The Nome Nugget

Hemingways Tell Of Surviving Two Plane Crashes

ENTEBBE, Uganda, (P)—Ernest Hemingway nursed assorted cuts, bruises and burns Tuesday—marks of his latest brush with death in the wild East African bush.

Of his luck, he said: "I think she is running very good."

Hemingway and his fourth wife the former Mary Welsh, arrived here by car Monday after surviving two plane crashes in the big game country near the headwaters of the Nile river. Mrs. Hemingway had two cracked ribs.

After a 125-mile trip over jungle and mountain roads the novelist climbed out of a motor car clutching a bottle of gin and a bunch of bananas.

"I feel wonderful," he declared but his shirt was torn, one arm swollen and there was a big patch of adhesive tape on his head.

The first crackup occurred Saturday when the Hemingways on a five-month safari through East Africa—were flying in a chartered plane near the Murchison Falls. Hemingway said it was caused when their plane dived—to avoid a flock of ibises—colorful African birds.

It landed on an elephant track through the jungle scrub.

Hemingway joshingly accused his wife of being responsible for a herd of elephants that crashed around the bush near their camp throughout the night. They were "attracted by my wife's snoring," he said.

The marooned party was picked up the next day by a tourist launch and taken to Butiaba, 60 miles away. There a second plane which they hired to take them to Nairobi, Kenya. crashed on the takeoff. The Hemingways lost all their equipment in the second mishap.