Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-12
Letter to Wife Tells
Of Adventure Before
Dropping from Sight

san Diego, Cal, May IA letter
written by Major Frederick l.. Mar
tin, commander OF the L. 5. army
air squadron flying around the
world. was made public here yester
day by his wife.
Major Martins letter was written
just a short while before he dropped
from sight, along the bleak and
stormy coast of southwestern Alas
ka. 1t was sent from kanatak and
tells in epic terms the experiences OF
the American aviators who are en-
deavoring to give the world n new
conquest in mechanics and Transport
tation.
An optimistic tone characterized
the letter. which reads:
Our experience was one with the
greatest possibilities of disaster. but
none of the experiences we actually
underwent was the least bit danger
Ous-uncomfortable, yes; but not re-
curing the overcoming OF obstacles
we'll night nsurmountable.
We four left Seward at 1910 a.
NJ. April Is, after getting many
weather reports all along the line as
we were pretty we'll fed up on the
flying conditions we had had. 1t
was a glorious day. the only good
day we had enjoyed for a flight.
Nelson was leading. as | have been
giving them all a chance at il. He
held direct on the compass course
and everything was lovely.
The water never looked danger
ously rough and the mountains at the
shore were like glistening, white
marble We passed through Shell
koff Strait just off the northeast
shore Of Afocnak Island, thence up
the mid channel of the strait. half
way Between Kodiak Island and the
Alaskan Peninsula. | would check
the reading Of my instruments oc-
casionally. At 2.20 ! wrote Har-
vey n note to pass me up a sand
wich.
Il finished eating it when Harvey
raised up and looked at the instru-
ment board. a thing he had never
done before.
Harvey noticed that we had no
oil pressure. We were then flying
at an altitude Of 1000 feet, about
three miles off Cape Igvak. At the
west side of Portage Bay | throttled
down and using the engine as little
as possible, Ellded to the Ice side
of the cape where the water. was
fairly smooth, TAXED down the beach
to a point where we could expect to
reach the bottom with our anchor
and 100 feet of line. Came TO within
200 feet of shore and dropped anchor,
Harvey looked at the engine and
found hole in the crankcase you
could stick your fist in. The left
side of the fuselaEe was smeared
with oil. don't know how long
this had been going on. This hap
pened at 2.40 L. VI. and l was sure
the others saw us. ! expected them
to return in about three hours, or as
soon as they could get gas at CHG
mix. 100 miles away.
AT els this hope was abandoned.
We knew we We're on the worst part
of the coast of Alaska for high winds
and in the home Of the 'Woolies,'
which did not make Us feel very
Comforta bic, although it had been a
wonderful day and gave promise of a
wonderful night. 1t was showing
when we landed and showed inter-
mittently for an hour just in our inn
mediate vicinity.
, AT S O'clock there seemed to be
storm brewing in the southwest and
Harvey suggested we work ourselves
as near shore as we could pulling on
the anchor and throwing out the ten
pound anchor we had aboard, get
twice the length Of the anchor line
toward the shore and wade the rest
of the distance.
BY 50 doing We could save our
lives, but would doubtless cause the
ship to be so damaged a TO ruin our
chances of completing the trip. We
had our baggage all ready to do this
when | made a careful survey OF the
sky and could see TO storm. although
it might blow at any time. / told
Harvey | did not want him TO do
anything he did not think wise, but
I was going TO stay on the ship and
try to save il. He said, without any
hesfancy, I am going 10 stay with
YOU So We put everything back,
Crawled in DIR cockpits and made
ourselves as comfortable as posi-
BILE for the night . ."