﻿THE 
  FIRST 
  ALASKAX 
  AIR 
  EXPEDITION 
  

  

  505 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  U. 
  S. 
  Air 
  Service 
  

   TH^ 
  HEART 
  OE 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  TIMES 
  SQUARE 
  

  

  pull 
  out 
  the 
  roller, 
  themselves 
  became 
  

   bogged 
  ! 
  

  

  A 
  THRILUNG 
  TAKE-OEE 
  

  

  Finally, 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  afternoon, 
  Lieuten- 
  

   ant 
  Crumrine 
  wheeled 
  his 
  machine 
  again 
  

   to 
  the 
  starting 
  line 
  and, 
  with 
  the 
  motor 
  

   turning 
  over, 
  examined 
  the 
  prospect 
  

   ahead. 
  He 
  had 
  six 
  hundred 
  feet 
  of 
  run- 
  

   way 
  which 
  had 
  just 
  been 
  rolled. 
  Then 
  

   came 
  a 
  line 
  of 
  trees 
  forty 
  feet 
  high 
  which 
  

   had 
  to 
  be 
  cleared. 
  With 
  considerable 
  

   anxiety 
  we 
  gathered 
  around 
  to 
  watch 
  his 
  

   take-off. 
  

  

  Crumrine 
  is 
  a 
  finished 
  pilot. 
  If 
  any 
  

   one 
  could 
  get 
  out 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  field, 
  he 
  could. 
  

   He 
  opened 
  up 
  the 
  motor 
  and 
  started 
  down 
  

   the 
  course, 
  full 
  out. 
  

  

  When 
  almost 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  runway 
  

   his 
  wheels 
  still 
  clung 
  to 
  the 
  mud. 
  With 
  

  

  increasing 
  speed 
  he 
  headed 
  straight 
  on 
  

   into 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  trees, 
  absolutely 
  unable 
  to 
  

   stop 
  his 
  momentum 
  or 
  to 
  turn 
  aside. 
  

  

  While 
  our 
  hearts 
  mounted 
  up 
  into 
  our 
  

   throats 
  and 
  a 
  momentary 
  paralysis 
  stopped 
  

   their 
  beatings, 
  we 
  saw 
  Crumrine 
  sud- 
  

   denly 
  stick 
  the 
  nose 
  of 
  his 
  airplane 
  

   straight 
  up. 
  It 
  zoomed 
  the 
  tips 
  of 
  the 
  

   trees 
  like 
  a 
  rocket, 
  leaving 
  only 
  a 
  foot 
  or 
  

   two 
  space 
  to 
  spare. 
  It 
  was 
  the 
  closest 
  

   call 
  I 
  ever 
  want 
  to 
  see. 
  

  

  Crumrine 
  snapped 
  his 
  photographs, 
  

   then 
  straightened 
  out 
  his 
  course 
  for 
  Grand 
  

   Rapids, 
  and 
  disappeared. 
  Unwilling 
  to 
  

   risk 
  any 
  other 
  machines 
  on 
  such 
  a 
  peril- 
  

   ous 
  get-away, 
  we 
  decided 
  to 
  stay 
  over 
  in 
  

   Erie 
  another 
  night. 
  With 
  gloomy 
  spirits 
  

   and 
  bad 
  tempers, 
  we 
  put 
  up 
  our 
  machines 
  

   for 
  the 
  night 
  and 
  went 
  into 
  town 
  to 
  send 
  

   in 
  a 
  report 
  to 
  Washington. 
  

  

  