Searchlights from the various Japanese warships immediately came into action, most of them concentrating on the scene of the crash and on the floating plane, while others started to "finger" their way up and down the river. Several fast motor launches put out from the wharf by the Japanese Consulate-General and hurried to the scene, but whether or not they managed to find the other members of the unfortunate crew could not be ascertained last night. They searched the surfgte of the river over a wide area before returning.
Meanwhile, at the Riverside plant, one of the aviators had managed to struggle to the shore and was assisted onto the wharf. The Japanese authorities were immediately communicated with, and the man handed over into their care.
The other five aeroplanes, in the meantime, continued on to their base, apparently without incident. While, of course, the actual reason for the accident could not be ascertained last night, foreign observers on the shore believe that either the pilot was wounded and was finally overcome when in sight of "home," or that in the darkness he misjudged his landing at Point Island and crashed into river. The aeroplane was believed to be a total loss.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.