﻿THE 
  FIRST 
  ALASKAN 
  AIR 
  EXPEDITION 
  

  

  543 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  U: 
  S. 
  Air 
  Service 
  

  

  THE 
  LANDING 
  FIELD 
  AT 
  WHITE 
  HORSE, 
  YUKON 
  TERRITORY 
  

  

  The 
  people 
  of 
  White 
  Horse 
  evinced 
  extraordinary 
  interest 
  in 
  aviation 
  and 
  were 
  eager 
  to 
  

   discuss 
  the 
  possibility 
  of 
  using 
  airplanes 
  for 
  transportation 
  of 
  passengers 
  and 
  freight 
  in 
  

   winter, 
  when 
  the 
  temperature 
  drops 
  to 
  70 
  degrees 
  below 
  zero 
  in 
  this 
  region. 
  

  

  the 
  landing 
  fields 
  appeared 
  did 
  this 
  night- 
  

   mare 
  vanish. 
  

  

  SPECTATORS 
  MADE 
  TO 
  SERVE 
  AS 
  A 
  STEAM 
  

   ROLLER 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Bierns 
  had 
  done 
  his 
  best 
  to 
  roll 
  his 
  

   field 
  to 
  a 
  hard 
  surface 
  for 
  us, 
  but 
  we 
  

   found 
  that 
  the 
  airplanes 
  would 
  not 
  leave 
  

   the 
  field 
  until 
  the 
  surface 
  was 
  packed 
  

   harder 
  still. 
  

  

  The 
  advent 
  next 
  day 
  of 
  an 
  army 
  of 
  

   sightseers, 
  including 
  mountaineers 
  in 
  

   heavy 
  boots 
  and 
  Indians 
  in 
  moccasins, 
  

   who 
  assembled 
  to 
  see 
  us 
  off, 
  gave 
  us 
  an 
  

   idea. 
  We 
  marched 
  this 
  army 
  up 
  and 
  down 
  

   the 
  runway 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  forenoon. 
  This 
  

   exercise, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  rays 
  of 
  the 
  

   sun, 
  gave 
  us 
  a 
  reasonably 
  dry 
  stretch, 
  

   about 
  300 
  yards 
  long, 
  on 
  which 
  to 
  gain 
  

   speed 
  enough 
  for 
  a 
  take 
  off. 
  

  

  The 
  Indians 
  did 
  not 
  seem 
  to 
  relish 
  this 
  

   method 
  of 
  white 
  man's 
  transportation 
  

   overmuch, 
  particularly 
  the 
  walking 
  up 
  

   and 
  down 
  for 
  hours 
  before 
  leaving. 
  One 
  

   dusky 
  visitor 
  paused 
  in 
  his 
  exertions, 
  

   came 
  to 
  me, 
  and 
  said: 
  "You 
  heap 
  smart 
  

   man, 
  but 
  heap 
  d 
  — 
  fool." 
  

  

  At 
  1 
  130 
  we 
  decided 
  upon 
  a 
  start. 
  All 
  

   the 
  machines 
  got 
  away 
  safely, 
  although 
  

   with 
  great 
  difficulty. 
  We 
  rose 
  to 
  6,ooo 
  

   feet 
  and 
  headed 
  northwest 
  for 
  Wrangell. 
  

   Soon 
  we 
  were 
  compelled 
  to 
  climb 
  to 
  

   10,000 
  feet, 
  for 
  the 
  country 
  beneath 
  us 
  

   was 
  bad 
  to 
  look 
  upon 
  from 
  the 
  standpoint 
  

   of 
  an 
  airman. 
  

  

  Our 
  maps 
  were 
  inadequate 
  and 
  many 
  

   inaccuracies 
  were 
  noted. 
  Huge 
  glaciers 
  

   and 
  rugged 
  declivities 
  loomed 
  gigantic 
  

   and 
  fearsome 
  in 
  the 
  clear 
  atmosphere. 
  

   The 
  sun 
  shone 
  fiercely 
  upon 
  the 
  snow- 
  

   covered 
  ranges 
  and 
  the 
  glare 
  fairly 
  

   blinded 
  us. 
  It 
  was 
  impossible 
  for 
  me 
  to 
  

   see 
  the 
  instruments 
  on 
  the 
  dash-board 
  

   after 
  having 
  faced 
  this 
  glare 
  for 
  some 
  

   time. 
  

  

  The 
  odd 
  noises 
  coming 
  from 
  the 
  roar- 
  

   ing 
  motors 
  made 
  our 
  hearts 
  quail. 
  There 
  

   was 
  not 
  even 
  a 
  body 
  of 
  water 
  within 
  

   sight 
  upon 
  which 
  an 
  airplane 
  could 
  come 
  

   to 
  even 
  a 
  wet 
  landing. 
  For 
  nearly 
  two 
  

   hours 
  we 
  flew 
  over 
  this 
  No 
  Man's 
  Land. 
  

   Under 
  other 
  circumstances 
  the 
  scenery 
  

   might 
  have 
  been 
  full 
  of 
  wonder 
  for 
  us. 
  

  

  A 
  WELCOME 
  SIGHT 
  EOR 
  SNOW-BLINDED 
  

   EYES 
  

  

  We 
  recognized 
  the 
  Nash 
  River, 
  partly 
  

   from 
  our 
  maps 
  and 
  partly 
  from 
  the 
  de- 
  

   scriptions 
  given 
  us 
  at 
  our 
  last 
  stop. 
  Then 
  

   came 
  the 
  Stewart 
  arm 
  and 
  we 
  knew 
  that 
  

   Alaska 
  was 
  now 
  in 
  sight. 
  

  

  Just 
  south 
  of 
  Stewart 
  we 
  dropped 
  

   down 
  to 
  5,000 
  feet 
  and 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  

   village 
  nestled 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  an 
  almost 
  

   sheer 
  cliff 
  which 
  mounted 
  a 
  full 
  5.000 
  

   feet 
  into 
  the 
  air. 
  The 
  few 
  buildings 
  there 
  

   were 
  indeed 
  a 
  sight 
  welcome 
  to 
  snow- 
  

   blinded 
  eyes, 
  and 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  we 
  were 
  

   again 
  above 
  American 
  soil 
  thrilled 
  us 
  mo- 
  

   mentarily. 
  

  

  