The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1937-08-27
MATTERN PLANS.
REMAINING HERE.
TILL HUNT OVER.
Filler Brings Refueling Grew
to Catch Ship He and
Jones to Stay in Alaska

Not abandoned, but in allegiance,
is Jimmy Mattern's future part in
the search for Pilot Sigismund Lee
vanevisky, Navigator Hector I. Lev
chenko and their four Soviet COM
panions lost somewhere "on top
of the world"
Smiling Jimmy" swept down on
Juneau and landed at the PAA air.
port here at o'clock yesterday az
ternoon for his first call since he
was flown into this city in 1888 by
Pilot Bob Ellis, just after being res
cued by Levanevisky and Levchen-
ko from the abrupt ending in the
Soviet wilds of his only two-thirds
successful round the-world jaunt
Shortly after his arrival here,
Mattern told newsmen at a con-
ference in the lobby of the Gastin-
eau Hotel, where he is staying, that
releases from Fairbanks, to the eff
feet that he had completely given
over the search for the Soviet
filters, were partly in error.
To Stay in Alaska
although we have done all that
we can with our type of ship at
this time, I and my navigator, H.
S. Jones, will remain in Alaska un-
til the search is successful or is
given up as altogether hopeless,
Mattern declared. He thought is
likely that he would remain in Ju-
neau for a time. Il am in closer COM
munication with the States from
here, and 1 am only about three
hours further away from the search
center, not enough to matter great
ly."
The purpose of his flight to Jul
neau at this time, Mattern de-
clared, was to bring Garland Lin
coin, Charles A. Marshall and Frank
Tomick, the crew of his cracked
up re-fueling plane, out to where
they could board steamer to re-
turn to California.
Handicapped by Loss
Mattern said the loss of the re-
fueling ship had considerably handi-
capped him in the search, cutting
down the crushing range of his ship
from $500 miles to about $500 miles.
Since the record dash northward
on which he whipped through the
skies from Oakland, $500 miles nom
stop, to Fairbanks in Is hours and
35 minutes flying time, Mattern has
made two swings well out over the
Arctic Ocean ice fields; the second
carrying him halfway from the Arc
tic Coast to the North Pole, along
the proposed line of the Soviet
flight. the 148th meridian.
Taking off from Fairbanks as soon
after his arrival there as weather
would permit, Mattern coursed over
the meridian up to and beyond the
coastline as far as his fuel supply
would permit, then, retracing back
to the coast, he followed along ii
to Point Barrow.
Second Scout Trip
After taking on as much fuel al
Barrow as he could lift he once
again secuted out over Levanevisky's
purported route, that time 300 miles
further than on his previous at
tempt, but still without discerning
any trace of the Soviet plane From
that trip he circled back to LAND
along a different meridian anc
cruised for while along the Arctic
shore eastward before turning back
to Barrow.
Jones and 1 went as far TOWARD
the pole as we possibly could with
the amount of fuel that we were
able to take off with. We can dc
no more with our plane. With the
kind OF weather that is now setting
in, flying boats and ships on skis
are the only practical equipment
for the search, Planes of that type
will be able to carry on the search
from the bases that are being sci
up along the Arctic Coast.
Confers With Backer
II have conferred with my back
er, NJ L. Benedum, of Pittsburgh
and have his approval for remaining
on hand in Alaska until the search
is definitely over. In case some hint
is gained by other search planes
which will point to the whereabouts
of Levaneyisky and his crew, Their
my long-range ship may be useful
Until then we have done all we
can" Mattern said.
The Smiling Filler here expressed
appreciation for the full coopera-
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