The Kusko times., 1937-02-05
BY T. R. MeRoBERTs
tCo-pub!isher of The Kusko Times,

EEoT-$e TOT ANlag Nesll-ler- Sun1ay .nz 1r,s.ss, January 10, the weather broke and we w-re of for T2A na and 'The Kusko Times" The weather re- maIned good until after crossing the A.aska ssnge, where we ran into rainstorm. Pilot Estol Call at- tempted 10 % around thR storm, but it gradua' 'ly closed in. We were caught over the Kuskolzwirn rivzr about ten miles below McGrath. The plane started to ice up and we were forced down in the middle of the river. On landing, everyone piled out only to slrk in to our waists in soft, wet snow.
 We had only one pair of snowshoes win US. John Beatoa, prominent mining man of Flat, broke trail to the bank where We cut poles to place under the skis to keep them from freezing down. By this time we were soaking wet and hungry as bears. Mir. .Beaton then started up the river on snowshoes to locate shslter for the party. Pilot Call, Ted -McAdams. Alaska Egan and the writer got busy falling trees along he bank for fire wood. This was quite a task as We had only one hand axe and most of the available wood was green and So wet 1t would hardly burn. However, we finally got a small fire started and 4ate some food from the emergency Fat.ons.
 By this time it was quite dark and the som hsS quit. 4 few stars were shning and . light breeze blow ing. Ne made it hack to the plane and proceeded t0 make -aur beds un- ce- oas 01 the wings oI the plane. Everyone was wet and cold and we lay in bed for hours shivering. Fin ally the shivering ceased and sleep scrept in. Some hours later we awoke. The wind was bowling and a driving rain was beginning to trickle around sour beds. The rain finally .peDe trated through the bedding and the gang started conng alive. By this time we were laying in pond of ice water. There was nothing to do but ,get .us and crawl into the ship which was loaded with luggage and bedrolls- Was that a miserable nigh? I'll say it was. We sat all night huddled and cramped up like a bunch of wet rats. The wind kept getting worse and e7T- cry minute we expected to feel the plane take of of its own accord. with the break of day, the wind had increased in velocity such an extent we decided that our chances out side in the storm were considerably better than sitting in plane plloted by the elements, so we tumbled out ;and headed for the bank of the river-
 In the timber once more, We rigged up a crude shelter with piece Of tarpaulin and eventually managed to get a fairly good fire going on which we set pot of he old sourdough ,standby-beans. The storm finally died down and the thermometer be- gan to drop. We were unable to dry out by our smoider!ng fire. We were .sonewhat worried because of the pos .sibility of the temperaure dropping to an extreme degree wihin the space Of a few hours. Wet as we were, such a change might possibly endanger our lives. We decided to try 70 break the plane loose and taxi up the river to the shelter of cabin we eoald see a considerable distance ID the river
 About this time one of the boys spied Beaton coming down the river carrying several pair of extra snow shoes. We waited at the fire until he arrived. John informed us that the cabin up the river was inhabited by a native family (Pete Gregory)- J. Although they were short of grocer ises and the menfolk were away, they asaid we were welcome to stay at the place for shelter until the weather permitted us to continue Our journey