f bd Qur Asbestos Will Never Set the World on Fire An asbestos-textile safety curtain was credited with confining a blaze that last October endangered the lives of over 1,000 persons, many of them younasters, attending a concert in Welland, Ontario. The curtain literally came down in flames during a per- formance by the Feux-Follets, Canada's national dance en- semble, in a high-school auditorium in the Niagara-aree city. Caused by an overheated spotlight which ianited other stage draperies, the blaze forced the audience of 1,000 to evacuate the building. There was no panic and no injuries. The damage was limit: ed to the stage floor and to two stage curtains made of flammable materials. The asbestos-textile safety to Telegraph Creek and Return stage curtain, mandatory for all public performances, con- fined the blaze, enabling the audience to file out ina calm and orderly manner and limiting property damage to a minimum, This incident is a true one. But it's an old story so far as asbestos products are con- cerned, The more asbestos finds its way into public, commercial and industrial buildings, the more people find their way out when fire strikes. Asbestos is strong, complet- ely non-combustible and a life- saver in the event of fire. In buildings, it checks the spread of the fire and keeps escape routes open. At sea, it protects the passenoer and crew accommodation of ships. Its not surprising that the uses of asbestos are spread- ing into more and more safety-critical situations where its properties make asbestos materials essential. Asbestos delays the collapse of steel structures in fires. Brake lininas would burn out in no time without asbestos. Firefighters would be beaten back by the flames instead of beina able, in asbestos suits, to walk right into the heart of a fire - and walk out aqain. And just three months ago, in Welland, Ontario, asbestos enabled over 1,000 concert- goers to walk calmly and safe- ly from a fire-threatened auditorium, These are just some of the reasons why our asbestos, the natural material that comes from the earth, will never set the world on fire. And that's something to be proud of. he wo we owe oh uk xy sy 7 ay ay aS Wrangell Snowmobilers Make Historic Trip on Stikine River On February 9th, Chuck Traylor, pilot, owner and op- erator of Stikine Air Service; Bruce Ward, mechanic at Wrana- ell Lumber Co., and John Ellis, mechanic for Buness Bros., sporting good dealers, left Wrangell for the mouth of the Stikine River, enroute to Telegraph Creek, B.C. and return, They loaded their three 12 H.P. snowmobiles, Ski-Doo Elan models, three ahkio sleds and equipment into two flat bottom Monark river scows, powered by 40 H.P. outboard motors and headed for the ice at the mouth of the river, which they reached (8 miles from town) late in the after- noon, A few hours were requir- ed to reach good ice, reload the freight and tie up the two scows, Conditions being quite good, the trip to Telegraph Creek was made in thirteen hours running time and the use of 20 gallons of gasoline for each machine, The three adventurers stayed the night of February 15th and 16th at Telearaph Creek in the Tahlton General Store, owned and operated by their friends, Douglas and Marilyn Blanchard. They departed Telearaph Creek at 2 p.m. on the 16th at which time the air was cold. And the snow was hard for 10 miles. But - touch luck! - the temperature beaan climbing and fifteen miles later they were in rain! With the result that their runnina time down to salt water built up to 26 hours, exactly double the up trip. This, John ex- plained, was due to ''chanaina snow conditions, flooded ice and open water,'! When eventually the men stopped briefly at the old Boundary House, about 23 miles north of the boundary, the temperature read 71 dearees! (Incidentally, this building ceased to be used for Canada Customs purposes perhaps 30 years ago.) On the upriver trip, the men stopped over niaht at Point Rothsay, Fowlers (Blanchards), Scud Cut-Off, Chutine Landing and Chutine Landing again, after a survey trip ahead to Glenora. On the return, they stopped at Chutine Landing and Scud Cut- Off again, Kalkins Slough, Great Glaciers and Pt. Roth- say, which they reached Feb. 19th. The snowmobilers reached Wrangell on the 20th, tired, happy and pleased with their trip. John, at least, is lookina forward to the day and trip when conditions will be per- fect and a snowmobile trip can be made to Telegraph Creek in just 74 to 8 hours running time, as he has done with a Sabre Craft cruiser and 15 H.P. outboard Johnson motor in the summer. J. Wing, Wrangell, Alaska.