Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-12-05
AIRMEN EXPLORE
.UNCHARTED REGION
OF FROZEN NORTH.
NJ o d ern Argonauts in
Flight to Alaska and
Return.
GOVERNMENT FLYER
TELLS HIS EXPERIENCES
Winged at Terrific Speed Over
Whales, Seals, Bears, Carl
bou and Moose.
NE Unlycraal snrYlcc.l

tliy Universal Service
WAsHINGToN. Dec. i.--WinginI
and long haired seals. presented vita
gold nuggets and dogs that were
bali wolves. seeing blhck bears.
herds OF caribou and moose this
Is the tale brought To Washington
by some modern hrSonauts OF the air.
"of course. I've seen all those
things. too. after big Welsh rare
bit" you Say.
But this actually happened,
Absurd Well. let the story tell
itself. Here IL is:
The army birdmcn vino made tn.
5000 mile fight TO ALASKA and re
turn. Ike their kinsnen VI the
f.athcred tribe. seemed to tak"
flight once the enthusiastic welcome
accorded them on their return TO
Washington "aS over One Of them
was captured. however and made TO
tell the story.
The mos, interesting par, OF the
outward journey 20 Nomc wws over
tn" uncharted regions Of the Far
NORTH. and Is graphically described
by lieutenant Clifford 9. Mutt one
tionnl Hight. The only available
maps Of the Wild country over which
the biTdInen winged proved 10 he all
wTpug Lieutenant Mutt acscgiO.E
the trip through Alaska as follows.
ITO reach Wr1HEcl We had 10 jump
over thc Coast Range Mountains, at
ieas; that ~ what We Thought we had
10 do from orr maps which showed
the trend of y river or OF "a mountain
system. and depicted everything else
AS perfectly smooth. level country.
In point ~ fact tn. region has never
been explored ur surveyed Fortu-
nat"Iy, ~. had clear day for ogr
tSkc-or. When we began to ascend
for our hop OYER the mountains, We
found that tin" mountains rose. too
and higher tnau W. had Instead o:
being 1000 and 1000 font, az shown
on oar map when wr reached a
height Of 1000 We found w- nccdcu
1900 more 80 get over ;hc top, and
when ws tried 10 skirt tn" range ~"
found IL wasn't really range Al all
Win "A valley on the other side, but
just clos" packed mountain peaks
fiiIod with SNOW ana icc between.
Thcs" glaciers looked Ike rvei seas
OF dark green water.
Landed on AN ihinnd.
IA, Wrangel! the only landing field
available was on a little island In
tho stick,no river which. At hlEh
tide, wasn't an Island ~ all. We
landed IN about six inches Of water.
which had grown 10 4 100; before ~e
took of. From WrInGci! ~" went By
way OF CnilEOOt pass and Skagway
to Wh!tehorsc. This IS the region
made so famous In the early days of
about three months 10 make the ;Ttp:
in winter travel was by dog sled.
in summer. on foot or by PACK trala-
The once famous mines Of THIS region
arc now inactive. Their surface veins
have Been ''xsr tipped, and htgh-rrade
mining in this cohntry Is TOO rApsn-
s.yc bccause cf Inadequate transpor-
tat.on facilities.
From Wh.tchorsc 10 Dnwaon we
flew over the route patro!led ~ the
Canadian mounted police The trail
runs In almost an air line ina, shows
up practically all OF m" way. With
the neal little road houses dotted at
Intervals OF forty TO nifty miles apart.
The police. in full eea!ia--hright red
Jackets uuh blue trousers snappy
looking fellows, Well Disciplined and
giving wonderful service 30 the coun-
try. Thcy were OF tremendous as-
tered them. We crossed Lake la
barge, well known to readers OF Ser
vices poems. which breath" the very
soul and spirit Of this far northern
basin Of the White River and the
source Of the Yukon, unless. indeed.
IL bc ono and tho Same river with
different names in different local!-
ties
.'Cru.nrlnc had blown out tire
at Wh!tchorsc. but. Hlling his castings
with rome packed tightly. he wrapped
the outside with rope, taking OF
with us to Dawson. and landing
safely despite the hard jolt from his
rncnded tire.
Discovery Day.
we arrived 1T Dawson, by chance,
ON August II, IN. gaia day OF the
country Discovery Day IL is called,
rrst Alaskan gold was discovered on
Dou.nga Creek The people made us
welcome TO their estivities-gavc us
IN. town. in fact.
The principal meat supply of this
region il it's wild game. chiefly the
moose and the caribou. We were
there at the season Of tho caribou
.runY.' rs they are called. II seems