Hemnrd Dnily Guteumy
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOLUME XXI, NUMBER 43
SEWARD,
ALASKA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1926.
PRIC17, TEN CENTS
POLAR PARIY AND
PLANE DEPART
FOR FAIRBANKS
May Land On Ice and Float Hundreds Miles Toward
Spitzbergen Which Will Save Large Quaitity
Fuel—Or May Establish Base On New Land
EXPLORATION PARTY ALL REGULAR FELLOWS
Appreciated Warm Welcome Extended Them By Seward
Citizens—Captain Wilkins Visited In Seward
Briefly in Year of 1916.
The route of the flight planned by Captain George
H. Wilkins from Point Barrow over the North Pole lies
close to the Pole of Relative Inaccessibility, the center of
a vast unexplored region directly north of the North Am
erican continent and Siberia.
The degree of inaccessibility of Arctic regions does
not depend upon latitude, but upon navigable waters and
suitable places for establishing bases of supplies.
The warm waters of the Gulf Stream on the Atlantic
side of the continent flow into the Arctic ocean, making it
possible for ships to navigate 700 miles further north
there than on the Pacific side. On this side the tepid Jap
anese current is deflected from the Arctic ocean by the
chain of Aleutian islands. For this reason the area north
and west of Greenland has been explored, while the ice
pack north of Alaska has prevented investigation of that
Polar basin, large enough to encompass a continent the
size of Australia.
Whether land lies within this ice-locked space has
long been a subject of speculation. It is an endeavor to
answer this riddle that the Wilkins expedition was organ
ized.
Captain Wilkins, who arrived in
Seward Sunday morning with his
party, stated to The Gate-way, that
with respect to the cruising radius of
the planes, if land is discovered, a
base will probably be established,
but on the other hand, if no land is
sighted, he intends to have the
planes descend, land on the ice and
drift for a month or so. As the ice
pack drifts at the rate of about ten
miles a day, it will be seen hundreds
of miles of flight -will be cut off, and
a big saving of gasoline, from the
total capacity carried will be made.
It would be his purpose then to hop
off and complete the air voyage to
Spitzbergen, . “We do not expect to
abandon the planes’’, he said.
'Captain Wilkins then pointed out
the advantages of the skiis attached
to each plane which will take up
the burden of the ships after the
wheels, which are also attached, sink
nine inches. Special protection is
also afforded the tail and rudder. He
said he has planned to convert Arc
tic conditions and the engines to
normal and does not anticipate op
erating under Polar conditions. In
other words, the engines and certain
other parts of the machines have
been housed in and protected from
the frigid -weather to such an extent
that when operating the planes will
be flying under normal conditions.
A spare engine for each plane has
been brought north, as well as inter
changeable parts for every portion of
the planes and engines. The wing
spread of the big Fokker monoplane
measures 73 inches and the smaller
plane, 62 inches. The specially made
gas tank on the large Fokker, which
occupies all of the cabin passenger
space, is sufficiently large enough to
seat four men around a card table
and according to Captain Wilkins,
“will hold a sufficient size quantity
of gasoline to run an automobile
around the world, or would keep a
Ford car running for a period of five
years.”
The smaller machine has regular
caibin accommodations and is equip-!
perl with wicker chairs, upholstered
walls, and other conveniences. The!
gas supply will be carried in cases j
and in the extra tank at the forward j
end of the cabin. The weight of I
a three engine plane, each engine of
200 h. p. Wright-Whirl wind types
was placed at six tons fully loaded.
That of the single Liberty motor
plane, engine 400 h. p„ is placed at
[four and one-half tons, fully loaded.
Captain Wilkins said he antici
pated arriving at Point Barrow about
March 21, and following a few test
flights at that point, proposed to
strike out as soon as weather and
plane conditions permitted.
With reference to the personnel of
the planes he said this would be de
cided a few days prior to hopping
off from Barrow, that at the present
time he had arived at no decision.
The pilots wil drive their respective
ships around Barrow in test flights
after which he will make up the
complements. He said a third mach
ine, which was burned up in the
East last month, was an auxiliary
plane, therefore, he has not ordered
another to replace it.
He appreciated the kind offer re
cently made to him by the Fairbanks
airplane company who offered him
the use of their hangar and made
special mention to the Gateway to
that effect. The citizens of Fair
banks also offered to enlarge the
landing field if he so desired, he said.
In a recent telegram from Lieut.
Eielson hte suggestion was made that
the test flights be conducted in Fair
banks, but that the loaded planes
take off from the Tanana river, near
Nenana. This will be decided upon
his arrival at Fairbanks.
The snow tractors will not hinder
the party in any way, he said, owing
to the fact that in case the tractors
do not make the grade, from 'what
ever point the yreach the planes will
land, load on the outfit, and hop off
to Barrow.
The party and planes departed for
j Fairbanks this morning.
THREE CHILDREN FOR HOME
Three children for the Jesse Lee
Home arrived in Seward from Unga
and Belkofski Saturday night on the
steamer Starr. They were Martin and
Clara Skinner from Unga and Corne
lius Bear from Belkofski.
Weekly Gateway—$3 per year.
MAJOR LANPHIER
WILL RECOMMEND
FLYING DIVISION
THOUGHTS TURN FREQUENTLY
TOWARD AIR SERVICE
FOR ALASKA
EAGER TO JOIN WILKINS PARTY
Alaska Would Be Army’s Strategic
Base In Case War Eastern
Nations.
By PALMER HUTCHINSON
For The Seward Daily Gateway
Major Thomas G. Lanphier, com
manding officer of the First Pursuit
Group, U. S. Army, and unofficial army
observer with the Detroit Arctic Ex
pedition, will ask the War department
to establish a permanent army flying
field and station a sizable group of
fighting pilots in Alaska. He believes
that in case of war with any Eastern
nation, Alaska would be the army’s
strategic base and that because of
this, the Wan department should train
a flying division in Alaska.
Major Lanphier has had an “Alaska
complex” for many years. His army '
record shows that his thoughts along :
the line of air defense have turned
frequently to the northermost territory i
of the United States and that, to the
best of his ability, he has been train
ling men and perfecting equipment for
flying in that territory. He was eager
to join the Detroit Arctic Expedition
chiefly because he was eager to study
Alaskan flying conditions and gather
information first hand.
When Major Lanphier was called
to testify before the President’s air
service investigation board, last Octo
ber, he stated that in case of another
war on the United States, the first at
tack would be made thru the air. He
was asked if he meant that attacking
airplanes would attempt to cross the
Atlantic or Pacific either under their
own power or aboard naval airplane
carriers.
“Not necessarily,” he said. “An at
tack on the W est Coast could be made '
through Alaska.”
The First Pursuit Group is station
ed at Selfridge Field, Michigan. Think
ing ever how he might best prepare
that fighting group for actual warfare,
Major Lanphier left Selfridge Field
one day in January 1925, with 20 air
planes. He led the 20 planes north
ward across the farms of the Michigan
Thumb and up into the old pine coun
try where the scrub oak thickets, the
balsam swamps, and the aspen plains
begin their sweep toward Michigan’s
tapper Peninsula. He reached Osco
da county and landed the entire divi
sion on the ice of a little cut-over
country lake.
“This is Vau Etten lake,” he told
his men. “This is a war game and we
are here to stay a week. Take care
of your planes.”
The temperature was ten below zero.
The balsam swamps and the scrub
oak thickets roundabout were blanket
ed with snow. There were no han
gars, no barracks for the men; noth
ing but an expanse of smooth ice and
woods.
The next morning the airplane en
gines would not start. But they were
started—with blow torches and by dint
of strenuous labor. The planes sought
the sky and zoomed away to the
North. They returned that night;
they repeated the same routine for
six more days.
Last January the First Pursuit
j Group flew to Van Etten lake again.
There was no engine trouble. The
men did not complain because they
were required to go on a winter camp
ing trip.
“I was trying,” Major Lanphier said,
“to learn how to operate airplanes in
a cold country under simulated war
conditions. Oscoda county, Michigan,
is not Alaska but it is the best we
could do from Selfridge Field.”
Major Lanphier will study Alaska
from the standpoint of a fighting avia
tor. He will seek to find its strate
gic points and its potential landing
fields. He will appraise the weather
from the standpoints of a man inter
ested in airplane engine performance.
BREW SAMPLES BE SENT
CONGRESSIONAL DADS FOR
CANDID OPINION OF SAME
MILWAUKEE, Wis., Feb. 22. (.TP)—
The Schulty Brewing Company has
offered to furnish each congressman
a case of undealcoholized beer so that
they can see for themselves if it is in
toxicating.
EXPEDITION BEING MADE UP
GET PICTURES GREENLAND
NEW YORK, Feb. 22. (A3)—The Am
erican Museum of Natural History and
George Putnam, publisher, are spon
soring an expedition to go to the west
ern coast of Greenland to photograph
the Narwales basking shark, seal and
walrus. The start will be made from
New York in June.
TWO TRAPPERS
FEARED LOST ON
P. W. S. ISLANDS
CORDOVA, Feb. 22. (TP)—Grave fears
are felt regarding two successive dis
appearances of local trappers, Con
rad Sivertson and Steve Gail. It is
believed their gas boats were lost in
the december storms among Prince
William Sound islands. Neither had
sufficient grub for more than 2 months.
Both were reported missing by their
partners since early December, when
they promised to return by Christ
mas.
WORLD FLYER
VISITS FORD SHOP
SAN ANTONIO, Tex., Feb. 22. (TP)!
—Lieutenant Ogden intends making a 1
visit to Ford’s airplane factory at De
troit to investigate Ford’s planes for
the Arctic flight which is being start- j
ed by Wade, another world flyer.
NOW YOU SEE IT,
NOW YOU DON’T
SPOKANE, Wn., Feb. 22. (/P)—F. F.
'Doherty of Butte, Montana, told the
sheriff here that C. H. Baxter of De
troit had talked him into trying a pro
cess to multiply currency which brot
him in $43,600 in $1,000 bills. He
scrubbed and washed them for twelve
hours then rubbed the bills between
his knuckles, then wrung them dry
to prepare them for the magic mon
ey press. He said that Baxter gave
him a drink to brace him up and he
fell asleep. When he woke up he only
had an hundred dollar bill left. Baxter
disappeared but was arrested in De
troit from which place he will be ex
I tradited.
| --
MAMMOTH GOLD
RUSH PREDICTED
TORONTO, Feb. 22. (^—Enthusias
tic reports of gold discoveries from
the Red Lake district, in Ontario, are
attracting a record number of pros
pectors. Preparations from various
points indicate the spring opening of
water routes will witness a gold rush,
equal in proportions and comparable
to that of the Klondike.
Some claims, unsurveyed and un
assayed sold as high as $50,000.
A REGULAR BULL
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore., Feb. 22.
(IP)—Following an altercation with
Leo Popovich, whom he arrested re
cently on a liquor charge, traffic offi
cer R. E. Knowles removed his gun,
star and cap and then Jbea.t Leo up.
After the fistic affair, the officer went
before the magistrate and had himself
fined ten dollars.
Weekly Gateway—$3 per year.
VENERABLE JUDGE
WILL METE FATE
! CONSPIRATORS SOON
SEATTLE, Wn., Feb. 22. (AP)—After deliberating
Seventeen hours the jury convicted twenty-one of the de
fendants, all on the two counts, that of conspiracy, in the
importation of liquor and distribution.
: Those convicted w^ere Roy Olmsted, Jerry L. Finch,
'Emery A. Kern, Charles S. Green, owner of the launch
Eva B.; William P. Smith, Edward H. Mclnnis, Edward
Engdahl, owner of a rum runner; Edward Erickson, a
boat captain of the Eva B.; B. Zanoni, J. Hedrick, mar
ine engineer; David Trotsky, Frederick Gage, salesman;
Clifford Maurice, Louis C. Gillian, a spotter of garages,
where liquor was planted; Clarence G. Healy, Francis
Richard Brown, a deliveryman; Clyde Thompson, Bern
ard G. Ward, John Earl, a scout or one who goes ahead of
a vehicle which is about to deliver a load of liquor; Myer
Berg, another scout; Louis Kleinian, Tommie Nakawaga,
driver for Olmsted.
Those acquitted by the jury comprised eight of the de
fendants, including Elsie, the wife of Roy Olmsted; Geo.
F. Reynolds, policeman and a former dry squadder, who
was accused of going after the outlaws for Olmsted; Wil
bur E. Dow, customs broker, former Policeman Harvey,
Charles C. Walker, warehouseman; John H. Hamilton,
negro barbecue restauranteur; Bennie Goldsmith, collec
tor, and S. Takeuchi, Olmsted’s house boy.
Judge Neterer announced he would fix the sentences
of the Olmsted conspirators March 8. They were unde
cided tonight whether to appeal the case or not.
Jerry Finch said he was dumfounded, stating, “Pm
going^to take a rest and when Pm rested, Pll decide what
to do.” Several of the defense counsels said that all of
those convicted will appeal. Bail for Olmsted continues
at $10,000, although some of the others obtained reduc
tions.
COOLIDGE BACK
AT WORK AGAIN
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 22. (JP) 1
—President Coolidge is back at his
desk and it is reported he has recov
ered from his bad cold.
Although the government depart
ments are closed today, Washington’s
birthday, President Coolidge began
the consideration of business accumu
lated during his absence.
He motored to the office of a throat
and nose specialist and is preparing
for his Washington address tonight.
SNOW MOTORS
AT TOLOVANA,
8 BELOW ZERO
HOT SPRINGS, Feb. 22. (£>)—'The
snow motors arrived yesterday at Tol
ovana road house and were instructed
to follow the Tanana river instead of
the overland trail.
It is snowing and the temperature
registers eight below zero.
Annual Pioneers Dance
Be Held Saturday Night
The local Order of the Pioneer lodge
of Alaska will hold their annual dance
at Odd Fellows hall, Saturday nite,
February 27, according to announce
ment made today. New music has
been procured for the big occasion and
a choice variety of refreshments will
be served. An admission charge of
$1.00 will be made for gentlemen, but
ladies and children will be admitted
free.
EDMONTON ,Alta., Feb. 22. (JP)—B.
W. Dunne, former Dominion surveyor,
has discovered a rich platinum depos
it in the vicinity of Caribou Island,;
near Fort Chipewayan.
COOLIDE SPEAKS
IN HONOR OF
FIRST PRESIDENT
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 22. (£>)
President Coolidge tonight in an ad
dress presented George Washington to
the National Education Association
convention as “A great example of
of religious worship and his farewell
character. He helped to build a place
address emphasized the spiritual val
ues of life. He believed our political
institutions were superior to those of
other countries, but never preached ha
tred of all things foreign. He made
large concessions, negotiations and
treaties for settlement of disputed
questions to the advantage of foreign
nations. He clung to realities—that
was his greatness.”
FRANK DUPUIS
3 DAY DOG RACE
QUEBEC, Feb. 22. (JP)—Frank Du
puis of Quebec, won the three-day
Quebec-Eastern International dog race
in 12:32:10. Short# Russick of Chica
go took second place with time of 12:
42:5. George Cheverette of Quebec
was third, time 12:53:55. Emil Stog
dard of The Pas won fourth place at
12:55:55.
WATSON DUE TOMORROW
The Admiral WatsQn is due to ar
rive in port tomorrow evening from
the south accordipg to a report receiv
ed from the vessel today. The Wat
son will discharger approximately 250
•tons of general cargo, including a large
shipmeht of 6^ 'supplies and gasoline
billed to the. local. Standard Oil plant.
The vessel’s westward itinerary in
cludes calls at Seldovia, Kodiak and
Uzinkie.