The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1940-01-09
STRANDED AIR
PASSENGER IS
VISITOR Here
Joe Walsh Was with Fred
Chambers in Kaiyuh
Hills Landinq

Joe Walsh, young Nome mining
engineer. arriving in Juneou on the
Yukon for a two weeks visit, related
a remarkable story of woman's
pluck and an airmans skill in the
winter locked reaches of the Kaiyuh
Hills today.
1t was Joe Walsh who was a pas
senger with Pilot Fred Chambers
and Mrs. William Jefford and her
baby when their plane was forced
down with a broken oil line last
month.
Walsh said they were flying at
1000 feet over heavy fog and did
not know their exact location, but
hoped to reach a forecasted broken
ceiling near Nulato. However, the
engine began to miss and they were
forced to "mush" down through the
fog for nine minutes, expecting a
crash on one Of the numerous hills
of the area momentarily.
"Oil was running all over the
ship Walsh said, and the cabin of
the little Fairchild suddenly filled
with smoke" Walsh said he could
not even see Chambers sitting beside
him, and then the engine quit"
Fred did a figure eight and start
ed down through the muck" Walsh
said. land we broke out luckily in
valley at about 1900 feet.
Fred put her down on a little
river and there wasn't enough
straightaway. Coming in without
power we were a little high and
when we finally got the skis down,
Fred had to take the turn of the
river bend on one ski with q wing
dragging in the snow.
THE wing didn't hit anything
but just as Fred got leveled of
again, he, had to raise a wing t.
clear a windfall, and right past 4;
had to dip the same wing to &c
under another one. He did a pretty
job and we were lucky to get down
at all
Safe Landing
The party rugged up the antenna
to a tree and informed an anxious
Alaska radio world they had gotten
down okeh,'" but they could only
estimate their position as somewhere
near Nulato.
Walsh had his sleeping bag along
the only bedding in the plane. ano
MIS-. Jefford and her fourteen
month-old baby were put in that
For wood chopping they had only
a little belt axe and it was impos-
sible to keep a fire going all the
time with below zero temperatures
holding firm.
Near Drowning
Walsh, safe on the ground, iron
, ically had narrow escape from
drowning shortly after landing wher
he plunged through the ice of tht
river while carrying a small tree
to the fire.
Luckily, Walsh hung on to thu
tree which buoyed him enough 81
he wasn't swept under the ice, bu
getting clothes warm and dry again
at five below zero was mot mucf
fun"
The little Jefford baby ate emer
gency rations along with everybod,
else.
I'VE feed him dried apples, raisin
and pretty near everything" Walst
said. HE seemed to do all right
but it's luckily Jack Jefford came
over and dropped supplies when h
did We were, down to dried egg,
then
Credit to Jefford
Jefford, brother-in-l of The
stranded Mrs. Jefford, flew con
stantly in the search for the missing
plane and Walsh said: Give hin
plenty of credit. That old Stinsor
sure looked good to US
Jefford, having located the party
advised search parties of their loca.
ton and a dog team brought the
stranded group in safely.
Walsh said Mrs. Jefford was SO
brick
"She never complained at all, anc
she had the hardest job, taking care
of her baby"
Pleasure at rescue was dampenec
for Walsh, however whose years
long friend Hans Mirow, met hi