The Daily Alaska empire., 1941-10-27

a quarter of a mile from the wreck ed Bedding plane. The Bedding plane carried no radio.
 Plane Wrecked
 A dispatch from the Ketchikan Chronicle to The Empire this fore noon said the plane which Bedding was flying north from Seattle for Tony Schwamn of Petersburg and Wrangell was completely wrecked when forced down in shoal water enroute from Alert Bay to Ketchi- kan last Tuesday and, Livingston Wernecke and Charles Gropstis were killed when they crashed into tree attempting to land on the water to give aid to Bedding and Sherman.
 Planes of the GRAF sighted the disaster, gave the warning and the American Coast Guard patrol boat Cyane went to the scene.
 The dispatch does not state wheth- CT the GRAF plane landed to get the details, then took to the air and radioed Prince Rupert headquarters or gave out the details upon arrival at Prince Rupert.
 Bodies Recovered
 The bodies of Wernecke and Gropstis were recovered. presumably by the Cyane and taken to Prince Rupert together with Bedding and Sherman
 The bodies, according to later dispatch from Ketchikan, were left at Prince Rupert but the Cyane is proceeding to Ketchikan with Bod ding and Sherman and expects to. land at Ketchikan during tonight.
 Both Bedding and Sherman were cut about the head and Sherman also suffered fractured ribs. Parts of the wrecked Bedding plane were sal vaged and are aboard the Cyane.
 Sherman is a brother of Jack Sherman, Alaska Airlines mechanic at Ketchikan, and Bedding is well known in Juneau, where he resided since birth until he went to Ketchi- kan over a year ago as pilot for planes out of that city. He is known as most careful pilot. The reason for his forced landing is not known here, but was presumably weather
 Gloom Is Caused
 The tragic death of Wernecke and Gropstis cast gloom over Juneau Saturday afternoon. Wernecke was one of the foremost geologists of the West both in the United States and Canada. He was consulting geologist of the Alaska Juneau in this city and General Superintend- ent of the Treadwell- in the Mayo silver district. Years ago he was at the westward during con- struction of the Copper River and Northwestern Railway and later be- came affiliated with the Bradley interests. He lived in Berkeley where his four-story residence is equipped with one of the country's most up-to-date research labora- tories.
 Wernecke was the first white child born at Livingston, Montana, about 61 years ago and came west with his parents several years later. He is survived his his wife, in Berkeley, and a son and daughter, Tead and Claire MT. and Mrs. Wernecke are well known in Juneau, where they made their home on several occasions.
 Gropstis has been Wernecke's fly ing pilot for several years and when not so employed has flown bombers across the continent from the West Coast. He is survived by his widow and two children who livesin La JOlla, California.
 The search for Wernecke started last Thursday when Mrs. Wernecke, in Berkeley, gave out word she was worried over her husbands delayed I arrival at Vancouver where he was to confer with J. w. Williams, Gen. eral Superintendent of the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company. i Wernecke left Hyder at 9 o'clock last Tuesday morning for Alert Bay l where he intended to gas up for the flight to Vancouver. I His disappearance called for an extensive search by the Cyane, the Canadian Royal Air Force and a party sent out from Hyder to search the shores.
 | Olaf Bedding Gets Word j
 Bud Bedding, young Juneau flier, who was injured when he and a companion crashed on the shore of Millbank Sound last Tuesday, will arrive in Ketchikan this evening on the Coast Guard cutter Cyane, &C.,