The Nome Nugget

DEW Line Cargo Starts Journey To Remote Arctic

SEATTLE, (A) - A scaled-down "Dew Line" and Arctic supply line starts here today.

Two ships are due into the Army Engineers Pier for cargo. A crew has been assembling from all parts of the country and packaging since early March.

The Liberty ship Nenana is to take aboard 2,760 measurement tons. The smaller cargo ship Tatalina will come in Tuesday for 305 tons.

The two Alaska Steamship Co. freighters will carry the cargo north on regular voyages under space charter to the Military Sea Transportation Service. The Nenana will discharge her load at Dutch Harbor for distribution by barge to "White Alice" aircraft warning sites of the Aleutian chain. The Tatalina will ferry her cargo up the Kuskokwim River to a distribution center at Bethel.

Army Engineer crews will continue assembling cargo until early June.

A third vessel is due June 15 to load for Distant Early Warning Line stations of the Bering Sea.

This ship also will take aboard 40 tons for the United States weather station at Barter Island.

Still a fourth ship will dock in August to clean up the last cargo.

This is a joint military venture with Army Engineers assembling the cargo and the Army Transportation Terminal Agency loading it aboard MSTS ships for delivery to Air Force sites.