White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-09-03
prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington. D. CO

Society, washington, u C.)
A LTHOUGH the revised itinerary
N of Col. and Mrs. Charles A.
Lindbergh's vacation fight to
Japan and China routed them
over many square miles Of practically
unexplored territory in northwest
Canada, much Of the country they
traversed between Washington D. c.
and Baker Lake, Northwest Territor-
les, has been flown by Canadian gov
eminent air surveys and by aerial
prospectors.
The native Indians, Eskimos and
Royal Canadian mounted policemen of
the Hudson Bay district have not be-
fore had such distinguished aerial
visitors, but the sight of an airplane,
either in winter or summer, is no new
experience to them.
Few people, except those who have
seen it, realize the high degree to
which northern Canada has organized
its air transport. Using water routes,
open in summer, it has laid down
wide network Of fuel and supply sta
tons at strategic points. All around
Hudson Bay, at convenient spots;
down the Mackenzie river to Lake Ath-
alaska; about Great Slave and Great
Bear lakes and along the Arctic coast,
and down the Yukon, these depots
are set up. Now practically every dis
trict in continental Canada is within
flying range of one of these stations.
In fact, If you picture the Canadian
Always as linked up with the air
net in the United States, the broad
statement is true that, given good
weather, no place on the North Amer
lean continent is now more than one
or two days flight from railway
1t was in survey work and in pa
trolls of her millions of acres Of for
est reserves that Canada first used
planes. The first attempt to use
a plane on long distance commercial
mission was made by an oil company
in 1921. To meet an emergency, 1t
started two all-metal monoplanes, on
skis, from the railhead at Peace riv-
er on a 1000 mile flight to Norman
on the Mackenzie river. The wealth
er was vile; billiards. with tempera-
lures of 40 and SO below zero alter
mated with mild spring thaws.
Pilots Are ResourcefuI.
One plane, landing on crusted snow,
at Simpson, broke through SO that
ski collapsed and propeller blade
struck the ground. But the resource
fulness Of Canadian pilots, in smash,
far from shops and spare-part stores,
is revealed in Pilot Germans laconic
report on this accident:
"March 30 +. Will try and have
a new prop made here. Oak sleigh
boards are available; also some glue.
And Hudson's Bay company man
named Johnson is an old cabinetmak-
er We can use the damaged pro-
peller as pattern and use the Cath
Ollie mission workshops here.
March 81. Found moosehide glue.
Borrowed some boat clamps, so that
the boards can be clamped tightly
together in making the Illuminated pro-
peler.
April Is. Tested the new propeller.
1t works satisfactorily"
The amazing degree to which planes
now wipe out miles and save time in
Canada was shown by flights and
photography work carried on from a
base on the north shore of the Gulf
of st. Lawrence. From this stormy
coast Capt. Vernon ('Turk") Robin
son made fight after flight, bearing
surveyors and supplies over a noun
famous coast line into the interior
plateau. He carried drums Of gas
by air, making caches at points far
distant; from these deposits planes
could operate even farther inland.
Thus Grand Falls, on the Hamilton
river was finally reached. Then, aft
er days flight of 800 miles, starting
from Burnt lake, photographs were
taken Of the falls; and the next day
the engineer-photograp was back
in Quebec having his pictures devel-
oped. By sea and canoe, the only other
means of travel. this task would have
taken all summer!
adventure, grin anu peTIlOuS, is Oft
en- the lot of pilots and passengers
in flight over the long stretches of
empty wilderness which intervene be-
tween fuel caches, camps, or settle
ments.
Meet With Perilous Adventures.
One party. from base on the in
hospitable Gulf of st. Lawrence. was
forced down by bad weather and had
TO alight on an unknown lake.
floating log ripped the bottom from
their hull and the flying boat sank.
Casting aside their clothing, the crew
swan for the shore. They made land
minus any food or equipment, and
spent week, naked, In the woods.
in the midst of the black-fy season.
The days were blazing hot, but the
nights freezing cold. Two men, bad
~ hurt in the crash. reached the shore
only with the greatest difficulty.
Happily, however, in the party was
..,1