Four Degrees Celsius (5 page)

Only eight hundred miles from one another, a day's plane journey apart, both searchers and expedition members were impatiently waiting for the same thing. Until freeze-up, progress by air and on foot would be impossible.

Grounded by Weather

September 28, 1929

Richard Pearce's Diary Dease Point

A queer bright arch, like a white bow, showed in the sky to the north for several hours. None of us have ever seen anything like it before. Little new ice formed on the sea overnight, but the lake from which we get our fresh water has at least six inches.

The days to the men stretched endlessly and although they kept busy doing daily chores, their minds continually wandered to the thought of rescue and if an attempt would be successful. They knew twenty days had elapsed since they had been heard from.

Cruickshank and his search team were gravely concerned about the waterways because a freeze was imminent. Once this happened rescue attempts would have to be abandoned until the lakes were sufficiently frozen to withstand the weight of an aircraft on skis.

For the next few days the flyers raced against time, freighting drums filled with fuel from Stony Rapids to Wholdaia Lake. They placed gas and provisions at another small lake on the plateau near Wholdaia, where lower temperatures would cause ice to form more quickly and enable their fully loaded ski planes to take off safely. The preferred supply route was north along the course of the Dubawnt River and Lake to Wholdaia Lake, 280 miles southeast of Fort Reliance. The weather, although adverse, still permitted flights and supplies were being cached for later transfer.

These preparations, while necessary, were also frustrating since they further diverted the pilots from their purpose. They had come to search for the lost expedition, but could not do this until sufficient supplies had been cached before freeze up. After careful consideration, Cruickshank, Vance, and Hollick-Kenyon, along with the mechanics, decided to fly to Baker Lake (140 miles to the east of Wholdaia) and check on the status of supplies at the next search base.

Tommy Siers, along with Pat Semple, had been directed by Brintnell to head to Cranberry Portage via rail. They would then be flown to Stony Rapids to meet up with Cruickshank, Hollick-Kenyon, and Vance. Siers would be head mechanic for the searchers. His expertise and innovation regarding aircraft maintenance and repair would prove to be invaluable. Cruickshank bantered and joked at great length with Semple, an Irishman and an air engineer with Western Canada Airways. Once they were all together, the men boarded the planes and headed for Baker Lake, with hopes that the lakes would not yet be frozen over.

Three aircraft on the shores of Baker Lake in October 1929 wait for freeze-up.
Provincial Archives of Manitoba, Canadian Air Lines Collection #2122.

Even though all three planes carried skis, a forced float landing on a partially frozen lake so late in the season could mean disaster. Also of concern was the fact that if the temperature dropped overnight, the planes would be embedded in ice. Snow squalls hampered visibility and made their flight extremely treacherous. Dropping lower to avoid cloud, the three pilots were dismayed to see that all small lakes were iced over, signalling the beginning of freeze-up. Luckily the larger open water lakes, including Baker, still allowed safe float plane landings.

At Baker Lake they discovered that Brown and Spence had not been able to do as many search runs as hoped for because of fuel shortages. They also found that supplies were dismally inadequate. After conferring with them and Guy Blanchet, Cruickshank decided that he and the others would return to Stony Rapids via Wholdaia Lake to continue freighting supplies. During the flight, the weather turned on them with clouds, mist, and rain, reducing visibility and forcing them to set up camp at Wholdaia for the night and wait it out.

While the air engineers tended to the aircraft, Cruickshank got out the frying pans to make bannock, a staple food in the bush. He mixed flour with water and formed the dough. Then he fitted one frying pan over the other, creating a sort of oven. He placed the “oven” over the open sputtering fire, which then captured and retained the heat and the dough baked. He cooked up some beans and meat and the men sat down in the tent to enjoy a nice hot dinner. Walker, however, broke a tooth during dinner, which he claimed was a victim of Cruickshank's bannock. They finished off their meal with tea, which was the proven stimulant in the bush, as it “went further” than coffee.

The group settled down to wait out the storm that was raging outside, thankful for being inside a tent that did not leak. Cruickshank and Semple were both inveterate tellers of remarkable tales, and Semple guffawed at every yarn Cruickshank spun, hooting his disbelief at each opportunity. The evening passed in a jovial manner and in relative comfort, and they finally separated into their tents and drifted off to sleep.

The Manitoba Free Press
gave an updated report from Thayer Lindsley on September 30, saying that no word had been received from the planes scanning the rocky Barren Lands but the search was being “prosecuted with vigour.” Lindsley also stated that the pilots were “howling for gas.”

Then, during the night of October 1, near disaster struck. One of the mechanics approached Bill Nadin and Hollick-Kenyon that morning and calmly said, “Your aircraft has sunk.”

Nadin replied, “Don't be daft.”

The bearer of the news answered, “Take a walk down and have a look for yourself.”
[1]

Although 'SL's fuselage was completely submerged, the front end of the plane was held above the water's surface by a rope attached to the stump of a rotten tree. The plane had been loaded the previous day with drums of fuel, and, although the aircraft was thought to be secure, the wind had changed direction during the night, creating a problem for 'SL. Water receded, causing the tail to dip, which, in turn, allowed water to seep into the rear end of the floats, gradually filling them and causing the plane to sink tail-first. It was salvaged, repaired, inspected, and passed airworthy by Semple, and, once weather permitted, it continued to fly provisions along with 'SQ and 'RK to Wholdaia Lakes during the daylight hours.
[2]
Cruickshank stayed in touch with Spence and Brown, using the wireless, and kept them informed of the progress that was being made, which wasn't much.

On October 3, Cruickshank, Hollick-Kenyon, Vance, and all the mechanics left the base at Stony and flew to Wholdaia with the expectation of continuing to Baker Lake. However, snow squalls blew up, and again the pilots and their crew were forced to remain at Wholdaia and wait for a break in the weather. That meant that they were grounded without communication. The search preparations had come to a complete stop.

September 29, 1929

Richard Pearce's Diary, Dease Point

We got an awful shock to wake up during the early morning to hear rain beating on the roof of the mud shack. As the roof is flat, it soon started to bulge and drip water. The side of the shack Tom and I sleep on got the worst of it, and we had to get up. It made the day longer than usual. But worse still, it took snow and frost out of the shack walls, and we had to put on more rope braces … Our Eskimo friends broke camp and went to the west, apparently to the same place that Charlie and Jack left for a few days ago to bring fish.

Things were not going well at the Domex camp. Morale was sinking and the men's stomachs were reacting to the food they were compelled to eat, prompting Pearce to comment, “They say hunger will make one like anything, but I don't believe it yet.”
[3]
The fish the Inuit had left them were turning mouldy, and their own supplies were dwindling rapidly, even though they had reduced their meals to two a day. One of the men brought in some ground squirrel, but Pearce couldn't bring himself to cook it.

Colonel Cyril MacAlpine stands next to “Joe” outside the tent that housed all their fuel — moss, twigs, lichen, and twisted willow. The tent served to keep it dry. Food is being air dried on a line between the two men, a method of preserving food in the absence of refrigeration. The process met with varying rates of success and was subject to “raids” from predators.
Provincial Archives of Manitoba, Canadian Air Lines Collection #2143.

Along with the physical deterioration, it seemed that the psychological strain was beginning to show. Colonel MacAlpine decided that a statement should be drawn up in the event of their deaths. Major Baker wrote the document:

In view of the tragedies, which have formerly occurred in the Barrens at this season of the year, first, last and all the time my first principle is absolute safety of personnel.

We had three alternatives: (a) to remain here until we could travel over the ice on the gulf: (b) to try and get to the post by boat: or (c) to move to a point nearer the post and try and signal same by flares.

As to (a): the difficulties in staying were food and protection against the weather. These difficulties I felt could be overcome, particularly with the friendly assistance of the Eskimos. As to (b): This was absolutely impossible, as the only means of transport was an unseaworthy canoe. The Eskimos, who knew the situation, ridiculed the idea of going themselves and indicated swamping in the sea.

As to (c): I did consider this alternative, using the Eskimo canoe, but they flatly refused to lend their boat and indicated the proposal foolhardy. At an earlier date in the season this alternative would have been feasible, but at this season of the year was too dangerous. The small lakes started to freeze the day after we landed and the ice formed in the sheltered bays of the sea coast and every few days we had blizzards, or ice-cold rains, until winter set in in earnest.

Without a boat we could not cross the rivers. Furthermore the party was ill equipped with clothing for any attempt of the kind. For part of the party to attempt same would mean a division of our scanty supply of food. The Eskimos also pointed out the Cambridge Post had high hills around it and signals from this side of the sea could not be observed.

Reluctantly, therefore, the only possible decision was, from the standpoint of safety of personnel, to do what we have done; namely, wait until we could travel over the ice.

With the Inuit gone, the Domex people sank further into gloom. Aboriginal people were the lifeline that connected MacAlpine and his men not only to the land and survival in the Barrens, but kept alive their hopes for a safe trek across Dease Strait to Cambridge Bay. The Domex group of eight had some experience of Arctic conditions, but they were human and as susceptible to anxiety and despair as anyone else. The cold and hunger did not help either. The following day Colonel MacAlpine wrote his own statement, to which all members of the group “subscribed and agreed.”
[4]

MacAlpine's statement was a detailed report on the events that led up to the forced stay at Dease Point. He wrote that it was the late arrival of WCA's 'SK that was at the root of the problem. He determined that eleven days had elapsed between the sinking of 'SP and the arrival of 'SK. Those days had been perfect for flying but instead were spent waiting. In fact, under ideal conditions they could have nearly completed their expedition and returned to Winnipeg. MacAlpine also detailed the flying and weather conditions once the flights continued, stressing that the weather was deteriorating and small lakes were beginning to freeze over. His report gave the reasons why the planes had flown off course and why they reached the decision to remain at Dease Point with the Inuit and wait for either rescue or good conditions to walk out.
[5]

By October 2 Pearce had no choice but to cook up the formerly rejected ground squirrels. The water used to cook the meat was quite greasy, and, as Pearce was about to throw it out, a “holler went up and it was saved. Grease a quarter inch thick came to the top of the water when it cooled. I suppose it is merely a matter of how hungry one is, to make any grub good.”
[6]

Keeping busy was crucial. The hunters went in search of food, and the fuel gatherers scrounged for anything that would burn. On one particular day, the weather changed, sending wind-whipped snow around the working men, giving them hope that a freeze was upon them, but then the snow changed to sleet, and they ran for cover in the sod house. The roof began to leak in earnest, and their hopes of a good snowfall and cold snap were dashed. Both Thompson and Pearce stayed up all night, emptying the pots and pans they used to catch the drips from the roof.