The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-08-22
ALASKA, GRIEF STRICKEN BY
TRAGEDY, STILL HEARS CLICK
OF DOOMED SHIPS CONTROLS
Far North Crushed by Deaths of Will Rogers
and Wiley Post, Relates Rex Beach
Recalling Last Chat With Famed Pair.
Continued From Page One


ness is 50 bad that all the execu-
tives come here fishing. Wiley's as
bad As the rest. and I can't see the
use Of catching salmon when they
crawl out OF the water to meet you.
The first handshake I got VII a
7 stepped ashore was from a big
CohOe. A cOhoe. they tell me, is
king salmon that's on relief"
My only chance TO wet line will
come If We have 10 sit down on
lake" said Post. at which Will as
serted enthusiastically. Believe me,
We are going to sit down plenty
whenever and wherever We feel like
it."
I learned then that the two we're
really out on a la.k and we're like
a couple Of schoolboys. They had
no very definite plans, and that day
they had bought a couple of rain
coats. an ak. and two cases of chill
Hence they felt equipped to meet
any possible contingency.
COnhdentially VIII told me that
they might cross to Siberia. land at
strange places, and eventually fly
home by way Of Iceland and Green
land.
CrOssOn Shook His Head
The longest water jump was 1000
miles. and VIII seemed to think
nothing of that. Joe CrossOn shook
his head at the suggestion and as
serted that it did not look so good
to him. He has flown over Siberia
and he knows the Arctic, and the
Antarctic also for he and Ben Eiel-
son were with Sir Hubert Wilkins.
He agreed. however, that with
ship like Wileys 1t was no more than
a jOyride to traverse Siberia, where
water is always in sight and pilot
can sit down at any time.
am not particularly air-minded,
and this matter-Of- fact discussion Of
Siberia. Iceland. thousand-mile wa
ter Jumps and the like amazed and
bewildered me.
I asked Will why he so passion
ately loved to fly and what he got
out of it. He merely grinned and
shrugged.
I guess I've flown as much as
anybody and seen less. I never get
10 see anything because I always
sit over the wings The wings OF an
airplane is that part of the ship
which is built purposely to shut of
the passengers view. One of these
DAYS I am going to fly in a glass
bottom boat and really know where
] am"
Wiley and Joe Shy
The horde of autograph hunters
from the ship 1 had arrived on had
located the two celebrities and soon
invaded the cafe. They appealed to
me to introduce them, and though
viii grumbled goOd-naturedly. he
began to sign the notebooks. enve-
lOpes. and post cards that were
thrust at him To the first he af-
fixed the name of Tom Mix and
to another Ben Turpin
Then realizing that his admirers
we're really thrilled and considered
this meeting with him to be the high
spot of their tour, he scrubbed hui
morOus greetings - them. Neither
Wiley nor Joe CrOssOn would sign
at first They werc IS shy as school
girls.
WhereupOn Will insisted: This is
Wiley Post. He flew around the
world with Gatty ana broke the
record, then he circled the globe
alone and broke it again. Both
times he had trouble here in Alaska
and Joe Croson pulled him out.
Their autographs are really worth
having
In His Best Fettle
I have never known Will to be
in finer fettle than he was that
night. He was never more human.
more philosophical. more joyous. He
told us about his famous castor oil
interview with MuSSolini. He dis
CuSsed politics and the coming cleo
ton.
It was his belief that the Re-
pubicans had started their race too
soon. AS usual, the range Of his
conversation covered a hundred sub
jeCts
One world famous character he
was eager TO interview was MuStafa
Renal and I got the idea he might
try to stop in Turkey on his way
home. ANY man who could force
women to change their styles Of
dress and habit of hairdresSing, he
asserted. must be a great guy.
He talked long and entertaining
" on the progress of aviation in
Russia. a subject always upper
most in his mind. He described the
Russian craze for parachute jump
ing. and told how he had seen the
sky filed with chuteS attached 10
men and women alike.
A Grin on Every Face
Said he: I actually saw Rus
sian Jazz band make a concerted
lump and I figure that they're de-
velopinC a new military technique
of their own. That bass drummer
and that SaXophone player could
lust as we'll have jumped with
machine guns as musical inStru-
ments in their arms. and. boy. when
the Soviet says 10 jump 1t means
jump"
He talked until Wiley went to
sleep with his head on his arms,
and the next morning Will began
where he had left of the night
before.
At the float Wiley bought an
anchor so that he could moor the
ship. and perhaps get in some fish
ing in case they sat down on lake
or a river for the night While he
and Joe CroSsOn we're busy study
ing maps and phoning for the
latest weather reports. VIII and the
rest IF us including the MaVOr OF