The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-09-03
FIRE Signals
Save AIRMEN I.
in GREENLAND
Rockford AviatorS Found,
After Vanishing for
Two Weeks.
CITY WILD WITH JOY
SubSiSt on Scant RationS
on Long Trek; Plane
Not Wrecked.
CITY WILD WITH JOY

BB United Press
ROCKFORD, Ill, Sept. 3.-Bert
Hasse1 ana Parker Cramer, who
dropped from sight two weeks ago
while attempting to blaze a new air
trail from here to Stockholm, have
been found, safe and well.
Adyices received by the Rockford
Chamber of Commerce from Mt.
Evans, Greenland, today, said that
the fliers had been picked up by
members Of the University Of Mich
gan-Greenland expedition after
they had landed on the Sukker-
toppen ice arm.
After a two-week trek across the
ice, during which they were forced
to subsist on small rations of pem-
mican, the missing fliers reached a
ford and sent up smoke signals.
which were sighted by members Of
the expedition.
City Wild With Joy
Word Of the rescue, which came
as this city was about to relinouish
hope that the men were alive.
turned Rockford into a bedlam OF
trenzied JOY and wild ENTHUSIASM.
Factory whistles, sirens, automo-
bile horns-anything which could
add to the din-sounded through
the city and over the surrounding
countryside. That had been the pre-
arranged signal to let the entire
population know of the fate of the
men-if they were found alive.
When the news first came, Mrs.
Hassell, the pilots wife, who has
been on the verge of collapse for the
last ten days, was so overjoyed she
scarcely could speak.
First reports received by the
chamber of commerce gave few re-
tails Of the men except to say that
they were forced down on Sukker-
toppen and that their plane was un-
damaged. Aside from the hunger
caused by reduced rations, they were
understood to be we'll
Found by Searchers
The men were found by members
OF a searching party which had set
out soon after the Greater Rockford.
their plane, was sighted passing over
the village of Fiskenaesset, about
200 miles southwest of Point Suk-
kertoppen. That had been the last
seen or heard of the fliers until the
smoke signals led to their rescue.
Mrs. Hassell, hysterical with Joy,
sent a message to her husband as
soon as she was informed OF his
safety telling of her Joy and giving
her encouragement.
There was no rest for the ffier'S
wife nor his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth
Hassell, last night. From the mo-
ment the word was received.
thousands Of friends f1ocked to their
homes to shower congratulations.
Celebrators filled the streets of the
little city throughout the night.
Hassell and Cramer, the latter a
former government aviation in-
spector, left the airport here in the
Greater Rockford on Aug. 16, on an
attempted three-stop flight to tha
Swedish city.
Three Stops Slated
Their plan was to demonstrate
the feasibility of the route over the
far north to Europe, and they be-
lieved that this one eventually
would be chosen by establishers Of
regular transatlantic air passenger
service.
The stops were to be made at
Cochrane, Ont, Mount Evans,
Greenland, and Reykjavik, Iceland.
That would leave a distance Of only
500 miles as their longest water
jump.
The men made good time on their
trip to Cochrane, and stopped day
there to await more favorable
weather. Saturday, Aug. 18, the big
monoplane scared away for Grcen-
land.
Radio messages to the Burgess
station at Madison, Wis, with which
the fliers had arranged to COM
municate on their trip, showed they
we're making satisfactory progress
on the second leg of the journey
until they passed out to sea. Then
the signals grew too faint to be
heard.
The last one was timed 3 a. m,
Sunday, Aug. 19.
Several days later a United Press
dispatch from Greenland told how
the natives of the little village Of
Fiskenaesset reported seeing a plane
flying low over their huts that day,
apparently trying to find a suitable
place to land.
Mother Is Notified
Prof. William H. Hobbs, leader Of
the University of Michigan Green
land expedition, Immediately sent
out searching parties.
Mrs. Fannie Cramer, mother OF
the planes navigator, was at La
Grange, Ill, when notified that her
son had been found. A police car
was sent from here to bring her to
Rockford Immediately, that she
might share the homage the city
paid to HasselIs wife and mother.
The Greater Rockford's flight was
financed by popular subscription
among the townspeople here. The
venture nearly ended disastrously
once before, Hassell crashing into q
cornfield fifteen minutes out Of the
Rockford airport.