Evening star., 1924-08-10
PROGRESS OF World FLIGHT
DEPENDS ON ICE IN ARCTIC
AuiatOrs May Be Forced to Fly From Iceland to
Southern Greenland Without RefueIing,
Due to Blocked HarbOr

location and seeing her start to his
rescue, he continued to Iceland before
his fuel became exhausted.
When the Billingsley learned of
Wade'S dilemma the news was broad
cast 10 all the vessels in that vicinity.
After drifting in a rough sea for four
hours the world cruiser Boston was
first sighted by an English trawler,
which Immediately went to his assist
ance. The Billingsley, which had been
steaming under forced draft to his
assistance soon picked up both Wade
and the trawler, and relieved the
British ship of its charge.
A high sea was running at this
time and, while it was impossible to
haul the world cruiser Boston aboard
the destroyer, tow-line was rugged
and the destroyer started towing the
airplane to the Farce Islands, where
it was hoped she could be repaired in
order that she could join the flight.
Sinks Near Shore.
The cruiser Richmond soon Joined
the Billingsley and due to the heavy
swells did not dare take the Boston
aboard for fear of totally demolish-
ing her. 1t was, therefore, decided to
attempt to tow her into the Farce
Islands. The stanch world cruiser
withstood the battering of the huge
swells of the North Atlantic for more
than eight hours, and only succumbed
and sank when within 8 miles of
a harbor in the Faroes, and with her
Wade and Ogden's hopes for contin-
uing their gallant flight across the
Atlantic. Wade faces this culminat-
ing misfortune with the same quiet
courage and fortitude with which he
has confronted the 10000 miles of his
trials and hardShips which have gone
before. 1t is particularly unfortunate
that with success so nearly at hand
such an accident, which could in no
haan fnraSaEn hpan
guarded against, should dash the
hopes of Lieut.. Wad>.
The War Department is unwilling
that this officer should thus be pre-
vented from completing the flight as
result of conditions over which he
had no control, and is arranging to
have an airplane identically like the
Boston meet him at Pictou. Nova
Scotia, where he will rejoin his COM
panions and continue with them to
Seattle, the terminus OF the round
the-world flight. Lieut.. George Nc
Donald and Lieut.. Victor Bertrandias
are flying the world cruiser Boston II
from Langley Field, Hampton, Va, to
Pictou, Nova Scotia, where she will
be turned over to Lieuts. Wade and
Ogden. These officers are now on
board the cruiser Richmond, which
Will arrive at Pictou at the same
time that Lieuts. Smith and Nelson
will land with the world cruisers
Chicago and New orleans.
Lieuts. Smith and Nelson are now
in ReyjaTik, Iceland, the capital,
after flight of 4 hours and so min
utes against heavy winds from HIN
Hornafiord. They are awaiting re-
ports of favorable ice conditions in
the harbor of Angmagsalik before
beginning their trip to Greenland.
The Gertrud Bask, the supply ship,
which has been sent into Angmaksa-
lik with the round-the-world sup
plies, has been trying 10 pierce the
ice belt which lays off that harbor
The supply ship has been unable to
get within more than 10 miles of
the harbor for the last three days on
account of the heavy ice which
blocks its passage. If the condition
is not improved within a few days
the plan to land in Angina gsalik will
have to be abandoned, and it may be
necessary to fly the entire distance
of $50 miles from Beykjavik to the
southern end of Greenland without
stopping.
The cruisers Raleigh and Richmond
are now in the Danish Straits wait
ing to assist the flight in it's cross
ing to Greenland and to establish an
emergency base further south on the
east coast of Greenland if such a
course becomes necessary.