Evening star., 1926-05-08
WILKINS ALL READY
TOSTART TODAY ON
ARCTIC ADVENTURE
Chief Observation Flight Into
Unknown Land Awaits Only
Weather Report.
BY FREDERICK LEWIS EARP.
Special Correspondent of The Star and North
American Newspaper Alliance.

:
American Newspaper Alliance.
FAIRBANKS. Alaska. May s.
The triple le-motored monoplane Detroit
er of the Detroit Arctic expedition
! is tuned up and fueled ready to take
off today for it's exploration flight
north to Point Barrow as soon as
weather reports are received by radio
I; from Barrow and Wiseman, zoo miles
to the north.
II all goes we'll the Detroiter should
! finish it's work within week and
be back in Fairbanks with his crew,
! capt. George W. wilkins, the eXpe-
/ tition commander, Maj. Thomas G.
/ I.anhhier. United States Army oh
server, and Pilot Charles NJ. Wiseley.
Ii the gasoline supply on the Arctic
| shore is not sufficient the party will
be obliged to wait until mid-July or
August for more fuel 10 be brought
! by ship via Nome.
Communication Plans Made.
The Eskimos in Barrow are eager
to greet the new plane. which re
places the familiar Alaskan, wrecked
in a crash on the landing field here
Thursday. radio communication with
the expeditions overland party last
night informed them that Capt. Will
! kins and a new ship would arrive
shortly, watchmen Of the native vii
lage are mounting guard to listen for
the droning engines al day long, and
a day at Barrow at this season is
long.
Howard Mason, chief radioman of
the expedition, today transferred the
radio sending set from the Wrecke ed
Alaskan to the Detroiter. so that com
munication may be had between Fair
banks and the ship for a portion of
the journey at least.
We do not expect to be in Commu-
nication with the Detroiter during the
entire voyage. but it Is likely that on
the latter half Robert Waskey, the
operator at Barrow, may hear the
ship after we lose contact and relay
word back
Eielson to Remain at Fairbanks.
Pilot Ben Eielson, who successfully
completed three round trips to Point
Barrow, will remain in charge of the
expeditions base here.
After arrival at Barrow all avail
able gasoline cached there will be
placed in the Detroiter's tank, and
she will push out over the ice pack
for at least 500 miles. Capt. Wilkins
is hopeful of going farther, but be-
lieves that a. flight Of that length will
determine whether any extensive land
exists in. the unexplored region of the
Polar sea.
IF we start north with clear
weather" Capt. Wilkins said, I'VE
should be able to see a hundred miles
beyond the point where we turn back.
Our limited gasoline supply may pre-
vent our reaching the Pole-of rela-
tive inaccessibility-the principal OBJ
jective Of the expedition, but we
should get far enough into the ice to
find out whether land exists there.
Wilkins Pleased with Aides.
II hesitated to ask Maj. Lanphier to
make the long trip under the circum-
stances, for l realize it will be long,
dreary wait until the ships get in next
July or August with fuel so we can
fly back again. It means his leave of
absence from the Army must be ex
tended.
"Wiseley is considered one of the
best pilots who ever few a plane for
the United States Army. He was long
in Maj. Lanphier'S command, and each
has confidence in the ability of the
other.
'I have spent so many years in the
polar regions that many of the human
interest features have escaped me-
Lanphier and Wiseley will see things
through new eyes and their report
on what we observe will be we'll worth
recording"
The tentative course of the Detroiter
| will be by way of Wiseman, 800 miles
north of Fairbanks. then northwest
to the John River Pass and along the
headwaters of the Anaktuvuk in or
der to cross the Endicott Mountains
at the lowest elevation.
The captain has been over the
course so often now that he knows the
twists and turns and landmarks. SO
the question of navigation should not
be serious one.
downright. 1925. by North American News
paper Alliance.)