Oldest Newspaper in Alaska.Member of The Assoeialed Press
DEVOTED TO THE BUILDING OF A BETTER NOME AND THE SECOND DIVISION.
NOME IS THE STRATEGIC WORLD FLIGHT AIR BASE—ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR COMMERCIAL AND MILITARY AVIATION
THE NOME DAILY NUGGET
Volume 36. Number 193. NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1935. Per Copy Ten Cents
Post And Rogers Are Killed In Crash
PLANE CRASHED TAKING OFF SMALL RIVER
Mrs .Rogers Requests PAA Fly Her Husband to Juneau
Nome Sorrowful
At Receipt News
Death Two Men
The early receipt this morning of
the news of the deaths of Will Rog
ers and Wiley Post, enroute from
Fairbanks to Barrow yesterday af
ternoon, came to many listeners over
short wave radio sets in Nome,
shocking them with the dramatic
news. It was being announced
from Pittsburgh and other large
broadcasting centers.
All of Nome was deeply sorrowful
at hearing the news of the deaths of
these two famous men, who had
planned on coming to Nome within
the next few days. As is always
the case with people listening in
over the radio, everyone gets a diff
ert story and the remembering
( Continued On Page Four )
Paa Pilot Crosson
Arrived Barrow
4:30 P. M. Today
Late reports today said that Pilot
Joe Crosson of the Pacific Alaska
Airways arrived at Barrow at 4:30
P. M. today from Fairbanks, and that
he will return to Fairbanks tonight.
Late wires from the states said that
the Pan American Airways had been
requested to bring the bodies out
from Point Barrow, and so Pilot
Crosson will probably have the bod
ies on his return trip.
Thos. A. Ross in Charge of the
Nome Station of the U. S. Coast
Guard was advised by the U.S.C.G.
Northland early this morning that
headquarters had directed the cut
ter Northland, which had been to
Barrow and was sailing on its re
turn voyage to Nome, to return and
pick up the bodies and transport
them to Nome. The Cutter was off
Seahorse Island, located near Icy
Cape at the time.
The Northland also informed him
that heavy winds were driving the
ice packs onto the beach and that
it would be almost impossible to re
turn. Mr. Ross was delegated to
convey the information to the Paci
fic Alaska Airways which was dis
patching an airplane, piloted by Av
iator Joe Crosson of the conditions.
The Northland further advised that
the best possible way of handling
the situation was by airplane rather
than attempting to obtain the bodies
and bring them to Nome, due to the :
treacherous Arctic ice floes and
stormy weather.
The information was turned over
to the Nome PAA radio station and
they wirelessed Fairbanks where
the plane was preparing to take off
about 10 AM today.
The plane took off from Fairbanks
and the latest reliable information
indicates that they will return to
Fairbanks with the bodies.
PLANE CRASHED AND
BODIES FOUND SIGNAL
CORPS MAN BARROW
Sergeant Morgan Sends First News Death
Wiley Post And Will Rogers To Seattle
Office Of U. S. Signal Corps
(By The Associated Press)
FLASH—Post and Rogers killed near Point Barrow in
plane crash last night.
Both Men Were Dead When Plane Found
SEATTLE, Aug. 16—The Alaska Telegraph Signal Corps
station advised that Will Rogers and Wiley Post were killed
in a plane crash 15 miles South of Point Barrow. Sergeant
Stanley R. Morgan, operator at Barrow recovered the bodies
and took them to Barrow where they are being cared for by
Dr. Henry W. Greist, Medical Missionary at the Presbyter
ian hospital there.
The plane was enroute from Fairbanks to Barrow—a
distance of five hundred miles. Morgan declared when he
arrived at the scene of the wrecked airplane, that both men
were dead.
After leaving Fairbanks yesterday they set their plane
down on Harding Lake, fifty miles away, to refuel, and
await the lifting of a dense fog in the Barrow region.
Rogers wanted to go to Barrow to meet Charles Brower,
known as the “King of the Arctic,” who is operating a whal
ing and trading station at that point.
Barrow Station Is Working Anchorage
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16—Sergeant Morgan’s notifica
tion to the Signal Corps here said:
“Post and Rogers crashed fifteen miles south of Barrow
at five o’clock last night. Have recovered the bodies and
placed them in care of Dr. Griest. Barrow station is stand
ing by on Anchorage radio hourly.” Signed Morgan.
Colonel Kumpe in charge of the Signal Corps activities
in Seatttle notified both Mrs. Post and Mrs. Rogers.
Secretary Commerce Roper Is Saddened
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16—Daniel C. Roper. Secretary
of the Department of Commerce said that Commerce Depart
ment Aviation Inspectors had been dispatched to the scene
of the Post-Rogers crash, but his inspectors lack jurisdiction
as the crash was not on a scheduled airline and the plane
was privately owned. However: “We will be as helpful as
we can be. Words cannot express my sorrow at the loss of
these splendid developers of aviation.” Murray Hall, De
partment Inspector at Anchorage and other points in the
Territory, has already gone to the scene of disaster.
Rogers Family Was Congregated East
SKOWHEGAN, Maine, Aug. 16, —Mary Rogers, aged 19
Will’s only daughter, was in rehearsal with the Lakewood
summer theatre players when word of her father’s death
came. Mrs. Will Rogers, wiflow of the man whose humor
placed him high in American life, was also here. She ar
rived Tuesday from California with her sister Mrs. Theda
Blake. Roger’s son James planned to come here for a visit
next Monday.
Word of the death of Rogers and Post cast a pall of
gloom over the summer colony here, especially that of Rog
ers’, who visited here a year ago to see his daughter’s state
performances.
EXACT DETAILS CRASH
COME THRU AND TELLS
HOW THE PAIR KILLED
Plane Landed Get Information And In Tak
ing Of Motor Sputtered And Graft Div
ed Nose First In Water Killing Two
(By The Associated Press)
LATEST—SEATTLE, Aug. 16, — Post and Rogers
were killed instantly at 5 o’clock last night, or eight o’clock
: Seattle time, fifteen miles short of their goal, the Barrow
Signal Corps reported, when the plane plunged nose-on in
I to the waters. The details were received by Colonel George
,F. Kumpe in the following message from Morgan at Point
Barrow:
“At ten PM or 1 AM Friday Pacific Standard Time, a
native runner reported that the plane crashed fifteen mil
es South of Barrow. Immediately hired a fast launch and
proceeded to the scene. We found Rogers and then it was
necessary to tear the plane apart and extract the body of
Post from the water-filled cabin. We brought the bodies to
Barrow and turned them over to Dr. Griest. We also sal
vaged personal effects which I am holding. Advise relatives
and instruct this station fully as to procedure.
Native camping on a small river south of here claim that
Post and Rogers asked the way to Barrow and that in taking
off, the engine misfired on a right bank and turn while only
fifty feet off the water.
“The plane, out of control crashed nose-on, tearing off
the right wing and nosing over, forcing the engine back
through the body of the plane. Both were apparently killed
instantly, their bodies displaying numerous bruises. Post’s
wrist watch was broken and the hands showed the watch
stopped at 8:15 P M. Notify Mrs. Post, Mrs Rogers.”
Mrs. Post Is Prostrated With Grief
TUCSON CITY, Oklahoma, Aug. 16, — When advised
of the news of her husband’s death, Mrs. Post who was wait
ing at her home here, was prostrated with grief. She had
returned for an operation.
Believed Future Aviation Stratosphere
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 16, — Post went to his death con
vinced that the future of aviation lies in the upper reach
es of the sky, after he had made four unsuccessful cross
country stratosphere flight, each time being forced down.
After the last flight he retired the famed Winnie Mae
and announced that the ship was unsuited to the needs of
stratosphere flying. The Winnie Mae now sits in a hang
ar here, with her famed pilot dead at Point Barrow Alaska.
HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 16, —The movie capital here was
stunned at the news of Roger’s and Post’s death at Point
Barrow. An army of newspaper men were thrown into the
battle to obtain the information which would definitely es
tablish their deaths.
Nation’s Capital Hard Hit By Deaths
WASHINGTON, Aug. 15,— The Nation’s capital, where
Rogers was loved as few others of his time, was grieved to
hear of his death.
Vice-President Garner said: “That is awful; I can’t
talk about it. Rogers was one of the best friends I had.”
Speaker Byrns of the House of Representatives couldn’t
find immediate words to express his sorrow.
Hurley said Rogers was one of nature’s noblemen, and
Post was a brilliant and intrepid flier.
(Continued on Page Two)
•
Story Of Arrival
Post And Rogers
Fairbanks Aug. 12
r
The following story is reprinted
from the Fairbanks News-Miner of
August 12th, concerning the arrival
of Wiley Post and Will Rogers
there from Akiavik, on the Arctic
Coast:
Will Rogers, humorist and motion
picture actor, and Wiley Post, round
the world flier, arrived this after
noon in Fairbanks. They came in
Post's plane from Akiavik, which is
on the Arctic Coast of Canada near
the mouth of the Mackenzie River.
They had flown to Akiavik from
Dawson, Y. T., having left the Klon
dyke capitoi last Saturday noon.
‘We flew from Akiavik by way of
Herschel and the Porcupine River."
said Post, upon emerging from the
plane. ‘I don’t know how long we’ll
be here or where we’ll go from
here.”
Many Witness Arrival
As the trim red plane soared over
Fairbanks it was noted as Post's
plane and several hundred persons
in about 75 automobiles gathered at
the airplane float a mile and a half
from the city by the time the plane
had alighted on the Chena River.
The aircraft made a perfect landing
and slowly glided up the stream to
the float at 3:41 o’clock in response
to signals from Aviator Joseph E.
Crosson of this city, who stood on
the float waiting to greet the world
flier and the humorist, both of whom
are friends of the Fairbanks pilot.
The door of the plane was opened
and the well-known countenance of
Roger's emerged, looking just as he
does in motion pictures.
'Want a rope, Joe,’ he drawled.
‘Then, climbing down from the
plane he asked:
‘Is that all the river you got?
Gotta have more river than that for
an airplane.”
Post and Rogers were brought
from the airplane landing to the
city in the Chrysler automobile of
Crosson. In the car also were Mrs.
Crosson and Joseph E. Crosson, Jr.,
whom Mr. Rogers’ welcomed warm
ly. The car containing the distin
guished visitors was followed by a
long string of automobiles
When questioned as to what he
would do while in Fairbanks, Post
replied:
'I haven’t got any program. I
don’t know.’
To Do Work on Plane
! Post declared he planned to have
work done on his plane while it was
in this city.
SokolofT at Aklavik
When asked about Nickolas Sok
olofT, vice-president of the Amtorg,
I inc., the Russian government trad
I ing company, who is at Aklavik,
waiting to radio reports to Sigmund
Levanevsky and his two associates
when they attempt a non-stop flight
(Continued on Page Two)
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