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=13820588

Associated Press. “Lone Survivor of Air Mishap is Conscious.” Las Vegas Daily Optic, NM. 1-29-1947, p.1. Accessed 10-15-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/las-vegas-daily-optic-jan-29-1947-p-1/

Associated Press. “Sole Survivor of Plane Crash Dies of Injuries.” Las Vegas Daily Optic, NM. 1-30-1947, p.1. Accessed 10-16-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/las-vegas-daily-optic-jan-30-1947-p-1/

National Fire Protection Association. “Large Loss Fires of 1947…Transportation.” Quarterly of the NFPA, Vol. 41, No. 3, Jan 1948, p. 167.

Wikipedia. “List of Accidents and Incidents Involving Military Aircraft (pre 1950). 8/4/2009 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_military_aircraft_(pre-1950)

[1] As is too frequently the case with Wikipedia, there is no source cited for its 27 January 1947 entry.

[2] Cites two sources, neither of which work: (1) http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.asp and (2) The Indian Express 29 January 1947, p4.

[3] There were 11 immediate deaths followed by the death of T-Sgt. Francis L. Podleski, 33, or burns died Jan 30.

[4] Killed immediately in the crash were 11 of the 12 crew. The 12^th victims died on Jan 30 from burns in a hospital.

[5] Not precisely correct. See footnote 3, above. The last survivor (crewman 12) died on Jan 30.

20th Century

1947 — Jan 15, Glen Alden Coal Co., Nottingham Coal Mine gas explosion, Plymouth, PA–15

lornajarrettblanchard January 15, 1947

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard 10-16-2023 for upload to: https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–15 Mine Safety and Health Admin. Historical Coal Mine Disasters in the Anthracite Region.

–15 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC. Mining Disasters. 2010.

–15 NEPA.Railfan.net. Plymouth Miners Memorial. (Inscription on the Memorial).

–15 PA Annual Report 1947. “Explosion. Nottingham Colliery, Glen Alden Coal Co., Plymouth, PA.”

–15 United States Mine Rescue Assoc. Mine Disasters in the United States. (Nottingham Colliery)

–15 Wick (Luzerne County Historical Society). Images of America: Luzerne County. 2011, 63.

Narrative Information

Pennsylvania Annual Report 1947:

“Explosion

“Nottingham Colliery, Glen Alden Coal Company

Plymouth, Pennsylvania

“On the afternoon of January 15, 1947, an explosion occurred in No. 15 Shaft, Nottingham Colliery, Glen Alden Coal Company, which resulted in the death of fifteen workmen and injury to two others. The fifteen workmen who were fatally injured in the explosion suffered third degree burns, and in practically every instance the clothing was torn from their bodies. Twenty-two men were in the section at the time of the accident. The explosion occurred at 4:50 P. M.in No. 2 Slope

extension, No. 9 East, No. 16 Tunnel, Road No. 30, Top Ross seam.

“The section is ventilated by means of an exhaust fan, steam-driven, situated on the surface, with a recording pressure gauge of 1.6 inches, and producing 115,000 cubic feet of air per minute. The

split in question had 12,000 cubic feet per minute at the intake and 9,600 cubic feet per minute was passing through the face cross-cut on the airway side. Cross-cuts between the intake and return airways were closed with concrete blocks laid in cement. Main doors, erected in pairs to form air locks, were in use on the haulage roads. Board stoppings were used to close the chamber openings and the cross-cuts between the chambers. Permissible electric cap lamps were used by all the workmen in this section, and the miners were furnished with permissible flame safety lamps.

“The Assistant Foreman’s record book indicated that gas was not found in the affected section for a period of three months prior to the explosion.

“The gangway and airway and the chambers to the left off the airway were being driven towards abandoned and inaccessible Top Ross workings in No. 10 Slope, No. 10 Tunnel. In both the gangway and airway, drill holes had been kept 20 feet in advance of the faces as the workings approached the abandoned section. On either January 9 or 10, the drill hole at the face of the gangway tapped into the abandoned workings. Gas was not encountered and the direction of the air current was from the face of the gangway through the drill hole into the inaccessible workings.

A drill hole was then started on January 10 in the face of the airway and it also tapped into the inaccessible workings. The ventilating current traveled through this drill hole into the tapped workings. The gangway and airway continued to advance towards the abandoned section, and the air current continued in the direction of the inaccessible workings and no trouble was experienced from gas at this point, nor was gas detected.

“At another point in the section, however, a chamber was approaching the inaccessible abandoned workings. On January 14, the day preceding the accident, it was found by the assistant foreman that the face of this chamber was approximately sixty feet (60′) from the face of a chamber in the inaccessible abandoned workings. This distance was determined by means of actual measurement in the going chamber and by information shown on a map furnished the Assistant Foreman. The map showed both the abandoned and the live workings.

“Following this measurement, it was decided by the officials that 20-foot boreholes be drilled in advance of the face of the working chamber, and that such drilling be started on the morning of January 16. In the meantime the night shift on January 14 drilled and fired a six-foot cut in one-half of the chamber face. On January 15 the day shift drilled and fired the remainder of the cut across the face, thus advancing the complete face a distance of six feet (6′)….

“The night shift crew of January 15 now entered and takes over. This is the fatal shift. The workmen drilled and fired two holes, to form a “V” cut in the center of the place. These blasts broke into the face of the chamber in the abandoned workings, liberating a large volume of methane. This newly made opening was five feet (5′) wide and two feet (2′) in height. The gas so liberated entered the live workings and it is believed ignition took place on the airway road in front of the chamber that had tapped the abandoned workings.

“There were several possible sources of ignition, such as blasting, electric arcs, a defective safety lamp and smoking. All of these sources could be reasonably eliminated with the exception of a “defective safety lamp.” This latter statement is made, not because it is believed the ignition was caused by a defective safety lamp, but because the lamps were demolished by the force of the ex-plosion and an examination of them while in this state would not permit the drawing of a conclusion.

“The map furnished the colliery officials had noted thereon “January 24, 1933” as the date of the last survey in the abandoned workings. The face of the chamber into which the going chamber tapped was at that time not closed, indicating that when the survey was made work of advancing the chamber was still in progress. However, at some later date and prior to the accident, someone advanced on the map, by means of a pencil, the face of the said abandoned chamber a distance of forty feet (40′) and closed the face of the chamber, thus indicating that the chamber had actually been advanced to this point and stopped, when, as determined following the explosion, it had been advanced a distance of about forty-eight feet (48′) beyond this point, thus rendering any measurements or precautions taken by the mine foreman or his assistant of no value.

“The inaccurate map furnished the mine officials was chiefly responsible for the accident. As fourteen years have elapsed since the abandoned workings were surveyed, and as those whose duty

it was to make such surveys and maps at that time are not, at the present time, employed by the company, we were unable to fix the responsibility for the inaccurate map.

“However, as a cautionary measure for the prevention of accidents of this nature in the future, the Legislature in 1947 provided that no working place shall approach nearer than one hundred feet (1001)to any inaccessible workings until after the mine inspector, the mining engineer and the mine superintendent shall have examined the situation and granted permission.”

Sources

Mine Safety and Health Administration. Historical Coal Mine Disasters in the Anthracite Region (District 1 – Coal Mine Safety and Health). Arlington, VA: MSHA, U.S. Department of Labor. Accessed 1/3/2009 at: http://www.msha.gov/District/Dist_01/Fatals/HISTFAT.HTM

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Safety and Health Research.. Mining Disasters (Incidents with 5 or more Fatalities). NIOSH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2-26-2013 update. Accessed at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/disall.htm

and http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/content/allminingdisasters.html

NEPA.Railfan.net. Plymouth Miners Memorial. (Inscription on the Memorial). Accessed 4/8/2010 at: http://nepa.railfan.net/breakers/pmm.php

Pennsylvania Annual Report 1947. “Explosion. Nottingham Colliery, Glen Alden Coal Company, Plymouth, Pennsylvania.” Accessed 10-16-2023 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/nottingham_description_1947.pdf

United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Disasters in the United States. “Glen Alden Coal Company, Nottingham Colliery Explosion, Plymouth, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, January 15, 1947.” Accessed 10-16-2023 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/nottingham_news_only.htm

Wick, Harrison (for the Luzerne County Historical Society). Images of America: Luzerne County. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2011. Partially digitized by Google at: http://books.google.com/books?id=gYPlqdCp2nEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

20th Century

1947 — Jan 12, Eastern Airlines Flight 665 too-low/off-course crash, 10M NE Galax, VA–18

lornajarrettblanchard January 12, 1947

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard 10-16-2023 for upload to: https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

— 18 Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. Eastern Airlines Flight 665, 12 Jan 1947

— 18 CAB. Accident Investigation Report. Eastern Air Lines, Galax, Virginia – Jan 12, 1947.

— 18 Tryon. “Can Aircraft Crash Fires be Prevented.” NFPA Quarterly, 40/4, Apr 1947, p.261.

Narrative Information

Civil Aeronautics Board Safety Division. Accident Investigation Report:

“The Accident

“Eastern Air Lines Flight 665, NC-88872, a Douglas DC-3, crashed near Galax, Virginia, at 0138, January 12, 1947, during an instrument letdown while en route to Smith Reynolds Airport, Winston-Salem. North Carolina. The aircraft was demolished as a result of impact and subsequent fire, and 15 of the 16 passengers and the crew of 3 were fatally injured. The one surviving passenger was seriously injured. The one surviving passenger was seriously injured.

“History of the Flight

“Flight 665 originated at Detroit, Michigan, January 11, 1947, with its destination Winston-Salem and with routine stops scheduled at Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. That portion of the flight from Detroit to Akron was accomplished without incident. On an instrument flight plan, which specified Raleigh-Durham Airport, Raleigh, North Carolina, as the alternate airport, Flight 665 departed from Akron at 2307 and thereafter made routine position reports over East Liverpool, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Elkins, West Virginia. At 0042, January 12, 1947, the flight reported over Roanoke, Virginia, at 10,000 feet, and, in accordance with a previous air traffic control clearance, reported that it was descending to 8,000 feet. Shortly thereafter, a clearance was delivered from Airway Traffic Control requiring the flight to maintain 7,000 feet to the Winston-Salem radio range station and to hold on the southeast leg of the Winston-Salem radio range station and to hold on the southeast leg of the Winston-Salem radio range until further advised. At this time the flight was informed that approach clearance to Smith Reynolds Airport could be expected at 0145.

“Immediately after receipt of the traffic control clearance, the flight requested information concerning ‘essential traffic.’ A complete traffic report was transmitted to Flight 665, immediately following which, the flight requested permission to descent to 3,000 feet. However, because descent to this altitude might have conflicted with other traffic, Airway Traffic Control refused the request.

“The flight reported its position over Greensboro at 7,000 feet at 0100 and five minutes thereafter reported over the Winston-Salem radio range station. At 0121 the flight was cleared to descend to 5,000 feet and it reported reaching that altitude at 0126. The flight was instructed to descend to 4,000 feet at 0127 and six minutes later was cleared to the Winston-Salem tower. Immediately after receipt ot this clearance Flight 665 attempted to contact Winston-Salem tower on the company frequency. Eastern Air Lines’ radio station at Charlotte, North Carolina, called the flight at 0135 in order to advise the pilot that he was transmitting on the wrong frequency. No acknowledgment was received from the flight for this contact and no further radio contacts were had with Flight 665.

“At 0243 the Virginia State Police notified the Civil Aeronautics Administration Winston-Salem Communications Station that the aircraft had crashed near Galax, Virginia, at a point approximately 58 miles northwest of Winston-Salem.

“Investigation

“Investigation disclosed that, while on a magnetic bearing of 295 degrees, the aircraft had struck the ground on the top of a knoll in the Blue Ridge Mountains, 10 miles northwest of Galas, Virginia, at an elevation of 2,479 feet. Five hundred feet beyond the point of initial contact, the aircraft struck large trees which sheared the left wing at a point near the attack angle. At the aircraft continued through the tree tops for an additional 400 feet, the right wing was sheared at the landing light position and the right stabilizer and elevator were torn from the empennage….

“No evidence was disclosed of malfunctioning of the aircraft’s structure, power plants or control system prior to impact. Damage sustained by the engines and propellers indicted that, at the time of initial contact, the aircraft was operating under approximately normal cruise power. The flaps and landing gear were in a fully retracted position…Propeller marks on the ground at the point of initial contact indicate that the aircraft was laterally and longitudinally level immediately before the accident….

“Between the hours of 0054 and 0146, the radio range station at Winston-Salem had been functioning erratically due to intermittent power interruptions. From 0146 until 0244, the power was completely off and since no alternate power system is available at Winston-Salem, the radio range was inoperative during this period. Investigation disclosed that the power interruptions were due to a short circuit in the electrical system of the Duke Power Company….

“The minimum altitude established by the company between Roanoke and Greensboro is 6,000 feet. The minimum altitude for initial approach to the Winston-Salem radio range station if 2500 feet. Smith Reynolds Airport is located at a distance of 5.1 miles northwest of the Winston-Salem radio range station and the minimum indicated altitude specified in Eastern Air Lines’ Airport Specification for crossing Smith Reynolds Airport is 1469 feet. The total distance from Greensboro to Smith Reynolds Airport is slightly in excess of 19 miles and the descent required between these two points is almost 5000 feet. The elevation of the airport in 969 feet….

“Discussion

“….The average ground speed computed on the basis of position reports over Pittsburgh and Roanoke was 44 miles per hour higher than the maximum ground speed possible under the existing conditions. It bust be concluded, therefore, that the position report over Roanoke was in error and that the pilot must have been approximately 53 miles north of Roanoke at the time of this report. It appears, furthermore, that the position reports made ‘over’ Greensboro and Winston-Salem were also in error. At 0115, when the flight reported over Winston-Salem, it was probably 62 miles north of Winston-Salem.

“Had the pilot taken into consideration the existing winds aloft, reports of which were attached to the flight plan, he could not have reached conclusion that the flight covered the distance between Pittsburgh and Roanoke at 194 miles per hour nor between Roanoke and Greensboro at 178 miles per hour….

The minimum altitude established by the company between Roanoke and Greensboro in 6,000 feet. It cannot be understood why the pilot deliberately requested clearance from Airway Traffic Control to an altitude of 3,000 feet simply to expedite approach to Winston-Salem. It must be concluded, however, that, in the interest of avoiding a possible delay of a few minutes, the pilot desired to conduct the flight below the minimum altitude prescribed in the Operations Manual for this portion of the route….

“Had the pilot clearly identified his position over Greensboro, there would have been no occasion for him to hold a northwest heading for the length of time necessary to bring him 58 miles northwest of Winston-Salem….

“Since it is hardly conceivable that an airline pilot would maintain a heading toward the Blue Ridge Mountains for 30 minutes and continue a descent below the terrain in this area, it must be concluded that the pilot at no time was over or near Greensboro and that, after passing the point at which he reported ‘over Roanoke,’ the remainder of the flight was conducted with both the direction finding receivers tuned to the Winston-Salem radio.

“The investigation disclosed that fact that the manually operated direction finding receiver was tuned to the Winston-Salem radio range at the time of the accident. If both the manual and the automatic direction finding set were tuned to Winston-Salem for a considerable period of time prior to the accident, a reasonable account of the resulting navigation errors can be made. In the vicinity of Galax and northward for a distance of 40 to 50 miles there existed, for Winston-Salem radio, a skip-distance within which at night there often is a strong overriding of Patterson radio might be aggravated to the extent that a sudden reversal of the direction of the ADF indicator would result. It is very probable that such a reversal would have the appearance of the reversal normally experience during passage over a radio station. At some point north of Winston-Salem the pilot might have experienced such a reversal and been led to believe that he had passed over the Winston-Salem station. This fact may very well account for the pilot having assumed a heading of 295 degrees shortly before the accident….

“In summarizing its investigation of this accident the Board concludes that the flight planning by the pilot of Flight 665 was not adequate. In the course of the flight the pilot must have been to some extent inconvenienced by a substantial amount of static interference with the radio navigational facilities en route. The fact that he requested clearance to Winston-Salem from Roanoke at an altitude 3,000 feet lower than the approved company altitude is sufficiently indicative of the pilots greater interest in arriving at Winston-Salem as close to schedule as possible rather than in conducting the flight according to the en route procedures established by the company. The pilot was without justification in his deviation from standard company route procedures in not flying directly to Greensboro from Roanoke. Instead of following procedures which would have enabled him to use the best radio facilities available, the Captain chose to fly directly to Winston-Salem from Roanoke thereby compromising the safety of the flight in order to gain a few minutes time.

“Findings

….

“3. While en route to Winston-Salem from Pittsburgh, the Captain erroneously reported his position as over Roanoke at 0042, when in fact at this time the flight was approximately 53 miles north of Roanoke.

“4. Shortly after the time of the Roanoke position report, the pilot requested clearance to Winston-Salem at an altitude 3,000 feet lower than the minimum company en route altitude between Roanoke and Winston-Salem.

“5. The pilot chose to deviate from the standard Eastern Air Lines’ routed procedures and fly directly to Winston-Salem.

“6. Because Winston-Salem radio is a medium powered, loop type radio range station, the route from Roanoke to Winston-Salem is via Greensboro radio.

“7. Considerable static interference existed in the low frequency band.

“8. Considerable overriding of Winston-Salem radio is often experienced in the area north of Winston-Salem by Patterson radio.

“9. At 0134, four minutes before the accident, the aircraft was approximately 53 miles northwest of the Winston-Salem radio range station.

“10. At 0134 and 0245 two power interruptions of approximately one minute duration each occurred, which caused a temporary failure of the Winston-Salem radio range station.

“11. In the belief that he was in the close proximity of Winston-Salem, the pilot chose to establish a let-down without positively having identified the aircraft’s position with respect to the Winston-Salem radio range station.

“12. The flight continued its descent toward the Blue Ridge Mountains striking the ground at an elevation of 2,479 feet at a point 63 miles northwest of the Winston-Salem radio range station while on a direction of flight opposite to the direction of Winston-Salem.

“Probable Cause

“The probable cause of this accident was the action of the pilot in attempting a let-down without having positively determined the position of the aircraft. A contributing factor was the erroneous navigation of the pilot which on at least two occasions led him to believe that he was farther south than he actually was.” (CAB. Accident Investigation Report. Eastern Air Lines, Galax, Virginia – Jan 12, 1947.)

Sources

Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. Eastern Air Lines Flight 665, 12 Jan 1947. Accessed 2/8/2009 at: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19470112-0

Civil Aeronautics Board Safety Bureau. Accident Investigation Report. Eastern Air Lines, Inc., Galax, Virginia – January 12, 1947. Washington, DC: CAB (File No. 1-0005-47), 11-13-1947. Accessed 10-16-2023 at: file:///C:/Users/Wayne/Downloads/dot_33296_DS1.pdf

Tryon, George H. III. “Can Aircraft Crash Fires be Prevented.” NFPA Quarterly, Vol. 40, No. 4, April 1947, pp. 259-264.

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