85 years ago December 18th
Diphtheria Outbreak in Little Red River Alberta
Bert Logan, the Hudson’s Bay agent for Little Red River, Alberta had been ill for over a week before Dr. Hammon of Fort Vermillion was able to reach him. Upon reach Mr. Logan Dr. Hammon confirmed that the patient was in the final stages of diphtheria.
Diphtheria is a upper respiratory tract illness causing high fever, chills, fatigue, bluish skin coloration, sore throat, hoarseness, cough, headache, painful and difficult swallowing, breathing difficulty creating rapid breathing, nasal discharge. Symptoms can also include cardiac arrhythmia and other related cardiac issues.
A very infectious illness caused by physical contact and/or exposure to the illness through exposure to the coughing, sneezing of an infected person.
Left untreated diphtheria has a very high fatality rate and over the centuries has been the cause of death for tens of thousands.
Prevention and Treatment is by diphtheria anti toxin.
Dr. Hammon only had limited units of the diphtheria anti toxin and what he had was old, realizing the potential of an epidemic disaster Dr. Hammon asked William and Bobby Gray to travel to Fort Vermillion and have messengers sent to Peace River so the Department of Health in Edmonton by telegraph for an emergency supply of the desperately needed diphtheria anti toxin.
William and Bobby Gray arrived in Fort Vermillion shortly before December 18th and
Joe LaFleur and Joe's son-in-law William Lambert were selected, as they were very experienced river men, to make the treacherous trip down the frozen river to Peace River, the closest telegraph.
Joe LaFleur and William Lambert headed out to Peace River the morning of December 18th, 1928 by Dog Sled…
So begins the story of:
The Fort Vermillion Mercy Flight of 1929
Thomas Hinderks
Executive Director
Alberta Aviation Museum Association
History-Diphtheria Outbreak in Little Red River
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, North Shore, I WAS Birddog
Re: History-Diphtheria Outbreak in Little Red River
The Fort Vermillion drama starts at the 1:00 mark. Incredible story.
Re: Chapter Two History-Diphtheria Outbreak in Little Red Ri
Starting a little early on this chapter...New Years Eve coming and all
85 years ago January 1st,
Diphtheria Outbreak telegraph received in Edmonton
After leaving Fort Vermillion December 18th LaFleur and Lambert made their way, by dogsled, the 280 miles to Peace River arriving New Years Day.
Along the way both men faced grave risks ranging from cold (-50C) and blizzard condition to breaking through the river ice and falling into the water.
Immediately after delivering the emergency message of the diphtheria outbreak to the telegraph office both men were admitted to the hospital in Peace River for severe flu.
When Dr. Malcolm Bow, deputy minister of health, received the message in Edmonton
he and his staff immediately set to work tracking down renowned bush pilot WOP May.
Dr. Bow reached May, visiting family in Calgary, later in the day January 1, 1919 and explained the dire situation of the pending diphtheria outbreak. Time was not on the people of the regions side. Two weeks or more by dogsled would be too late.
May replied they would leave the following morning and immediately set about contacting Vic Horner to ready any available aircraft in Edmonton.
The only aircraft available was an AVRO Avian, a light open cockpit biplane with an engine that had much less power than modern subcompact car. Making matters worse there were no skis to fit the aircraft the trip would have to be made on wheels and a major winter storm was hitting the region.
To put things into context….1929
- There are no airports past Edmonton on the way to Fort Vermillion
- There are no navigational aids, no GPS, no radios
- The AVRO Avian weighs less than 500kg and has only 100hp
- No canopy, no heater you are open to the elements
- No skis available, with no runways if forced to land in soft snow the aircraft will flip
- No search and rescue…if you go down you are on your own.
- May and Horner would be flying into a Blizzard in an aircraft not equipped for instrument flight and no other available.
The Fort Vermillion Mercy Flight of 1929
Would start the next morning
Thomas Hinderks
Executive Director
Alberta Aviation Museum
85 years ago January 1st,
Diphtheria Outbreak telegraph received in Edmonton
After leaving Fort Vermillion December 18th LaFleur and Lambert made their way, by dogsled, the 280 miles to Peace River arriving New Years Day.
Along the way both men faced grave risks ranging from cold (-50C) and blizzard condition to breaking through the river ice and falling into the water.
Immediately after delivering the emergency message of the diphtheria outbreak to the telegraph office both men were admitted to the hospital in Peace River for severe flu.
When Dr. Malcolm Bow, deputy minister of health, received the message in Edmonton
he and his staff immediately set to work tracking down renowned bush pilot WOP May.
Dr. Bow reached May, visiting family in Calgary, later in the day January 1, 1919 and explained the dire situation of the pending diphtheria outbreak. Time was not on the people of the regions side. Two weeks or more by dogsled would be too late.
May replied they would leave the following morning and immediately set about contacting Vic Horner to ready any available aircraft in Edmonton.
The only aircraft available was an AVRO Avian, a light open cockpit biplane with an engine that had much less power than modern subcompact car. Making matters worse there were no skis to fit the aircraft the trip would have to be made on wheels and a major winter storm was hitting the region.
To put things into context….1929
- There are no airports past Edmonton on the way to Fort Vermillion
- There are no navigational aids, no GPS, no radios
- The AVRO Avian weighs less than 500kg and has only 100hp
- No canopy, no heater you are open to the elements
- No skis available, with no runways if forced to land in soft snow the aircraft will flip
- No search and rescue…if you go down you are on your own.
- May and Horner would be flying into a Blizzard in an aircraft not equipped for instrument flight and no other available.
The Fort Vermillion Mercy Flight of 1929
Would start the next morning
Thomas Hinderks
Executive Director
Alberta Aviation Museum
-
Moose47
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- Posts: 1348
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- Location: Home of Canada's Air Defence
Re: History-Diphtheria Outbreak in Little Red River
G'day Tom
Thought I'd put a little history together on the aircraft for you.
Canadian Civil Aircraft Registration – G-CAVB.
Type: Avro 594 Avian III
Construction Number -R3/CN/163
The aircraft was owned by the following companies:
Commercial Airways Limited – Edmonton, Alberta
Rutledge Air Services Limited – Edmonton, Alberta
Commercial Airways Limited -
John Enderby 'Jock' Palmer – Calgary, Alberta
He was the Grandfather of Alberta Aviation and I believe Palmer Road at Calgary International was named after him.
V. L. Envoldsen – Standard, Alberta
R. Jensen – Calgary, Alberta
D, Buckmaster – Brownlee, Saskatchewan
A.M. Kent – Eyebrow, Saskatchewan
The registration was canceled and the aircraft was given to the Saskatchewan Department of Education in Saskatoon, where it was used as an instructional airframe.
Cheers...Chris
Thought I'd put a little history together on the aircraft for you.
Canadian Civil Aircraft Registration – G-CAVB.
Type: Avro 594 Avian III
Construction Number -R3/CN/163
The aircraft was owned by the following companies:
Commercial Airways Limited – Edmonton, Alberta
Rutledge Air Services Limited – Edmonton, Alberta
Commercial Airways Limited -
John Enderby 'Jock' Palmer – Calgary, Alberta
He was the Grandfather of Alberta Aviation and I believe Palmer Road at Calgary International was named after him.
V. L. Envoldsen – Standard, Alberta
R. Jensen – Calgary, Alberta
D, Buckmaster – Brownlee, Saskatchewan
A.M. Kent – Eyebrow, Saskatchewan
The registration was canceled and the aircraft was given to the Saskatchewan Department of Education in Saskatoon, where it was used as an instructional airframe.
Cheers...Chris
Re: History-Diphtheria Outbreak in Little Red River
Thanks so much MooseMoose47 wrote:G'day Tom
Thought I'd put a little history together on the aircraft for you.
Canadian Civil Aircraft Registration – G-CAVB.
Type: Avro 594 Avian III
Construction Number -R3/CN/163
The aircraft was owned by the following companies:
Commercial Airways Limited – Edmonton, Alberta
Rutledge Air Services Limited – Edmonton, Alberta
Commercial Airways Limited -
John Enderby 'Jock' Palmer – Calgary, Alberta
He was the Grandfather of Alberta Aviation and I believe Palmer Road at Calgary International was named after him.
V. L. Envoldsen – Standard, Alberta
R. Jensen – Calgary, Alberta
D, Buckmaster – Brownlee, Saskatchewan
A.M. Kent – Eyebrow, Saskatchewan
The registration was canceled and the aircraft was given to the Saskatchewan Department of Education in Saskatoon, where it was used as an instructional airframe.
Cheers...Chris
I'm gonna freak out our curator and pass that on!
Happy New Year everyone
Re: History-Diphtheria Outbreak in Little Red River
January 2nd, 1929 The Fort Vermilion Mercy Flight Begins
Early morning January 2nd, 1929 WOP May and Vic Horner pulled out the silver AVRO Avian the would be using for the urgent flight to Fort Vermilion with the diphtheria anti-toxin. As they pulled the tiny aircraft into the cold (-20F) with low cloud, poor visibility and ice fog, today flying into conditions like these with what was not much more than an ultralight aircraft would be illegal and considered foolish…but there was no choice!
Dr. Bow and Mayor delivered the serum as possible and the pilots, dressed in furs, insulated pants and felt boots, climbed into the aircraft for the flight ahead.
Taking off at 12:45pm the small silver biplane with the two pilots headed North following the rail line to Smith and then the South shore of lesser Slave Lake.
The weather along the route deteriorated getting colder, the clouds lower and visibility deteriorated event more and by the time they arrived at Kimiwan Lake near McLellan they were forced to below 500 feet (about 150 meters) and were into what amounted to a blizzard and it had become to dark to continue.
They had averaged less than 90 miles per hour (140km/hr) covering the 267 miles (425km) to McLellan and in spite of the horrific conditions the first stage of the flight had been completed.
80 years later (2009) the Alberta Aviation Museum’s “Spirit of Edmonton” Bi Plane took off from Blatchford Field (now Edmonton City Centre Airport) recreating the flight in similar cold conditions, but with legal ceiling and visibility. Fighting the cold, severe turbulence and airspeed indicator problems the Alberta Aviation Museum learned hard lessons about just how difficult the original flight must have been.
Leaving earlier in the day (escorted out to St.Albert by a STARS air ambulance with WOP May’s son Denny on board) the Albert Aviation Museum team in the “Spirit of Edmonton” managed to make it 50 miles (80km) farther to Peace River as daylight fell.
After a wonderful arrival celebration for the Museum team in Peace River the weather worsened and it was discovered the Alberta Aviation Museum pilots were both suffering from hypothermia.
The Alberta Aviation Museum “Spirit of Edmonton” team had received a brutal education in just how tough the original flight was and how brave and determined May and Horner had to have been to complete the first stage.
But for May and Horner…the next Stage was in the morning and had to be completed.
Thomas Hinderks
Executive Director
Alberta Aviation Museum Association
Early morning January 2nd, 1929 WOP May and Vic Horner pulled out the silver AVRO Avian the would be using for the urgent flight to Fort Vermilion with the diphtheria anti-toxin. As they pulled the tiny aircraft into the cold (-20F) with low cloud, poor visibility and ice fog, today flying into conditions like these with what was not much more than an ultralight aircraft would be illegal and considered foolish…but there was no choice!
Dr. Bow and Mayor delivered the serum as possible and the pilots, dressed in furs, insulated pants and felt boots, climbed into the aircraft for the flight ahead.
Taking off at 12:45pm the small silver biplane with the two pilots headed North following the rail line to Smith and then the South shore of lesser Slave Lake.
The weather along the route deteriorated getting colder, the clouds lower and visibility deteriorated event more and by the time they arrived at Kimiwan Lake near McLellan they were forced to below 500 feet (about 150 meters) and were into what amounted to a blizzard and it had become to dark to continue.
They had averaged less than 90 miles per hour (140km/hr) covering the 267 miles (425km) to McLellan and in spite of the horrific conditions the first stage of the flight had been completed.
80 years later (2009) the Alberta Aviation Museum’s “Spirit of Edmonton” Bi Plane took off from Blatchford Field (now Edmonton City Centre Airport) recreating the flight in similar cold conditions, but with legal ceiling and visibility. Fighting the cold, severe turbulence and airspeed indicator problems the Alberta Aviation Museum learned hard lessons about just how difficult the original flight must have been.
Leaving earlier in the day (escorted out to St.Albert by a STARS air ambulance with WOP May’s son Denny on board) the Albert Aviation Museum team in the “Spirit of Edmonton” managed to make it 50 miles (80km) farther to Peace River as daylight fell.
After a wonderful arrival celebration for the Museum team in Peace River the weather worsened and it was discovered the Alberta Aviation Museum pilots were both suffering from hypothermia.
The Alberta Aviation Museum “Spirit of Edmonton” team had received a brutal education in just how tough the original flight was and how brave and determined May and Horner had to have been to complete the first stage.
But for May and Horner…the next Stage was in the morning and had to be completed.
Thomas Hinderks
Executive Director
Alberta Aviation Museum Association
-
Moose47
- Rank (9)
- Posts: 1348
- Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:45 pm
- Location: Home of Canada's Air Defence
Re: History-Diphtheria Outbreak in Little Red River
G'day Tom
Supplemental to previous post.
The Certificate of Registration (No. 505) was issued on the 25th of September, 1929.
It was cancelled on the 25th of February, 1941.
Cheers...Chris
Supplemental to previous post.
The Certificate of Registration (No. 505) was issued on the 25th of September, 1929.
It was cancelled on the 25th of February, 1941.
Cheers...Chris
Re: History-Diphtheria Outbreak in Little Red River
Wop May receiving the medicine for a mercy flight from Edmonton to Fort Vermillion:
Re: History-Diphtheria Outbreak in Little Red River
The Final Chapter, 1929 the Fort Vermilion Mercy Flight
WOP May and Vic Horner departed McLellan on the morning of January 3rd, 1929, making the 50 mile (80 km) flight to Peace River in the same cold, tedious weather.
On arrival in Peace River they were greeted by a large crowd as they landed on the ice of the Mighty Peace. They refueled in the shadow of the historic stern wheelers that serviced the North during the summer and checked their tiny biplane over once more before departing.
At 11:45 pm the AVRO Avian and its two resolute pilots lifted off and flew under the railway bridge as they headed North to Fort Vermilion. The weather was finally beginning to clear along the route.
After their journey of 250 miles (400 km), May and Horner were delighted to see that the people of Fort Vermilion had cleared a landing strip along the river, allowing the tiny silver biplane to arrive safely at a little after 3:00 pm.
Photographs were quickly taken of the arrival / unloading of the anti-toxin, then Dr. Hamman hurried off to inoculate the people of Fort Vermilion, Little Red River and the surrounding areas. Disaster had been averted and the diphtheria outbreak stopped.
The next morning, January 4th, the little biplane once again leapt into the skies and headed back toward Peace River. But in spite of better weather, the return flight to Peace River was not uneventful. By the time May and Horner arrived the engine was in need of major repairs due to the constant pounding, severe cold and poor fuel quality.
May and Horner remained in Peace River for two days, carrying out repairs to the biplane. On January 6th they once again took to the skies for the final leg back to Edmonton. But again the weather turned and they lifted off at -33C in weather as miserable as they had flown through on their way to Fort Vermilion.
After four hours of flying they finally arrived home in Edmonton…to a crowd of 10,000! CKUA radio, the newspapers and wire services had carried the story of the “Race Against Death” as their story had travelled the globe while they had been away; they departed as a couple of bush pilots but returned as heroes!
With the heroic efforts of Wop May and Vic Horner, Edmonton had become “the Gateway to the North”- a legacy that reached around the world.
Thomas Hinderks
Executive Director
Alberta Aviation Museum Association
WOP May and Vic Horner departed McLellan on the morning of January 3rd, 1929, making the 50 mile (80 km) flight to Peace River in the same cold, tedious weather.
On arrival in Peace River they were greeted by a large crowd as they landed on the ice of the Mighty Peace. They refueled in the shadow of the historic stern wheelers that serviced the North during the summer and checked their tiny biplane over once more before departing.
At 11:45 pm the AVRO Avian and its two resolute pilots lifted off and flew under the railway bridge as they headed North to Fort Vermilion. The weather was finally beginning to clear along the route.
After their journey of 250 miles (400 km), May and Horner were delighted to see that the people of Fort Vermilion had cleared a landing strip along the river, allowing the tiny silver biplane to arrive safely at a little after 3:00 pm.
Photographs were quickly taken of the arrival / unloading of the anti-toxin, then Dr. Hamman hurried off to inoculate the people of Fort Vermilion, Little Red River and the surrounding areas. Disaster had been averted and the diphtheria outbreak stopped.
The next morning, January 4th, the little biplane once again leapt into the skies and headed back toward Peace River. But in spite of better weather, the return flight to Peace River was not uneventful. By the time May and Horner arrived the engine was in need of major repairs due to the constant pounding, severe cold and poor fuel quality.
May and Horner remained in Peace River for two days, carrying out repairs to the biplane. On January 6th they once again took to the skies for the final leg back to Edmonton. But again the weather turned and they lifted off at -33C in weather as miserable as they had flown through on their way to Fort Vermilion.
After four hours of flying they finally arrived home in Edmonton…to a crowd of 10,000! CKUA radio, the newspapers and wire services had carried the story of the “Race Against Death” as their story had travelled the globe while they had been away; they departed as a couple of bush pilots but returned as heroes!
With the heroic efforts of Wop May and Vic Horner, Edmonton had become “the Gateway to the North”- a legacy that reached around the world.
Thomas Hinderks
Executive Director
Alberta Aviation Museum Association
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YYZSaabGuy
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Re: History-Diphtheria Outbreak in Little Red River
Heck of a story, Tom, and a nice job of writing it up. Thanks for posting.
