Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-30
SEARCHERS FIND FIRST TRACES
OF LOST CANADIAN EXPLORERS
Clues Narrow Area of Gigantic Hunt by
II Planes in Barren North, With
Winter on Way.

| Lake to Pelley Lake on thu cast and
Of the Arctic Cuffs.
Dickens Fights That Route.
If the lost men came down in the
Coronation Gulf area, there is still a
chance that they may be found within
the next day or two, even though they
may not all be brought out until Win
ter sets in. That chance depends on
/ the success which will attend the
flight of c. H. Punch Dickens, the
Western Canada Always pilot, who is
! trying TO fight his way along by the
| Mackenzie River and Great Bear Lake
route to Coronation Gulf and Bath
urSt.
From latest reports. it is judged that
Dickens has passed Fort Norman and
reached Great Bear Lake. There are
great hopes that he may reach Copper
mine, for radio report from Bathurst
Inlet said that the fog which had pre-
vailed along the coast for days had
lifted and the temperature risen to Al
degrees
If the missing planes are along Coro-
nation Gulf Dickens may, if he wins
through sight them so that word of
thsm may come within the next few
DAYS
This between seasons. when the last
OF Fall in the Far North and the first
of Winter are staging a fight in which
the former must lose and the latter in
evitab!y win, is the worst time of the
year for flying. Indeed, in another
week or two at the most so far will
this between season have spread south
that all flying must cease and the air
men, no matter how eager, will just
have to wait for Winter
1t is evident that unless the missing
explorers are located within the next
week or 10 days they will not be found
for five or six weeks unless, in the
meantime. they should make their way
by foot TO some post with wireless in
whose vicinity they might have come
down.
In the meantime the disappearance
of the double party of eight, consisting
of Col MacAlpine, Pilot j. Macmillan,
Chief Mechanic A. G. Milne and Geolo-
gist A. Roadway. all of the Dominion
Explorers Co., flying Wasp Fairchild,
and of Pilot C.. A. Thompson, Maj.
Baker and Mechanic Goodwin of the
Western Canada Anyways, with Richard
Pearce of Toronto, editor Of the North
ern Miner, with a Super-universal Fox
ker. has started an organized air hunt
greater than anything ever undertaken.
IL Planes in Search.
Eleven planes altogether are engaged
in the hunt. Besides those already
mentioned planes are ferrying in pro-
visions, supplies. gasoline and Winter
camping equipment from Cranberry
Lake on the Hudson Bay Railroad to
Stoney Lake, more than 400 miles
northwest.
From Stoney Lake other planes are
portaging gas to catches still farther
north, to DubaWnt and other lakes, so
that when Winter comes patrolllng over
the big area involved may be carried
out eXpeditiously from these bases and
Sub-bases.
According to word at headquarters
the missing men are well equipped. They
had enough emergency provisions for a
month, and even though that month
may be nearing its end, they had rifles
with which to kill game and lines with
which to catch fish.
Have Plenty Of Clothing.
At least the missing men should not
suffer from cold. They have Winter
clothing and eiderdoWrs for sleeping
. in. They have primo stoves and blow
torches on which they could cook, even
though wood fuel were scarce, as long
as they naQ any BhSOlnle lelL III tneiI
tanks unless this was exhausted when
they landed when their plight might be
unpleasant.
So far as signaling relief planes IS
concerned, both machines carried Very
lights. At any rate, the MOSES of the
region could be used to make smudgeS
that would be visible to flyers searching
in such a country on a clear day for
a distance as great as Is miles
Copyright, 1929. by North American News
paper Alliance.)