The Washington times., 1936-02-03

Smith Island.
AS we circle low, scores Of
people rush out Of their houses,
looking aloft ir amazement. Here
they are, cut off from the world,
and suddenly this airShip appears
out Of the fog. Many Of them
have never seen an airship be-
fore. The whole village is out by
now as, with motors cut, we drop
to within q few feet of the island.
Islanders Cheerful
Windows in the cabin are open
and we lean out. We shout:
"Are you all right?"
Cheers and smiles, mods of the
heads show they are.
Have you enough fOOd?"
Again the answer Is In the af.
firmative.
"HOw about sickness? Do you
need . doctor or medicine?"
We ask this for we know that
DR.. w. F. Stout, the islands
only doctor, is marooned on the
mainland. And again we are in
formed that all is well. So we
cut in our radio and call Wash
ington.
It is . great thing, to sit in the
cabin Of this airShip, turn a dial
and be in instant contact with
the airport. Washington calls
back. The line is clear. So we
give reaSSuring news.
Then the powerful motors roar
again, the elevators are raised
and We shoot up thousand feet
in the air and head down the
Tangier Sound, bound for q sec
ond objective, Tangier Island, Q
dozen miles away.
Different At Tangier
A dozen miles, a dozen miles
with this wind, and we sight Tan.
gier. But there it is a differ
ent story than at Smith Island.
AS We circle over. losing altitude,
scores Of persons rush out into
the narrow streets. Some stand
on their doorSteps, in the front
yards, where, by a quaint old CHS
tom, each family has its own
private burial ground.
But here, different from Smith
Island, concern may be seen on
the faces of the islanders. They
wave at us frantically to land.
Now we are circling very low. Our
wheel is almost touching the ice.
Hundreds of persons rush out
close to us. So we know that the
ice is solid. Commander Lange
makes decision:
'WeM land"
Leaning out the window, he
shouts instructions to the men to
seize the guide ropes and for
others to hold on the hand rail on
the outside of the cabin. And he
warns them to keep away from
the whirling blades of the two pro,
pellerS.
"Thank God, You've Come"
The wheel touches the ice. We
have landed. The commander
throttleS down the motors until
they are barely ticking over. He
does not dare stop them. In this
zero weather we may not be able
to start them again.
]. T.. Pruitt, veteran fisherman,
life long resident of the island, Is
the first person to approach the
cabin. He looks up at us with awe,
with reverence written on his face.
And he speaks:
"Thank God you have come
to us! Things are pretty bad
here. Food is very low. We
haven't more than enough to
last US another two days. And
we can't get through the ice. 1
don't know what we are going
to do. Can you get help to uS?"
What is mostly needed, we ask.
A tall, strapping young fisher
man, wearing his hip boots and
clinging grimly to the Swaying
cabin, says simply:
Food. We're on mighty
slim ratiOns now, and they're
going fast"
We climb out of the cabin, on
to the inch of snow that rests on
the 16 inches of ice. Capt. John
JohnSon-he commands one of
the big fishing boats that in
good weather go daringly far to
sea-comes up.
He is a member of the town
council. He tells US:
mo, we have plenty Of medi-
cine, and a good doctor. There
Is a bit Of sickness, but moth
ing to worry about yet. Only
one serious case, q 13.year-Old
boy, Jack ThOrne. He has pneu-
mOnia, but we think he will
pull through.
Fuel is getting low, but We
have sufficient TO last, !