Northwest History. Aviation 8. Wilkins' Expedition, United States.

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1928
• Subjects: silence; arctic aviator; Seward; Alaska; radio operator; government stations; George H. Wilkins; Carl B. Eielson; Point Barrow; Spitzbergen; dog teams; United States army signal corps station; polar sea; Arctic sea; portable wireless transmitter; Northwest; Pacific > History > 20th century; Aviation; Arctic; Eielson; Pacific; Wilkins; Barrow
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/86111

Silence Envelops Explorer Wilkins: Arctic Aviator Has Not Been Heard From For Last Five Days. SILENCE ENVELOPS EXPLORER WILKINS Arctic Aviator Has Not Been Heard From for Last Five Hays. SEWARD, Alaska. April 9. (/P)—Silence, unbroken for five days, still enveloped the Wilkins arctic expedition today. Radio operators at government stations in Alaska have failed to pick up a signal of any kind from George H. Wilkins, Australian explorer, and Carl B. Eielson, his Alaskan pilot, who are presumable awaiting better weather at Point Barrow for their takeoff on a flight to Spitzbergen. The last message received from Wilkins was that cloudy weather had prevented the take off scheduled for last Thursday. It was assumed then that Wilkins dismantled his radio transmitter and installed it in his plane, preparatory for a hurried hop-off at the first favorable moment. Since that time Wilkins has not tried or has been unsuccessful in communicating with the outside world. Only Dog Teams. Point Barrow is cut off from all communication except a tortuous journey by dog team during the winter months. It is only a few months in the late summer that vessels can penetrate the Arctic sea to reach Point Barrow. If Wilkins had taken off, radio operators here feel confident he would have sent out messages from his portable wireless transmitter in his plane. He expected to keep in touch with the United States army signal corps station at Seward throughout his flight over the polar sea.