Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1920-12-10
Flight of Daring Army Aviators to
Alaska Means the Dawn
of New Day.
GREAT REJOICING IN WRANGElL
Thrilling Story Of Their Arrival In the
Land of Ice and Snow Is Told
Alaskans Hold Celebration
In Honor Of Event


madam border line from the Rocky
mountains to the Pacific ocean on par
allel 40, he settled the long-drawn-out
controversy over the Oregon boundary
and hushed for all time the campaign
slogan, "54-40 or fight" which had
come to be very insistent one during
the middle forties
There was a walt of twenty-one
years before a more prophetic imagi-
nation, a wider vision, flung our coast
line to the farthest limit Of the CONT
nent by the purchase from Russia OF
that vast storehouse of mineral, agri.
cultural and timber wealth, the Won
der world Of Alaska.
A new era in the history Of our far
northland, says Aid Service News Let
ter, began on August IA, 1920. the date
on which the four army airplaneS
piloted by those daring aviators. Capt.
st. Clair Street and Lieuts. Clifford c..
Mutt. G. II. Crumrine and Ross Kirk
patrick, with observers and mechani-
clans, Sergt Edmond Henriques
Lieut.. Eric III. Nelson and Sergts
James Long and Joseph f. English. In
the 9,000-mile transcOntinental flight
from New York to Nome and return.
made the jump from Hazleton, Do
minion of Canada. TO Wrangell, terri
tory of Alaska.
A Dav Of Joy.
We can picture what the scene was
like when the fiers first reached Alas
kan SOIL 1t was Saturday, and, when
ii became known that the fiiers were
expected that afternoon, the mayor of
Wrangell declared a holiday Flags
were hoisted over the principal build
ngs of the town. Mill whistles blew
and bells rang that all might set out
for the landing field at Sergief island,
made ready for the arrival and In
charge of Sergt. w. w. Mclaughlin.
All during the afternoon small boats
were leaving, loaded with passengers.
At noon the harrington Transporta-
ton company's Hazel B. No. 3" left
the dock. floating a big scow, both boat
sight-seers. Meanwhile no news had
come from Hazelton saying just when
the fiiers had left for Wrangell There
was no way Of guessing the hour when
they would arrive. All eyes scanned
the sky. The hands of the clock
turned relentlessly, cutting away the
afternoon. One o'clock, 2, 3, 4. Some
discouraged spectators turned their
faces. homeward, making ready to
take the boat back to Wrangell.
Suddenly there was shout: "There
they come" And the four planes came
hummlng overhead. circling the land
ing field. With a dip and whirr that
thrilled the spectators, Lieut.. Kirk
an hour The three other planes fol-
lowed I'm quick, succession, plane No.
1, with Capt. Street, commander of the
squadron being the last to leave the
air. In seven minutes from the time
the first plane landed, all four had
come TO earth. and in spite Of recent
rains that had caused a wet field, all
were happy landings.
No One Worked That Day.
So the great deed was done. The
work was accomplished The 5000
miles between New York and Alaska
had been cut to less than fifty flying
hours. The journey itself was TO con-
tinue 1,500 miles farther, TO Fairbanks,
ff Dtth 20 Int hn nf
the accomplishment was established
when they touched Alaskan soil at
Wrangell.
Little wonder that the town made
holiday; that Mayor Grant welcomed
the fliers; that Gov. Riggs and the
mayor Of Juneau and others sent tele-
grams. Little wonder the flers were
Toasted and feted. The occasion war
ranted IL. Here were eight men who
had travelled across the continent to
Sergief island where. in the days Of
he Cassiar gold stampede, hundreds
argonauts had camped waiting for
he ice to open and clear the way TO
StilIine river: where hundreds, too, had
taken breath in that breathless and
historic Klondike rush, when many had
persisted
The story of Alaska would have been
another story had aviation been a
working proposition In 1897; the his.
tory of Alaska will be a different his
tory dating from August IA, 1920. The
flight TO Alaska has a much wider sig.
nificance than mere spectacular one.
The war department. through It's air
service. has not lent itself to the
showman's game. Excessive speed or
sensational performances have not
been covered, notably in the London
Australia flight. In the New York
Nome tour. at no time was there q
jump Of more than 800 miles nor an
altitude higher than 10000 feet. At the
same time I must be horne In mind
that the 1ich, was not without hazard.
There ne pleG sanier places TO be
..r"nf'r.' 80. r c'rrrked airplnne than