The Washington times., 1919-12-24
ARCT|CA|R ROUTE
TO CARRY FREIGHT
Plan Is Practical and May Soon
Be Established, Says
Explorer.

Attempts to carry freight to Alaska
by aeroplane are to be made by the
training and operations group OF the
air service, il was announced today.
Three routes are now being consid-
cred.
J. W. Tyrrell, OF Hamilton. Can
ada, a noted sub-Arctic explorer.
made the following observations on
the project:
'It Is at least partly due to my
supposed intimate knowledge OF our
north country that / am an officer
in the Guides OF the Canadian NJ litia,
and the proposed enterprise would
seem TO me to be exceedingly ven-
turesome IL not a dangerous under
taking. although not perhaps more
SO than many others which have OF
recent years been successfully &C
eomplished.
Summer Most Suitable.
For many reasons the summer
season world, Of course. apepar to be
the most suitable time for attempting
an aerial trip to Alaska or any dis
trict in the Arctics; eut from my per-
sonal knowledge of the north coun-
try, which does not exceed beyond
Dawson City. / believe IL would be
difficult during the summer season to
obtain suitable landing places. The
country from Edmonston to the north
Is mostly covered with timber, al
though there are some prairie sec
tions along the Peace river and at n
few other points. but for the most
part, areas which are not covered
with timber are composed of fields of
broken. jagged rocks upon which it
would be impossible for an ar ma
chine to land in safety. On the other
hand, the winter season in tre
north country is so -beset by dar,S-
ness and stormy weather that / would
consider a successful air journey to
the Arctic extremely hazardous IL not
altogether impossible. 49,
"There is, however, at least one
month in the year. which offers many
favorable conditions to your project,
and that Is the month of April. By
the first OF April the storms of the
winter season have passed and the
north country enjoys a condition of
continuous daylight, and by that
time the weather has become COM
psratively mild. but the ice on the
lake and ponds is in an ideal condi-
tion to afford innumerable safe land
Ing places
SHOWS Have Settled.
BY the first OF April the snow COW
ering the ice has either greatly set
tied or entirely disappeared, leaving
Q hard. even surface of ice upon the
lakes. ponds and rivers. The rivers,
however, have a tendency to break
up much earlier than the lakes, and
besides at swift sections of the
streams the ice is often treacherous
and unsafe, even throughout the win
ter, and for these reasons the lakes
would AFFORD much safer landing
places than the rivers although with
care they might also be made use Of
Tor such purposes.
"As to our route of travel, / pre-
sumo one Of the chief onsfderatjons
would be the possibilities of obtain
ing your necessary supplies Of high
grade gasoline. There .would of
course, be other important factors
we'll. but after my very brief consid-
GRAFTON of the matter / would think
your route by way of Edmonton, the
Grand Trunk Pacific and Pacific coast
the most desirable.
Best of Gasoline.
IF necessary for your purpose to
use - specially high grade Of gaso-
line you could easily have that sent
IN advance by winter freight to sew
eral points upon such route as you
might select
1T would be well, however. to give
This matter very careful attention, as
I learned from experience on one OF
my own Northern journeys. On that
occasion l had arranged with the Hud-
sons Bay Company to deposit by
boat in the summer season 5000
pounds OF supplies at Old Fort Re-
Gance, at the northeastern extremity
Of Great Slave lake, but upon arriv-
ing At Fort Resolution on April /,
400 miles short OF the above men,
toned starting point, / found all of
ny supplies held up at that place, and
II was left for me TO take them to
Fort Reliance over the ice as best
could. This I succeeded in doing by
securing all the train dogs available
and constructing long dog sleds capa-
Bile Of. carrying over 1000 pounds