August 18th
August 18th
Daily Flight Information:
The World Flight attempted to fly to Frederiksdal today but both planes were damaged trying to takeoff in poor conditions.
Both "Chicago" & "New Orleans" Damaged Trying to Takeoff
Daily Report
by Lt. L. P. Arnold, "Chicago", Mechanic
Owing to non arrival of weather reports we arose at 3 instead of 1 a.m. & all had breakfast here in the room. The reports came in slowly & about 4 Jack [Harding, Lt., mechanic of "New Orleans"] & I boarded the planes while Lowell [Smith, Lt., pilot of "Chicago"] and Erik [Nelson, Lt., pilot of "New Orleans"] watched reports. At 5 things did not look favorable so temporarily the trip was called off & Jack & I came ashore and sat in the cafe where we saw & heard a Dane in Iceland receive a message in English & tell it to an Italian in German.
About 7 we took a nap & at 10 were suddenly aroused to "carry on." At 10:15 we taxied out to the harbor & attempted to take off -- there was no wind but a heavy swell, and the planes took quite a beating, #4 ["New Orleans"] breaking its propeller & #2 ["Chicago"] tearing off the front spreader bar [for the pontoons] -- both planes having wires loosened. At 10:40 we were both back at the moorings & so ended this days journey.
Wires were sent at once to the Richmond [US Navy cruiser] which has the spare parts aboard & it is due to arrive Wednesday [August 20th] at 5:00 a.m. We spent the afternoon fixing things up as far as possible & a few hours after the Richmond's arrival both planes will be ready to start again. It was aggravating that after abandoning Augmasalik we should receive a message that the harbor there was clear of ice & suitable for landing. Had we been going there today instead of Frederiksdal we could have carried a much lighter load of gas, and the planes not being so heavy no doubt could have survived the rough water all O.K.
In the evening at dinner Crumrine [Lt., 6th Division Advance Officer] surprised us, as well as the natives, by appearing at dinner in the cafe arrayed in a brilliant red shirt -- and thus was the center of all eyes.
Daily Report
by Lt. L. H. Smith, Commander
Early this morning, our request to allow the Italian aviator, Locatelli, to fly to Frederiksdal with us was granted by the Chief of Air Service, General Patrick.
Plans were set to takeoff about 1:00 a.m., but difficulty in receiving weather reports delayed us until about 10:15 when an attempt was made to takeoff under very unfavorable conditions, the weather being very calm and the harbor full of large swells from a recent storm. The "Chicago" broke its front spreader bar and the "New Orleans" broke its propeller in taking off. All supplies being on board the Richmond for shipment back to the United States, it is necessary for her to return from a position near Greenland.