The Nenana daily news. (Nenana, Alaska) 1918-1921, 1919-06-25
VICTIM
OF FLYER WRECK
AWAITS BURIAL

and brought TO town has been POSI-
lively identified as that of Charles
Craig, the Tolovana mining man,
who, with his wife and baby, was
on his way to Fairbanks, enroute
TO the States
At the inquest held at 7 o'clock
last night at the commissioner
court, Messrs. Tom Smith, Pete
Schmidt, Joe johnson, Adolph Mel
son, John F. Lake and DR.. r. J..
Diven served as jurymen. Arthur
Wright, who found the body, Pat
rick Breen, Wilfred Beatty, Dr.
Bowen, and DR.. David More were
examined as witnesses.
/ The identity of the corpse was
established beyond a doubt and the
jury returned a verdict of death
by accidental drowning. The body
has been prepared for burial by
A W. Hamburger and is sealed up
in metal casket, which has been
placed in a wooden one, and will
be held pending receipt of instruc-
tons from the relatives of the de-
ceased as to its final disposal.
The launch Flyer, with Astral
G. Vernon, better known as the
Hungry Kid" in charge, left Ne
mana at o'clock on the morning
Of October 4th last, with Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles Craig and child, Mrs.
Hawley W. Sterling, George Cole
man, Dick Richard, and Helen
Moulton as passengers for Fair
banks, and Pete Jensen for Wood
River.
Fred Douse, on the launch Vic
tory, left Nenana about two hours
after the Flyer did, and on arriv-
ing at Cinema and learning that the
Flyer had not shown up, reported
the matter at Fairbanks. He also
sent a wire to Andy Hoey, Of the
Terminal, reporting the non-ap-
pearanc- 4 the boat.
Joe johnson, on the launch Peer
less, left for Fairbanks on the
morning of the 5th. and Nenana-
ties first learned Of the disaster
in the following telegram, which
he sent to the Portland, imme-
diately after his arrival at Fair
banks: yesterday Hungry Kid
passed Twelve-mile bar, up-bound,
shortly after, boat drifted down full
of water; no people; expected all
drowned, no trace"
Carl White arrived in Nenana on
the night of Saturday. October 6,
and confirmed the news. From this
source it was learned that Norman
Hadley, whose camp is situated
few miles below the Twelve-mile
bar, saw the partly submerged
Flyer drifting down with the cur
rent and put out in MS polling boa,
10 try and get it. Hadley posi-
lively identified the Flyer, but not
being equipped with the necessary
ropes and gear and fearing disaster
to his frail boat, was obliged to cut
loose from the Flyer, 10 which he
had made fast, and return 70 camp.
He had no idea then that the bodies
of the passengers may have been in
the boat.
Several search parties from Fair
banks and Nenana, equipped with
the necessary appliances. were soon
on the scene and a very thorough
search of the river in the neigh
borhood of the Twelve-mile bar was
inaugurated. a temporary tele-
graph station was also established
near Norman Hadley's camp for
the convenience of the searchers.
On October 8, the body of Mrs.
Craig was found floating near thu
Twelve-mile bar. She had on
life presever, and a tuft of hair
was found in her tightly closed fist;
this hair was supposed TO be that
of her baby. Mrs. Craig's body
was shipped to Fairbanks, and later
10 the States for burial.
The untiring efforts of the small
army of searchers failed TO locate
the wreck or any more bodies, and