The Wrangell sentinel., 1941-10-31
WerneCke Death Crash Saved Lives
 Of Two Others

Wernecke, prominent Alaska mining man, and his pilot, Charles aSlim" Gropstis, plunged to their death In Millbank Sound and Pilot Bud Bod ding of Ketchikan and his passenger Harry Sherman, crashed-and lived as a result of the first tragedy.
 Only their finding of the Wern- ecke plane with It's food and equip ment on the barren rock-cliffed beach of sala Island in Clam Pass age. Millbank Sound. saved them from possible death by exposure and starvation, Pilot Boding told Pilot Tony Schwamm. whose plane he was flying north from Seattle
 What Happened
 Bedding with his passenger, fly ing a new Waco north for Wrangell- Petersburg Ar Service, took off from Seattle on Monday afternoon, Nov 20. He stayed that night at Van couYer and then winged north tho next morning The same morning, Tuesday, Nov. 21. Gropstis took off from Hyder in the Wernecke Bellan- ca for the States. 4 few minutes be- fore noon, according to Bedding account of the accident and tragedy, as he was over Millbank Sound. he started having engine trouble and shortly the motor "eonkedn out en- tirely. The weather was thick anu toggy and the water rough. Picking out what appeared to be the best place for a landing and there weren'e any good ones as the waves were rolling high-Bodding noseu down to the water. As he sat the Waco down, wave caught one wing and Tipped the plane over on it's back. sherman was knocked out and Bedding suffered a severe blow on the head, but he managed to get out of the cabin, drag his compan- ion with him onto the top side ot the Waco which was now floating up side down and being pounded by the sea. They were approximately loo yards from the beach but be- tween their ticklish floating perch and the beach was a pounding surI sherman rallied from the shock as Bedding made him fast to the plane with his belt.
 Heard Plane Crash
 As they rode the wave-buffeted wreckage, Bedding said they heard plane overhead It was not visible due to the fog but the motor indi- cated it was flying low. Directly, there was a terrific impact and the noise of the motor ceased
 They crashed!" Bedding shouted to Sherman
 For four hours Bedding and Sher- man rode the wreckage, hoping the sea would quiet or their wrecked plane would drift closer to shore Finally after swinging in to ap- proximately 50 yards from the beach the wreckage started drifting out again. Its HOW or never" the pilot told his passenger and making Sher- man fast to him with his belt, the two pushed off into the icy, storm buffeted surf for shore
 Find Wernecke Plane
 They made the beach eXhauste soaked, cold and without any fo., or equipment from the wrecke plane. For half hour they ponder their fate and then decided to >. up the beach toward where they lieYed the other plane had crS.lz
 Three-quarters of mile and ti came upon the wreckage of the B lanca. Gropstis, flying low, h. crashed head-on into a bluff on tn point of the island So terrific had been the impact, and so steep the precipice, the plane was smashed and then rolled down almost to the waters edge. Exploring the wreck age they found the bodies of Wern- ecke and Gropstis. The latter and Bedding had known each other in the flying fraternity.
 In the Werneeke plane was food, sleeping bags, an axe and other equipment-all of which meant life to Bedding and Sherman.
 With the dead beside them, the two men built fire, put on warm salvaged clothing, prepared them selves food. Bedding looked at the dead mems watches. They showed 12:35 p. m. His own watch had re- vealed that he had crashed at ex- actly 12 o'clock, 35 minutes before, the Wernecke plane plunged to it's doom.
 Stranded Four Days
 This was Tuesday evening, Nov ember 21. For four days the Ketchi- kan pilot and his companion were at the tragic scene. They chopped wood, kept a huge fire burning, tried to signal; found flares in the Wernecke plane and sent them up. In the dis tContinuad on paxs fourl