Northwest History. Alaska. Aviation Crashes & Wreckage Missing Planes.

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1931
• Subjects: flying priests; dog team; McGrath; Alaska; George J. Feltes; Martial Lapeyre; Jesuit missionaries; Holy Cross; Ganes creek; Pilot Harry Blunt; Deputy; Marshal Stanley J. Nichols; plane; food; Yukon; Tacotna; Anchorage; Catholic missions; snow; Crater mountain; Northwest; Pacific > History > 20th century; Crater Mountain; Ganes; Pacific
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/89970

"Flying Priests" Are Found Safe: Located From Air At Camp -- Dog Team To Go To Their Aid. "FLYING PRIESTS" ARE FOUND SAFE Located From Air at Camp-Dog Team to Go to Their Aid. By Associated Press, McGRATH, Alaska, Nov. 28.— Brothers George J. Feltes and Martial Lapeyre, Jesuit missionaries, who had not been heard from since they left here a week ago to fly to Holy Cross, were located today from the air, camped at the head of Ganes creek. They apparently had been forced down, wrecking their landing gear, Pilot Harry Blunt and Deputy Marshal Stanley J. Nichols reported to turn of their plane here. Drop Food to Them. "We circled a number, of times over their camp," Nichols said, "and dropped a sack of food to them. "Both flyers walked around their plane and waved to us. They had a fire going." Brothers Feltes and Lapeyre left here last Sunday on the 150-mile flight to Holy Cross, on the Yukon, but were not heard from after they are sighted over Tacotna, about 25 miles west of here. With wintry weather over the section, concern was felt for their safety within a few days and Pilot Blunt, flying here from Anchorage, began an aerial search of the territory for them. The two missionaries have been using an airplane this fall in their work visiting Catholic missions. Dog Team to Go io Their Aid. "We located the missing flyers at the head of Ganes creek, at the northeast foot of Crater mountain," Nichols said on their plane's return today. "We are sending a dog team to their aid from Tacotna." From the air, Pilot Blunt said, it as difficult to determine the extent of the damage to the missionaries' plane. The imprints where the wings and fuselage had dragged in the snow before it came to a stop could be seen, he added. On leaving here, Brothers Feltes and Lapeyre had food supplies for 30 days, snowshoes and heavy winter clothing and it was thought they would be safe if their plane had not crashed, injuring them. For the last two days the weather has been severe. The location at the head of Ganes creek, near Crater mountain, is approximately 25 miles southwest of Tacotna.