Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-24
BY DON BROWN.

MONTREAL, February 23.-The
magic passkey to Canada's great UNI
developed and uninhabited northwest Is
the airplane.
Winging over hundreds of miles of
lonely bush" and rugged, snowy noun
tains and valleys, flying men are play
ing a vital part in the opening up to
civilization of these vast areas. Some
of them are described by those who
have returned as sorts of earthly para
discs, where game, fish, metal and TIM
Der resources are rich and untouched.
Journeys, which the pioneers of that
still primitive country, mostly French
Canadians, toughened by generations
of grim struggle with the elements,
formerly took weeks Of plodding to
achieve, are now being made in as many
hours by airplane.
Leave Planes to Freeze In.
These modern prospectors, although
they work much faster and escape most
of the tedium of the old methods, also
face many dangers. One pilot, who had
engaged In such pioneering work, told
the writer today that he knows the To-
cations of at least six planes, wrecked
or landed In isolated lakes or valleys
and left to freeze in the ice because the
cost of salvaging the planes and getting
them back to civilization would amount
to much more than they are worth.
Some of these planes are models run
ming in price as high as $4,000.
Two systems are used by the explor-
ers. One company, organized especial
iy for this work, has sent out large fly
ing boats. each with one pilot, me-
cf1anic and two biologists. The geolo-
gists study the ground formation, which
can be seen with extraordinary clarity
from a plane. When likely locations
are spotted, the plane lands at the
nearest available place and the pros
pectors dig for samples. They also
look for timber. game and other possible
resources which may be developed.
One crew recently saw from the air
the dull CLEAN of some metal in hill
side Landing nearby. the biologists
discovered it was copper. Digging
deeper though, they discovered gold IN
the same deposit. Planes are used in
such cases to fly mining equipment and
Workmen to the scene Of operations.
The method of another company is
to send out planes with aerial photog-
raphers. Pictures of likely places are
made. They are then taken back TO the
base and developed and studied by the
company's biologists.
Stories of hair-raising adventures and
thrilling escapes are brought back by
these men. One such tale was told me
by H. p. Ayres, mail pilot on the
Canadian Colonial Always Line be-
tween New York and Montreal.
PIunges Into Lake.
Ayres. another pilot and personnel
of mechanics and scientists in two
planes set out on a trip early last Fall
The second plane was wrecked in q
small lake when the pilot became lost
ran out of gas and attempted to land it
The CLASSY, clear surface Of the water
deceived shiIn and he plunged III at
steep angle when he thought he Still
had plenty of altitude.
One member Of the party was thrown
against the dashboard with such vio'
lence that the blow blinded him. An
other man had his leg broken. This
plane sunk slowly enough for them u
remove their clothing and swim ashore
although they had to break through the
ice rim, which had started to form.
The plane sank q few minutes latel
and they we're left, without clothing o.
other resources, more than 100 miles
from their base.
A French-Canadian mechanic, {
member of the party had few day
before placed two boxes of matches IL
an empty coffee can and vanished thu
top on. When the plane sank, tn
can foated.
The mechanic saw it in the lake ant
the pilot swan out in the icy water
and recovered it. With this they start
ed fire and managed to keep alive TO
eight days. They attempted to fish ant
hunt with primitive means but had NJ
success. They were on the point o
suicide, when AyreS who had beel