The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-21
FOUR FLIERS BACK
FROM ALASKAN TRIP
Battered Planes Land at
Mineola After 5000 Miles
of Hardship.
BLAZED NEW AIR ROUTE
Every Man Has His Own Still
Up North, AviatOrs
Report.
BLAZED NEW AIR ROUTE

With nine thousand miles of hard
ships and dangers behind them four
weather battered planes In squadron
formation came roaring over New York
city yesterday about one O'Clock. AS
the planes flew toward Mineola they
were met by flotilla Of thirty other
planes and escorted in triumph to safe
landing at Mitchell Field.
The eight brown young men In the
battered airplanes had accomplished the
aeronautical impossible. They had flown
safely over thousands OF miles OF the
widest part of the American continent.
through snow. rain and fog. TO Nome.
their machines, sorely tried by rougn
landings and mishaps on many rough
fields. and flown back again.
The only people among the hundreds
who welcomed the hiers at Mitchell Field
who were not profoundly impressed by
the exploit were the fliers themselves.
They JSyfully unloaded one small billy
goat and six small but exceedingly
lively Alaskan dogs besides piles of
trophies and gifts with which enthusi-
astic Alaskans had burdened their
planes and told funny stories about
things that had happened along the way.
one biz Of news they brought was that
every Alaskan has his own private Still.
The men who made the long trip and
regarded their hardships and dangers SO
lightly were Capt. ST. Clair Street. COM
mander of the squadron; Lieut. Ross c.
Kirkpatrick, Lieut.. c. III. Crumrine
: 10, Nuft iHuf Eric Nell
son, Capt. Howard Douglas, Sergeant
Joseph L. English and Sergeant James
Long.
Fought Every Kind of Weather
The flight TO the Behring Sea and
back was a struggle against unusually
bad weather, as we'll as against rough
country. doubly dangerous because II
was unknown economically and very
sparsely settled The first day Of the
flight July Is. the fiiers ran into rain
before they had reached Jersey, and
when the planes took off yesterday from
Erie. Pa. they did so in the midst of fog
and murk.
Time and time again fog separated
the squad into individual units. with the
pilots desperately fighting the white
mist which robbed them Of their sense
OF equilibrium and cloaked mountain
peaks and forests from sight. once
Capt Streets plane caught fire in the
air, but he side slipped and managed to
extinguish the fire. The planes were
sometimes lost, sometimes suffered
broken axles. blown tires, smashed run
ming gear broken propellers and leaky
gas tanks. but somehow the men got
their machines through the worst mis-
haps successfully.
In actual flying time the 5000 mile
trip consumed fifty-six hours each way
On sixteen days the fiers actually made
progress In flight to Alaska, ana or
fifteen days were able to take to the air
to head for MIneola. All the rest OF
the time, practically since July 10. has
been spent in waiting on weather. Capt
Street In recounting the story of the
flight said that the planes maintained ar
average height OF 5000 feet but in pass
ing over the Canadian Rockies were
compelled at times TO rise AS high as
49, 900 feet. Two thousand miles OF
territory were flown over where a forced
landing, possibly with injuries 10 the
crew. meant a foot Journey OF 200 miles
or more to the neares. habitatlon.
Telegraph Creek. i. c.. was unani-
mously accorded the worst reputation
Of all for weather and general cussed-
ness. Here. onGthe return trip, three
Of the niers waited nineteen days for re-
pairs 70 Lieut.. Cumrime's plane and for
possible flying weather. Three unsuc-
cessful attempts were made to leave.
Each time impossible weather drove
them back to the Telegraph Creek Field.
Indians Not Impressed.
Capt. Street said that the widest en-
thusiasm was manifested everywhere in
Alaska and citizens planned 10 make
strong demands for air mail service,
especially in sections where any other
mode OF travel Is impossible at some
seasons OF the year. The Indians were
the only sceptics concerning the new
means of travel. One frank chief told
Capt. Street he was damn smart but
damn fool
Much valuable data was gathered dur
ing the trip which will be turned over
to the Geological Survey when the fliers
go TO Washington tomorrow. Maps
made from material furnished by trap
pers. were found to be decidedly inaccu-
rate. and drawings and photographs will
be submitted for the purpose of correct
ing these. Some mountains marked as
being only 5000 feet high forced the
filters up to IL. 900 20 clear them.
Capt. Street said that the path blazed
by the Alaskan squadron could be made
practical for airplanes by a few improve
ments IN landing fields, and that a large
air force could cross the continent In
much better time with normal weather
conditions Mail which takes thirty days
to reach the interior OF Alaska from the
United states could be carried In n few
days by airplane