Four Degrees Celsius (15 page)

By now, Spence, Siers, and Longley, still marooned at Muskox Lake, were in desperate need of help. They could not understand why no one had come back for them. They had run out of food, but during the night of November 26, an unlucky fox wandered too close to camp, and Siers managed to shoot it. They cooked up an Arctic fox stew with the last handful of beans, which gave them some sustenance. However, their clothes and eiderdowns were still wet, and, since they had no means of making a fire to dry anything, they stayed together inside the tent, wet, freezing, and disheartened. The temperature was -45°C, cold enough to freeze the ink in Spence's pen while writing his diary,
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as well as the last remaining rum ration in the bottle! Any optimism they possessed had quickly dissipated in the metallic-smelling Arctic air.

For thirteen days they had had little to do but hope and wait, and as they waited they picked out a good place for a relief plane to land, if one was to come. As the days passed they became increasingly depressed and concerned about the other planes and felt sure there had been a serious mishap.
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Bill Spence began each diary entry with a weather report and hopes that a plane was forthcoming, and ended with the observation that a plane had not come and they were “very blue” when none arrived. They waited.

And still nothing.

At Fort Reliance, Pearce, too, was keeping his daily log:

November 21, 1929

Pearce's Diary, Fort Reliance

There are still no aeroplanes, though we had hoped that at least Cruickshank's would return from Muskox Lake, as the weather was fairly good. We also thought there was a good chance of Sutton and another aeroplane coming through from Stoney [
sic
] Rapids. A steady watch was kept up through the daylight hours, from about 9:30 to 3:30. With a fair wind blowing it was a little chilly standing around on the lake.

Uncertainty permeated everyone's thoughts at Reliance. They just couldn't believe that each time a plane took off, it did not return as expected. The only remaining plane at Reliance was Hollick-Kenyon's 'SL, and it was out of commission with the cracked cylinder. The day dragged. To keep themselves somewhat entertained they continued to curl, play darts and read. And they waited.

Alf Walker awoke at Aylmer Lake well before what daylight could be expected, and started the ritual of getting the plane ready for flight. After a quick breakfast, Cruickshank and Walker warmed up 'SQ. They told Brown that they would return the same day after giving Spence assistance. Then the plan was that Cruickshank would return to pick up Brown and crew and they would head to Fort Reliance. After a safe takeoff, Cruickshank headed towards Muskox Lake and the 'CZ. Brown watched 'SQ fly towards Spence. Then the men at Aylmer Lake waited for Cruickshank to return.

November 27, 1929.

Andy's Diary, Muskox Lake,

Took off to look for Spence's machine. Found the party and machine. Party been on very short rations, living on fox meat. All suffering from blindness owing to gas fumes. Must have been very cold and uncomfortable. Got Spence's engine running but she was missing badly. Started SQ again and had oil line burst for the second time. Spent [a] miserable night in the cold. Noticed Spence, Siers and Longley's clothing and bedding all wet. Guess we were just in time….

A person loses just over half a litre of moisture in sweat a night, and this moisture can quickly build up inside the eiderdown, limiting the insulation properties of the covering. Wet cloth or bedding can cause hypothermia, leading to death. Cruickshank and Walker did their best to warm up the cold men, and, with the provisions they brought, prepared a most welcome hearty meal.

The following morning, November 28, the mechanics got both 'CZ and 'SQ ready for flying. Once airworthiness was passed, the planes would head back to Brown and crew, pick them up and then fly on to Fort Reliance. Despite the importance of their careful planning, actual outcomes were out of their control. Spence had difficulty taking off, and he crashed 'CZ into a snowdrift, damaging the fuselage. The repairs made by Siers and Longely, including the innovation with the frying pan handle had all withstood the crash, but with the damage to the fuselage, 'CZ, originally called the
City of New York
, came to rest far from its urban namesake. It was abandoned and the three men climbed aboard 'SQ with Cruickshank and Walker. The “old crock” took off safely, and her pilot headed towards Aylmer Lake.

Brown, Blanchet, and Davis had been concerned when Cruickshank had not returned the same day he left. Blanchet wrote, “We were in the mood to expect some new disaster. To reduce pessimism to absurdity, I suggested that Andy [Cruickshank] would return next day with Bill's [Spence] party and pick us up and set out for Reliance. Meanwhile Ken [Hollick-Kenyon] would have been dispatched to see what was the trouble. The two planes would meet in a head-on collision and, crashing to earth, would fall on the dogs.”
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Brown and crew had stayed in their plane and waited for the men that would rescue them. They were bereft of all energy and initiative and stared wordlessly as 'SQ finally circled above them. Cruickshank landed, and he kept the engine running while the three men crammed themselves into the cabin area with their gear. Just before he took off, he and Walker took a cylinder from 'SO to replace the cracked part on Hollick-Kenyon's 'SL. This was in the hopes that 'SL could be repaired and used for the flight home. When they took to the air, there were eight men, with gear, in the reworked 'SQ. Walker had had to use his bootlace to tie the door shut. When Blanchet asked if this was safe, Walker replied, “Oh yes, if Andy doesn't bank.”
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Blanchet pictured a sudden manoeuvre in the air, with oilcans, wrenches, and people spilling out of 'SQ onto the Barrens below.
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On November 28, during the flight back, the sun was shining and the hills of the Barrens gave way to the timber stands near Fort Reliance. Cruickshank had managed to bring everyone safely back to the waiting Domex group — a nerve-wracking flight for him and one that brought great relief when he reached Reliance.
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There, the tales were told. Both Spence and his crew and Brown and his crew had harrowing stories to relate, but both groups expressed their gratitude to Cruickshank for getting them safely out. Typically, Cruickshank brushed these off. Everyone was relieved that the group was safe and together once more.

Later that night, a Native runner brought in word that one of the four dog teams was returning. RCMP Corporal Williams had cut his foot with an axe, and there was concern that frostbite would occur on the open wound. When Williams pulled in with his team, Doctor Bruce tended to the injury immediately. The three other dog teams had continued on their journey, not knowing that Cruickshank had brought the stranded men back to Reliance. Soon enough, however, the dog teams would find the abandoned planes and return to Reliance. It had been proposed that a plane be sent out to the dog teams, but Corporal Williams said he did not feel that was necessary.

Cruickshank went outside to check his plane for the flight the next morning. He was now filled with a sense of relief and he was certain all was going to end well — his sixth sense, always reliable, told him so. His plane was flying as well as could be expected, 'SL's cylinder had been replaced, and 'AAN, and 'AAM would be leaving Stony Rapids to assist in the evacuation as soon as they were airworthy.

A Crowded Journey Home

Pearce's Diary, Fort Reliance

December 2, 1929

Doc. Bruce is anxious to get Don. Goodwin out, as he will have to amputate some toes. Cruickshanks' old S.Q. will take out Brown, Goodwin, Doc. Bruce, Alf Walker and myself. Colonel MacAlpine says he'll stay at Stony Rapids until the boys are out from [Fort] Reliance.

From here on out, the rescue operation became a taxi service, ferrying groups of men, by stages, toward Winnipeg. After discussions, the southbound route was agreed upon and the men were divided between the two serviceable planes. Andy Cruickshank and Bertie Hollick-Kenyon would be the advance guard, with Charles Sutton and Ken Dewar flying the next group out once they arrived in Reliance. All the working instruments had been returned to Hollick-Kenyon's 'SL, and Cruickshank was left again to “fly blind.” For one last time the men had to clear a runway for the planes to safely taxi.

At least twelve inches of loose, powdery snow needed clearing, down to glare ice.
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Men worked like Sisyphus, shovelling away the fluffy stuff and watching it settle back on the icy glaze and pushing it off again, slipping and sliding as they went. Meanwhile, the mechanics heated the engines. Great quantities of fog rose into the surrounding air from this process, and since the day was windless, the air became thick with the gassy odour of moisture vapor. It would be a difficult takeoff.

After the runway was completely clear, the men said their goodbyes. Emotions may have been in turmoil, but were held in check as they merely shook their hosts' hands and waved cheerily as they boarded the planes. At 8:00 a.m. the advance guard, led by Cruickshank and Hollick-Kenyon, were ready for the first leg south. Colonel MacAlpine, Guy Blanchet, Brodie Boadway, Stan MacMillan, Don Goodwin, Doc Bruce, Richard Pearce, Bill Nadin, and Alf Walker were in this group. Those remaining were eager to leave Fort Reliance, but showed no signs of regret; they had no choice but to wait for pilots Dewar and Sutton to return for them. The course all pilots would follow was set for Stony Rapids, The Pas, Cranberry Portage, and finally Winnipeg.

Cruickshank was the first to taxi for takeoff. 'SQ stirred up a dense cloud of snow, higher than the plane's windows, which mixed with the fog vapour from the engines exhaust, rendering visibility almost zero. Familiar with the terrain at Fort Reliance, he knew there were obstacles such as trees and buildings to avoid. In these conditions he could only hope that he was on the right track. Feeling the airplane moving forward and the power of the engine, and listening intently to the sound of the engine indicating takeoff speed had been reached, he gently pulled back on the stick and lifted off into the air. He breathed a sigh of relief when he exited the fog and snow cloud and headed into a clear sky. Hollick-Kenyon was right behind him.

It was a smooth trip in the beginning, but then the air became turbulent as they headed east towards Stony Rapids. Blanchet was certain of their flight path, but Cruickshank disagreed with him. After some heated discussion, Cruickshank landed the plane on a small lake near the Slave River, and again Hollick-Kenyon followed him. They conferred and agreed that Cruickshank's route out was indeed the correct one and he would continue to be in charge of their flight plan.

The small lake they had landed on was covered by a foot of more loose snow, which had to be cleared before they could resume their flight south. Once again this was done, and once again clouds of powdery snow obscured vision as the pilots coaxed their planes into the air. Cruickshank had a difficult time getting sufficient speed for takeoff, but once airborne, followed the route he knew, and the planes were back on course.
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This route took them over Lake Athabasca, which had still not frozen, and rising air currents caused more turbulence. Flying over open water made both Cruickshank and Hollick-Kenyon uneasy, but it wasn't long before they found ice at the narrow end of the lake near their destination. The worthy inhabitants of Stony Rapids had received word through their wireless that their community was on the homeward-bound route and had written “LAND HERE” in the snow. The two pilots lined up and glided in safely.
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To say there was rejoicing would be an understatement. The people at Stony Rapids gave the men a rousing welcome, and many willing hands assisted with the planes. Besieged with requests to tell the tale, the exhausted men obliged. Soon food was served up, and the evening conversation continued to centre on the Dominion Explorers expedition and the efforts by the search teams. It was then, while telling the combined stories of the search team and the stranded men that the realization of their remarkable good fortune truly hit home.

Within the safety and warmth of the tiny community of Stony Rapids the men had no need to look beyond their log cabin walls. But beyond this dot on the landscape, the bigger economic picture was grim. The news of the Canadian economy was bad, and all knew that the repercussions were serious. Voices were hushed as stories of terrible losses and suicides were recounted. Yet to the rescuers and the rescued, this news seemed far less life-changing than what they had just gone through. In the vast wilderness of the North, news of the Outside could not really touch them. They did not look at the future. They focused only on getting home.

Colonel MacAlpine excused himself and left the gathering for the wireless station, where he began sending off wires to the Dominion Explorers headquarters and to all the families to give the update on the eighteen days' silence since leaving Bathurst. He also wired Jim Vance and Blasdale at Baker Lake. Cruickshank had received orders that no Western Canada Airways planes were to fly into Baker Lake at this time of year to assist Vance, and, in fact, the three WCA planes were to fly to Winnipeg immediately.

MacAlpine, however, was adamant that he send help to Vance, as both Blasdale and Vance had risked their lives for those of the Dominion Explorers. He did not want to desert the pilot and mechanic who had worked so tirelessly in the rescue effort. He worked out a plan to retrieve the two men. Bill Spence volunteered to fly the Dominion Explorer plane 'AAN back to Baker Lake once the evacuation was complete. He would fly from Winnipeg, via Hudson Bay to Baker Lake, with the tail assembly for Vance, and then Vance would fly 'RK back to Winnipeg with Blasdale. Domex in Toronto, however, vetoed this decision, as did Vance. His wire read back to MacAlpine read: “Suggest you reconsider matter on purely business basis disregarding personal aspect STOP We will cheerfully go out on foot.”

MacAlpine responded:

Reference your wire Toronto apparently concurring views from Winnipeg and have no doubt when I get Toronto could have same reversed but there is no time to do that and get to Baker and back in time for reasonable flying STOP Your willingness to abandon the personal side takes away only alibi for defending my action STOP Your telegram shows broad gauge caliber and I have no alternative but to agree STOP Hope you have a good trip out and be sure to see me Toronto.

It was a night filled with anticipation. Stony Rapids was one stop closer to Winnipeg. Wires were coming in and so was more news, this time of the gloomy financial state of Dominion Explorers. Although the economic outlook was bleak, relief and excitement over returning home continued to overshadow the news. The evening sky at Stony was filled with billions of stars and the pulsating aurora borealis. The solar wind spun and whipped greens, iridescent blues, oranges, and pinks across the backdrop of a velvety black night. Cruickshank stood outside and watched this display with a sense of peace. He could never get enough of this immense country that he respected and admired. The North was the genesis for the adventurous life he had embarked upon, and the wings of a plane had taken him closest to what he was seeking.

He walked around his “old crock,” climbed into the cockpit, and reviewed the series of events that could have led to an unthinkable outcome. Minor and not so minor mistakes could have added up to dire consequences. But the unlucky events were simply that — unlucky, not catastrophic. Both the Domex men and the search and rescue teams had survived the perils of a savage Arctic winter in one of the most remote regions on earth, where they were battered by storms of the fiercest magnitude. They had survived isolation, starvation, privation, plane crashes, and freezing temperatures. Cruickshank believed that central to all successful outcomes must be a shared goal. These individuals did have a common goal, and, working together they became worthy adversaries of the forces of nature.

Cruickshank went back inside to discuss the route out for the following day. He would continue to fly the advance guard, and along with him in 'SQ would be Alf Walker, Roy Brown, Dr. Don Bruce, Richard Pearce, and Don Goodwin. Dr. Bruce had been in contact with the hospital in The Pas and had arranged for Goodwin's surgery. The men eventually settled down for the night, this nighttime in warmth and comfort.

December 1 was not fit for flying, so the mechanics spent the day servicing the aircraft. Richard Pearce decided to take some time and visit the nearby Dominion Explorers' Axis Lake project where they were drilling for diamonds. Dominion Explorers had staked a claim here based on copper and nickel finds, but had found diamonds in the core samples. It was roughly an eight-mile walk from Stony Rapids, and being a mining man, Pearce couldn't help but do some “on site ground work” for the newspaper while he was there. He had an enjoyable day visiting friends and checking out the progress of the exploration site. As the future would show, the North Athabasca Basin, where the Domex men were prospecting, would be cause for excitement.

Upon his return to Stony Rapids, Pearce and some of the other men paid a visit to Corporal Stallworthy of the RCMP. Cruickshank and Stalsworthy had many a tale to tell of their patrols in the Arctic, and the listeners were captivated. It was a special breed of officer who filled an RCMP post in the northern “wastes” of Canada — a man who was resourceful, tough, and resilient and who had a sense of humour. These qualities emerged in their storytelling.

Cruickshank related a humorous tale of dog-sled racing while in Dawson, Yukon Territory. He bred his own dogs and trained them in the harness. Bruce, his young lead dog, was more wolf than dog and “not a very affectionate fellow, but hard working and intelligent.” The RCMP had bought the team from Cruickshank, and it was with this team he did his Arctic patrols and entered a Dog Derby, not unlike the modern day Iditarod.
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The race in 1926 was an intense one through the rugged terrain of the Yukon Territory. From the beginning, Cruickshank and his dogs were in the lead. On the home stretch, crowds lined the snow-packed trail leading into Dawson. Their enthusiastic shouts filled the air as each team and their driver hit the final leg. The race route took Cruickshank right past his house, where one of his other dogs decided to charge out and join in the fun. Within seconds, Cruickshank's team became a tangled mass of fur and leather, with barking dogs and wagging tails, and he lost forty seconds trying to untangle the noisy heap. Once back on the trail Cruickshank was still in the lead, but the cheering crowd converged and blocked the road at the finish line. Cruickshank's leader panicked and pulled him and the rest of the team into a very deep snow pile. All ended up in a mass of fur, shouts, and barks, and Cruickshank lost another minute as he tried to drag the whole bunch of dogs and overturned sled over the finish line. He came in only third, but was nonetheless proud of his team.
[5]

This was a very busy day, with wires continually coming in. One gave the news from Resolution that pilots Sutton and Dewar had left the fort and were heading towards Fort Reliance to pick up the remainder of the group. This was encouraging, as it meant that soon all the men would be on their way back to Winnipeg. The evening was dedicated to good times, with icicle-chilled drinks, card games and, of course, more stories.

The weather on December 2, began as fair, and passengers Goodwin, Pearce, Doc Bruce, and Brown piled into 'SQ with engineer Walker and pilot Cruickshank. He would be flying solo for this leg of the journey to The Pas, where Goodwin was to receive surgery. Cruickshank was concentrating on delivering his injured passenger in the quickest time possible. But it wasn't long before trouble arose. His diary entry for December 2, 1929, en route to The Pas noted: “Visibility [was] rotten some of the way. Had to land twice and wait for snowstorms. Arrived Cranberry after dark. Spent night in Roy Brown's cabin.”

It was 4:30 in late afternoon when 'SQ landed for the third time. This time the group would not continue on to their destination at The Pas. Goodwin was carried out of the plane into the cabin. A fire was lit in the stove and they made the best of the evening and just hoped that the next morning, December 3, would bring more desirable weather.

After 'SQ flew out of Stony Rapids on December 2, Colonel MacAlpine, Stan McMillan, Brodie Boadway, Guy Blanchet, Bill Nadin, and Herbert Hollick-Kenyon were making their own plans to leave. Tommy Thompson, Alex Milne, and Major Robert Baker were still, it was thought, at Reliance with the others who were waiting to catch the flight back to Winnipeg with pilots Dewar and Sutton. It would be a scattered welcome home party, with media coverage in turmoil as to where to go. Some representatives of the press had gone to Churchill to cover the story, a location where none of the pilots had landed. Once they received the message from Stony Rapids that Cranberry Portage and The Pas were the touch-down locations for refuelling, the press once again hared off to meet the men.
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Before 'SL took off from Stony Rapids, a message was received on the wireless and conveyed to MacAlpine. Dewar and Sutton had arrived at Reliance to pick up the last group of men and were en route back to Stony Rapids. It had taken the pilots an adventurous three days to travel the three hundred miles from Stony. They had arrived at Reliance in a driving blizzard.
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Both pilots had trouble finding the base in the snowstorm, but after some time had managed to do so. Sutton's plane partially broke through the ice upon landing, but the men manoeuvred it back on firm ice before any damage was done. The final group, including the Dominion Explorers men Major Baker, Alex Milne, and Tommy Thompson, were loaded aboard 'AAN and 'AAM, and the pilots took off on their return journey to Stony Rapids. MacAlpine had been waiting there for their arrival, and once the planes had refuelled all would continue to Cranberry Portage and then The Pas. By now Cruickshank and his passengers had already arrived in The Pas.