HOT ARCTIC SPOT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 78, 14 March 1934, Page 10

HOT ARCTIC SPOT

“Tropical Valley” Story AVIATOR’S EXPERIENCE The announcement by a northern pilot that his aeroplane was forced down bv heat while flying in midwintei in the Nahanni River country, in the North-west Territory, near the Yukon border, revives stories of the “tropical valley” said to exist there, says a Vancouver correspondent. The pilot was transporting a group of mining engineers to the site of supposed rich gold deposits. He had left Fort Simpson in 70 degrees below zero weather and had travelled only 200 miles when his engine, that had been “tuned” for Arctic flying, became overheated, forcing him to seek a landing. Four days later he took off and returned to Fort Simpson, to find the cold there unabated. Legends surrounding the tropical valley have gained colour and mystery from the death of two brothers, William and Frank MacLeod, in 1905 or 1906. Their brother Charles searched the Nahanni country for three years before he found their remains. Another veteran Arctic prospector, Frank Staniei, found their camp last summer, just as the brothers left it. GOLD LOST LN RIVER. The MacLeod family lived at Fort Liard, on the Liard River, where the father, Murdoch MacLeod, was a Hudson's Bay Company factor. His sons grew up with the Indians, learned their language and bush lore and became skilled hunters. William made one trip into the valley alone. He discovered gold, but on his return journey his canoe capsized in the Nahanni Riycr, and he lost his “find,” with tho exception of a sample bottle, containing soz. of flake gold. In the following year, 1904. William persuaded his brother and an unknown Scottish engineer to accompany bitn. A year passed and no word came of them. Charles began a search for them, i.hich resulted in finding the remains of It', brothers. Tbev had been shot while in tlu ir sleeping bags. No cold Wils with tin. bodies Tim North-west Mounted Police traced the missing ’bird nine to I r. noon ver, .■.hero ho was said to b. £lOOO nlir tii of .-.ssined 1 it Hi trail on !. d Pro ~ther m>m have since perished in the tropical '-alley Philip Powers died there -n 1919: his remains wore found. A Yukon prospector. Jorgenson. was murdered, and his cabin burned. A rifle by his side, and two di'charged shells provided nn efu, tn

his death. Angus Hall went into the valley in 1929 and has not since been seen. CAVES LN THE VALLEY. A veteran North-west trapper, Ed. Clausen, last year discovered caves in the valley. A geologist of the University of Alberta, Professor Corbett, identified them as similar to others found in New Mexico. Explorers had previously traced the travels of Asiatics across the Aleutian Islands into the Yukon and up the Mackenzm llivoi Professor Corbett expressed the opinion that these ancient Asiatic migrations, which penetrated North America 20,000 years ago, were responsible for the caves in the tropical valley. During the past year more than two score of prospectors and engineers have penetrated the tropical valley by air and dog team, seeking the fabulous wealth described in the garnished tales that have been handed down by Indians and “sourdoughs.”