Evening star., 1933-07-22
ANADYR!RONE HOP
THRILLS MATTERN
Pictures Kick From Sight Of
Land lust as Gas
Gave Out.
BY JAMES MATTERN.

NOME, Alaska, July 22.-I thought
the flight from New York to where I
landed my plane on the Norwegian
island of Jomfruland was full of thrills,
but this flight has them all stopped.
We got ready to leave Anadyr, Siberia,
Wednesday noon. The boat which car
ried the aviation gas for the Russian
pilots got stranded on reef but finally
managed to get up the Anadyr River
far enough so we could unload the gas
and refuel Soviet Pilot Levanovsky's
plane,
We made about eight attempts at
getting off the Bay of Anadyr, each
time taking out some Of the gas. At
managed to take of about S pm. We
flew, following my charts, which were
the only ones available, across the
Siberian headlands, but due to the fog
and bad weather conditions we were
forced to head for st. Lawrence Island.
We sighted st. Lawrence Island and
then headed for Nome from the north
east cape. After leaving the island we
new for about two hours, and when we
were about 80 miles from Nome the fog
shut down and we were forced to re-
turn to st. Lawrence. At all times dur
ing the crossing> weather conditions
were against us.
Put in Bad Night.
We returned to the island, sat down
ct the northeast cape and spent the
night there, just like Esquimos. We had
sleeping bags and plenty of provisions,
but had not been feeling well and put
In bad night.
The next day the sun came out and
The weather was perfect, SO ABOUT noon
&<nI nE g.
slaans were unable to talk English and
&W<s unable to talk Russian, 50 we had
G hard time making ourselves UNDER
nod. but finally they conveyed the
3aSormation that We had about one
hour and Is minutes Of gas left, and
that it would take at least an hour and
. half to get to Nome:
We figured out by the map that
Rooney, on the Alaskan shore, was
closer by about five miles, so we set
the course for there. but due to the fog
on the Alaskan coast we could not see.
When We had about three minutes
q gas left land showed up and was
glad to see it!
During the last 20 minutes Of the
eight until we ran out Of gas about
1--WE or ten miles from Nome along the
beach, I paced up and down the fuse
lage of the plane thinking and almost
certain that here I was again about to
se set down for about two weeks out in
Che Bering Sea.
Plane Towed BY Tug Boat.
When the motors stopped We came
time a tug boat came up the coast,
hooked on to the plane and towed. us
down to Nome harbor, where we were
able to get ashore
During the preparations to leave
Anadyr, the ESQuimOS and Russians
alike turned out to wish us God speed.
All of the officials were on hand to
see that the utmost was done for me
in making me comfortable and that I
had everything. My own plane, when
crashed, was so far away from the
wate. stranded in the tundra, that
gave up any hope of getting it out, so
was my instrument panel, the propeller
and the motor, all of which accom-
panied me in the Russian plane.
There is one thing I will say about
my stay at Anadyr and that is that the
Russians certainly took wonderful care
OF me, and. I wish to thank the entire
crew OF the Russian plane for their tre-
mendous efforts in coming up into the
Arctic from Khabarovsk to bring me
over 10 Nome.
Russians Real Pilots.
During the flight they acted con-
hdently and showed the utmost courage
In the face of the gas shortage and
the possibility that We might be set
down in the sea to wait for rescue,
which, luckily, didn't happen. They
ere all fine young, upright citizens OF
Soviet Russia, and as far as the flying
game goes, they're just some Of the
boys and real pilots.
They told me here Wiley Post had
passed through Nome. Gee, am sure
glad he's doing SO well. hope sin
cerely that he completes the flight and
sets new record. My hopes to set q
record on a solo fight around the world
are not gone, but am pulling for
Wiley to hang up q wonderful record.
After looking over Nome and all the
people, am reminded Of the time
visited here two years ago, when few
the refueling plane for Robbins and
Jones, who attempted twice to make q
nonstop fight from Seattle to Toxic.
The city looks just the same as before,
except I am surely glad to get here
1t looks almost like. home.
(Copyrisht 1898. by the North American
newspaper Alliance Inc World Rights