SEARCH FOR MINERALS

Shannon News, 10 December 1926, Page 2

SEARCH FOR MINERALS

SURVEYS FROM THE Alii. EXPEDITION FOR AFRICA. 200,000 MILES OF JUNGLE. CAPETOWN; Oct 1. .Surveying the mineral 'wealth of Africa from the air is one, -of the latest projects. It will be the iirst time that aeroplanes have been used for this purpose, and it is. likely to be an example for other unmapped areas: . A contract has just been entered into for the aerial photographic survey of 20,000 square miles of unmapped country in Northern ;Rhodesia, believed to carry a very rich deposit of copper. Should fhis survey prove successful, a further 32,000 square miles will be photographed. The two companies concerned are the Aircraft Operating Company, Limited, of London, and the Rhodesian Congo Border Concessions, Limited. In an interview Major C. 3K. Coch-ran-Patrick, D. 5.0., .M.C., -who will head the survey expedition, explained details. "The area to be surveyed," he said, "is known to contain' minerals in great quantities and lies between the famous Broken Hill copppr niino and the Bwana McKubwa mine, while to tho north'of the concession lies country in the Belgian Congo that has proved rich in minerals. The object of the ex- • pcditlori is to carry out the air-i mapping find reconnaissance work of tho concessions. Already a great deal of important development work has been done, and highly-successful prospecting work has been accomplished by tho introduction of electrical methods. The addition -of the air survey expedition will considerably increase the value and scope of the concessionaires' work. It will mako their equipment of knowledge ono of the most modern and comprehensive in the wor t ld." • Features of the Expedition. Major Cochran-Patrick said that it was possible that the expedition wou*d sail from Europe for, South Africa at the beginning of January, next. At the start of operations the expedition Avould consist, of two De Haviland machines, similar to those of the South African Air Force, but specially adapted for air survey work and fitted with engines of 330 h. p., vvhich will give the extra power needed in taking off from the •small landing grounds high • above sea level. Later, the expedition hopes to, build special air-survey ,. ,; - One of the,most interesting features of the expedition will ..be the special cameras with which the aeroplane will be equipped: These are known as tho new Eagle type aerial camera. One hundred ex- x posures, each 7in. by 7in., can -bo taken at, one' loading on a roll film. The, camera registers on the edge of the i film the time and .height, at - which the photograph was taken and ]the serial -number of that, particular exposure. ~ , Thd \ first task of. the expedition, , which is all British, Will bo to fly over a large portion of the area in <"' a series of parrellel lines,, taking oblique photographs at intervals in such a way. as to give a general survey of the whole country for the examination of the company's geologists. Mapping will be done by the taking of a series of overlapping photographs, Avhich wllj bo joined together so as to form a pictorial map or mosaic of tho area.. Emergency Landing Grounds. The main operation base has been provisionally fixed at N'dola,, north of Broken Hill—an aerodrome built originally for the first flights from England to the .Cape and used by Sir Alan Cobham. Already the hangars have been built, and the question of safety is being carefully, considered. "At all costs," said Major Coch-ran-Patrick, "forced landings in the bush must bo avoided. We shall, build emergency landing grounds. 500yds. in length and 100yds. in width, "in sufficient numbers all over ■ the area to guard against any forced landing in the bush. Thus, the survey aeroplanes will always bo within gliding distanco of u safe landing ground. The' ground over which wo ' are going to fly has never been \ mapped. It has been hunted over, but. that is all. It is virtually jungle."