Imperial Valley press., 1928-04-21

SILENCE
BRO KEN
Intrepid Aviator Makes
q Hour Flight From Pt.
Barrow to Spitzbergen.
DELAYED ON ISLAND
Expedition Held Up For
Five Days by Severe
Weather
BY United Press Leased Wire


OSLO. April 21-Captain George
II. wilkins flew over the North Pole
in a 2l hour flight from Point
Barrow to SPitzbergen, the news.
paper Dagbladet said To-Day.
wilkins and his crew were re.
T orted to have landed at Dauhol.
men, northern Spitzbel gen, five
days ago, at the end of their 2200
mile flight.
The newspaper said wilkins and
MS pilot arrived at Green Harbor
today from Dauholmen. Both fliers
we're in good condition. it was said.
The population of Spitzbergen is
only 1000. 1t was understood most
of the residents had .c.ae out to
welcome Wilkins
The town s only industry is coal
mining. 1t is also port for whal-
ers.
The air line hetwcen Point Bar
row and Spitzbergen leads over the
pole.
The wilkins flight across the
Arctic regions was made in an eff.
fort to locate land there and chart
the only spot ON the gl"Le still un-
known to man.
DR.. Isaiah Bowman. director of
the American Geographical Socie-
ty, said some time ago that Wilk-
ins flight would lend the age of
discovery begun by Columbus, for
mankind will then have searched
the entire globe" "
Plans for a polar airpan exped.
ltion were completed by Captain
George Hubert Wilkins, Australian
explorer and aviator, Oh December
-, 1928. lie was to fly across tho
center of the Arctic ice pack.
His flight, according TO wireless
dispatches to the newspaper Poli-
tiken i'll Copenhagen indicated the
wilkins expedition NUS have cx-
erienced the same thrill as the
members of the transatlantic
plane Bremen S crew.
Landing ON bleak Deadman's
Island only % miles from Spitz-
bergen, Captain wilkins was un-
able to get in touch with civilizat-
ion. For five days he was bound
fast on the island, prevented from
taking off because of bad weather.
Tried Once Before
Wilkins tried to accomplish his
trans Arctic feat in 1926 but ill
luck dogged his efforta
Carl b. Eielson, former mail
flier, was engaged as pilot while
Major Thomas &. Lar ohier, COM
lranding officer Of Selfridge Field,
also Joined the expedition as an I'M
official observer for the United
States to claim any land that might
be discovered in the polar basin.
First one plane of the expedition
crashed on u est flight at Fair
banks. Less than u hours later the
second plane also crashed, damaging
the landing gear and bending two
propellerS.
Ten days later, the single motored
plane repaired, Wilkins and Eielson
made four hour flight over the
Arctic wastes.
Two other short flights We're made
but the attempt to make the long
flight, such as the wilkins party has
just completed, was delayed by bliz-
zards
Made Observations
On the present flight wilkins was
accompanied by Eielson. During the
flight wilkins was in the fuselage
Of the Lockhead Vega monoplane
where he would be free to make OBJ
servations while Eileson was for,
ward at the controls.
The plane, similar to that used by
Jack Frost and Gordon Scott on
their ill-fated attempt to win the
Dole race from Oakland, Cal, To
Honolulu, was equipped by lato
type of the Wright J.5 air cooled
motor so the danger Of freezing ia