Evening star., 1926-04-27
OETRO|TERFORCED
BACK TOFA|RBANKS
MonopIane Returns When
Compasses and Engine
Prove to Be Defective.
By FREDERICK LEWIS carp.

By FREDERICK LEWIS EARP.
Special CORRESPONDENT of The Star and North
American Newspaper Alliance.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, April II
The monoplane Detroiter returned to
Fairbanks al l o'clock yesterday after
noon, after travelling about 100 miles
northwestward toward Point Barrow
where the new base of the Detroit
Arctic expedition is to be established.
The planes compasses needed ADJUST
ment, and one cylinder of one or the
three motors was faulty.
Mai Thomas G. Lanphier. acting com
nander of the expedition, ordered
the return at 12:l5. when the plane
was one hour out and already in sisht
of the EnGicott Mountains. MAJ.
Ianphier believed that the 100 miles
of crags and canyons before the plane.
weighing, with its cargo and hve oc-
cupants, 10 900 pounds, were too dan
gerous to attempt with an unreliable
compass and a motor not running per-
fectly.
At least one more test flight, to
check up the compaSseS, will be nee
essary before taking off again for
Barrow, Maj Lanphier said. AS this
means unloading and reloading the
plane, it will involve at least another
days delay.
Climbs 5000 Feet.
The plane star cd yesterday morn
ing after three lsucceSsful attempts
and three hours delay. 1t was found
necessary to D<hten the cargo, and
the hop-off WAS made after a run
down a dry ridge which cut diagonal
~ across the carefully prepared run
way. The Detroiter rose easily on the
fourth attempt and was flying at 5000
feet and still climbing when the order
for the return was given.
The suspense which prevails over
the fate of Capt. George II. Wilkins
was increased when sandy" Smith
of the overland party. after saying
that he had an important message.
lost radio contact with the local sta
Jion.
Howard Mason. chief radio man OF
the Detroit Arctic expedition. was
unable to pick up Smiths signals
again.
1t was thought possible that Capt.
Wilkins, at Barrow, unable to reach
the outside world with his radio,
may have sent All Eskimo runner to
meet the Smith party on the Arctic
coast and thus get word through to
Fairbanks over Operator Warkey's S
set.
Missing IL Days.
Eleven days have passed without
word from Capt. Wilkins and Pilot
Ben Eielson, who few the Alaskan
into the northland on their third
freight carrying trip to establish a
ord of two daring round trips to their
credit within the last month the ex-
plorer-aviators hoped off from Fair
banks early on the morning OF April
is and were sighted two hours later
over Wiseman, 200 miles north of
Fairbanks.
They were flying high and fast,
apparently unhampered by their un :
usually heavy load of freight, 4,2O0
hounds. Before them lay the rugged
Endicott Mountains, which range to
1000 feet high. That they success
fully crossed the Endicotts was indi-
Gated by reports later received from
Eskimos on the northern coast OF
Alaska.
These reports were gathered by the
overland party of the Detroit-Arctic
expedition on April 10 from Eskimos
from Point Barrow, travelling on the
Colville River. The Eskimos said that
the plane had been seen over Thetis
or Jones Island on April Is, the day
Of the hop-off from Fairbanks. Thetis
Island is in the Arctic Ocean at the
mouth of the Colville River. 120 miles,
as the crow flies, from Barrow. The
Eskimos failed to state the direction
In which the plane was travelling and
all attempts on the part OF the Fair
banks base of the expedition since
then to get further evidence from the
Alaska have failed. The overland
party can sometimes communicate by
It's portable radio to Fairbanks, but
Il seems unable to receive queries
from Fairbanks.
Little Alarm Felt.
It is largely due to these bad radio
conditions that members of the eXpedi-
ton at Fairbanks are not greatly
alarmed over the silence of Capt.
Wilkins. They believe he is safe at
Barrow, but is unable to communicate
by means of his comparatively weak
portable radio set. He has done so
upon previous occasions, but radio
conditions were then much more
favorable. They believe that his re-
turn to Fairbanks is probably being
prevented by some minor mechanical
trouble with his plane, and that he is
awaiting the coming of Maj. Lanphler
in the big Detroiter.
Should Wilkins and Eielson not be
found at Point Barrow when the
Detroiter flies there within the next
few days, the gravest alarm will be
felt for the missing explorers. such
news would mean that the plane had
failed and probably that it crashed
either over the frozen ocean or in
some obscure spot well inland from
the coast between ThetiS Island and
Barrow, for the fringe of the coast
itself in this region is fairly well
frequented by Eskimo hunters and
unless the explorers have been in
capacitated. they should have had no
difficulty in getting dogs and sledges
to carry them into Barrow.
Carried Complete Equipment.
Capt. Wilkins is thoroughly versed
in the ways of the Arctic and his
plane carried complete equipment
with the exception of fishing tackle.
for an indefinite stay on the ice.
Included in his cargo were the
following: Two pairs of snowshoes,
two sleeping bags, SO tins Army
parkas In addition to heavy clothing
and warm mul1luks, two Mannlicher
rifles and a small caliber shotgun
and 90 combined, so rounds Of shot
gun shells. 100 rounds for the 20 rifle,
about 800 rounds for Mannlichers,
EieIson's small kodak, small movie
camera, $50 gallons of gasoline as
freight and 80 gallons in the ships
tanks, 10 gallons of oil. tools, alcohol.
Very pistol and 2 dozen shells for sig
mailing, 2 tents, 2 prints stoves. radio
sending set but no receiving set, COM
PASSES, maps and other navigation
gear.
with these materials Capt. Wilkins
and Eielson should survive an ex-
tended trek over the Arctic ice fields,
provided they made a safe landing.
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