Message of Death Flashed From Lighthouse Isolated by Impenetrable Ice Pack
Port Morien, N.S., March 29. - (AP) - A message of death blinking in red flashes from a lighthouse, drew rescuers early today to a new attempt to reach ice-locked Flint island.
"A child is dead," said the red lights, flashing six times in groups of two.
The dead child is one of the nine in the family of Lightkeeper Martell, but which of the nine it was no one on the mainland knew.
For 50 hours boats sought in vain to reach the island, isolated by a mile and a half of broken ice. Frantic signals had told them something was wrong, but, at first, no one knew what it was.
Yesterday shore people composed a code of signals, which were delivered to the light tower in a note dropped from an airplane by Don McPherson. But there was a mixup, and all that was definitely established was that some one was ill or dead.
Then the Glace Bay radio station asked the islanders to flash the light twice in case Martell was dead, four times if it was Mrs. Martell, and six times if it was one of the children.
Many eyes watched in the cold darkness last night as the light began to blink "flash-flash. Flash-flash. Flash-flash."
The government ice-breaker Montcalm made ready to sail from North Sidny(sic) to bring the body ashore and give aid if anyone else was sick. A shift in the wind raised hope that the ice might yield to the smashing process of the hardy ship.
Port Morien, N.S., March 29. - (AP) - A message of death blinking in red flashes from a lighthouse, drew rescuers early today to a new attempt to reach ice-locked Flint island.
"A child is dead," said the red lights, flashing six times in groups of two.
The dead child is one of the nine in the family of Lightkeeper Martell, but which of the nine it was no one on the mainland knew.
For 50 hours boats sought in vain to reach the island, isolated by a mile and a half of broken ice. Frantic signals had told them something was wrong, but, at first, no one knew what it was.
Yesterday shore people composed a code of signals, which were delivered to the light tower in a note dropped from an airplane by Don McPherson. But there was a mixup, and all that was definitely established was that some one was ill or dead.
Then the Glace Bay radio station asked the islanders to flash the light twice in case Martell was dead, four times if it was Mrs. Martell, and six times if it was one of the children.
Many eyes watched in the cold darkness last night as the light began to blink "flash-flash. Flash-flash. Flash-flash."
The government ice-breaker Montcalm made ready to sail from North Sidny(sic) to bring the body ashore and give aid if anyone else was sick. A shift in the wind raised hope that the ice might yield to the smashing process of the hardy ship.
Message of Death Flashed From Lighthouse Isolated by Impenetrable Ice Pack
Port Morien, N.S., March 29. - (AP) - A message of death blinking in red flashes from a lighthouse, drew rescuers early today to a new attempt to reach ice-locked Flint island.
"A child is dead," said the red lights, flashing six times in groups of two.
The dead child is one of the nine in the family of Lightkeeper Martell, but which of the nine it was no one on the mainland knew.
For 50 hours boats sought in vain to reach the island, isolated by a mile and a half of broken ice. Frantic signals had told them something was wrong, but, at first, no one knew what it was.
Yesterday shore people composed a code of signals, which were delivered to the light tower in a note dropped from an airplane by Don McPherson. But there was a mixup, and all that was definitely established was that some one was ill or dead.
Then the Glace Bay radio station asked the islanders to flash the light twice in case Martell was dead, four times if it was Mrs. Martell, and six times if it was one of the children.
Many eyes watched in the cold darkness last night as the light began to blink "flash-flash. Flash-flash. Flash-flash."
The government ice-breaker Montcalm made ready to sail from North Sidny(sic) to bring the body ashore and give aid if anyone else was sick. A shift in the wind raised hope that the ice might yield to the smashing process of the hardy ship.
Port Morien, N.S., March 29. - (AP) - A message of death blinking in red flashes from a lighthouse, drew rescuers early today to a new attempt to reach ice-locked Flint island.
"A child is dead," said the red lights, flashing six times in groups of two.
The dead child is one of the nine in the family of Lightkeeper Martell, but which of the nine it was no one on the mainland knew.
For 50 hours boats sought in vain to reach the island, isolated by a mile and a half of broken ice. Frantic signals had told them something was wrong, but, at first, no one knew what it was.
Yesterday shore people composed a code of signals, which were delivered to the light tower in a note dropped from an airplane by Don McPherson. But there was a mixup, and all that was definitely established was that some one was ill or dead.
Then the Glace Bay radio station asked the islanders to flash the light twice in case Martell was dead, four times if it was Mrs. Martell, and six times if it was one of the children.
Many eyes watched in the cold darkness last night as the light began to blink "flash-flash. Flash-flash. Flash-flash."
The government ice-breaker Montcalm made ready to sail from North Sidny(sic) to bring the body ashore and give aid if anyone else was sick. A shift in the wind raised hope that the ice might yield to the smashing process of the hardy ship.
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