STORM IN CONGRESS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 January 1939, Page 5

STORM IN CONGRESS

ATTACK ON IMPERIAL AIRWAYS LOSS Oh FLYING-BOAT CAVALIER. FAILURE TO PROVIDE SAFETY DEVICES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. WASHINGTON, January 24. The revelation that the Imperial Airways’ flying-boat Cavalier, which crashed midway between New York and Bermuda, though carrying American passengers, had not been passed as airworthy by the American authorities, raised a storm in Congress today. Senator Reynolds declared that Imperial Airways failure to provide deicing equipment was gross negligence. Other Congressmen criticised the company severely.

Representative Maas said that planes not equipped in this way should be grounded for immediate and radical changes. As a resul of this an arrangement by which the United States of America and Britain will exchange air commerce facilities is forecasted, and Imperial Airways’ planes will be forced to meet American standards of safety before taking off from American airports. The number of lifebelts on the Cavalier was also criticised. Captain Anderson states that the survivors had nine, but the passengers say six. The “New York Times” comments editorially that lifebelts hastily lashed together saved 10 of the Cavalier’spassengers, but that collapsible rubber boats and inflatable life rafts with flares are more efficacious. They are the standard equipment on Pan-Ameri-can Airways’ machines.

WILD DISORDER RESCUING SHIP MOBBED ON ARRIVAL. HEROISM OF MEMBERS OF CAVALIER CREW. NEW YORK, January 24. Scenes of wild disorder marked the arrival of the tanker Esso Baytown here today with the ten survivors of the Cavalier disaster. The crowd fought with the police, calling on the captain to “Tell your story.” A telegraph boy was crushed under the gangway, receiving severe injuries.

The police finally gave up, and 1500 men and women swept aboard. They took possession of the tanker, ran through the passage-ways, ripped open cabin doors and invaded the hold and engine-room seeking souvenirs. The survivors paid a tribute to the heroism of Spence, one of the stewards. Injured and without a lifebelt, he swam up and down encouraging the weary, adjusting slipping lifebelts, massaging stiff muscles and wiping off frostbite. Then, exhausted, he slipped out of sight. The first officer, Neil Richardson, when sharks were attracted by blood from the injured, said: “They’re scared of their own shadows. Look!” and swam toward them, splashing and shouting.