July - September 1935

July 5, 1935 page 1 Flying Catastrophe in Columbia _____ Nineteen People Severely Injured and Burned, Six Survivors. Among the Victims in the Collision Between the Two Aircraft Were Film Star Carlos Gardel and Famous Aviator Ernesto Samper, Who Were on the Tarmac. Bogata, Columbia. — At the Medellin Airport, about 200 miles northwest of Bogata, the worst aircraft accident to occur in the Americas so far happened as thousands of onlookers, mostly women, watched in horror. The crowd had assembled to cheer for Carlos Gardel, South America's new Valentino during his departure from Medellin. The well-known film and stage actor was on a triumphant tour throughout the continent and, along with various other passengers, was taking off in a SACO three-engine airliner. As the aircraft was attempting to take flight a sudden gust of wind caused it to swerve into another fully loaded plane preparing for takeoff. The two aircrafts collided and exploded. Besides Gardel, Ernesto Samper, Columbia's Lindbergh, was killed. Samper was one of the founders and directors of SACO Airlines. Also identified from remains were Henry Swartz of Philadelphia, a representative for Universal Films; Lester W. Strauss, a mining engineer from New York; Wm. Foster, a mechanic; pilots Hans Ulrich and Thom Fürst. The other victims of the accident were Argentinians and Columbians. The other aircraft belonged to SCADTA, one of the largest Columbian airline companies with German partners. Only six passengers, among them American Grant Flynn, who escaped the raging flames with more of less serious injuries.

July 5, 1935 page 1 Archduke Otto Again an Austrian Citizen _____ Vienna. — The mountain toen of Hall in the Austrian Alps has made Archduke Otto a fully-vested citizen of its community and has thus fulfilled a precondition which will enable his eventual takeover of the Austrian throne. The Archduke lost his rights of citizenship when his father, Emperor Karl, renounced the throne. Since that time the Archduke has been considered a "Fatherlandless Man," who was denied even a visitor's return to his native land if he didn't want to be arrested. Archduke Otto was given "honorary citizenship" by over 450 Austrian communities, however Hall was the only town to give him full citizenship.