| Summary: | Travel By Air Miners' Godsend: "Ships" Bring Out Men Ill In Snowbound Wastes Of Idaho. TRAVEL BY AIR MINERS' GODSEND "Ships" Bring Out Men Ill in Snowbound Wastes of Idaho. REPLACES DOG TEAM Half Hour Does Work of Three Days - Lieutenant Hartnett Describes Conditions. Down in the central Idaho gold mining districts, where timber ends at 7000 to 7500 feet altitude, and peaks persist 1500 feet higher, the man in need of hospital care would be in a distressing situation but for the airplane, according to Lieutenant Clair Hartnett, who passed several recent weeks there and was there for a year or two on another occasion. The only way out for the sick man has been by dog team or horses. From Warrens, these teams cover the 50 miles to McCall, end of a railroad, in three days when the snow is as deep as at present and as it has been for several months. Wearing snow- shoes, the horses take about the same time. A. E. Bennett, who operates two Zenith planes, removed sick men from the camps this winter, covering the distance between Warrens and McCall, or between Meadow Creek and Cascade in 30 minutes, and from Atlanta to Boise in a proportionately brief period, according to Lieutenant Hartnett. In at least one instance Bennett saved a life. Planes Carry Machinery. Robert Johnson of Missoula, Mont., contributed winter transportation across the snow wastes. The greater part of the aviator's patronage is from mining men going to and from the scenes of their operations and in the removal of machinery and repair parts in emergencies. The altitudes in the mountain region are from 5000 to 9000 feet. Snow covers the lower areas to a depth of three feet and is eight to 10 feet deep on top. Some of it will remain until June, although it is shrinking an inch a day in the lowlands. To the approaching aviator, this snow land probably has some of the appearance of the arctic and its icebergs to a mariner. Only the timber breaks the continuity of snow and some of its short growths are under cover. Flyers Depend on Compass. On his first appearance, the exploring flyer will use his compass and maps. The pilot familiar with the land, depends on such landmarks as the peaks, lakes and creeks. The landing gear is skis, except when the objective is Boise, which is bare of snow. Then the wheels must be restored at the place of departure or where snow ends. To make possible the departure on wheels, some of the mountain runways have been rolled with a heavy cylinder which compresses the snow. Two years ago Hartnett landed on Payette lake, near McCall, but the depth of the snow this year prevented the formation of ice to a thickness that was considered safe for landings and this despite 10 below temperatures. Bennett broke through in testing the resistance of the lake ice. Travel by dog teams, up and down the grades, is not unreasonable in cost, being but $5 for 50 miles, but there are food and other costs in the three days of journeying.
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