The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-09-20
THE NORTHEAST PASSAGE.

ExpedftiOn-.The Swedish Steamer
Vega, and Prof. NOrdenskjoId Arrive
In Japan-.-A Great Triumph for
Science and Commerce.
The great interest which for months
has been felt, not only by scientific peo-
pie, but by the general reading public,
in the adventurous voyage of Prof.
from the Atlantic to the
Pacific ocean, will be intensified by the
announcement of his arrival at Yokoho-
ma, Japan, the evening of September 2.
The expedition was planned and or
ganized in 1877 and the early part of
1878. 1t consisted of four steamers-the
Fraser and Express with cargoes for the
Yenisej river, where they arrived in
August of last year; of the Lena, bound
for the river Lena; and of the Vega,
which we destined for the voyage of
discovery. Several Swedish scientists
and lieutenants of the Danish, Italian
and Russian navy were on the Vega by
special request.
Of the 100000 required for the enter
prise, Dr.. Oscar Dickson, of Gothenburg,
furnished 100000. And the king of
Sweden and his government and Rus
sian gentleman named Siberiakof, the
owner of the steamer Lena, supplied the
balance. The Vega was originally a
steam whaler, built of teakwood, at
Bremen, with a splendid engine and
thoroughly prepared for Arctic service.
The little fleet left Gothenburg July,
4th, 1878, and passed the winter of 1873
9 in a mass of pack ice in latitude 81
degrees minutes north, longitude III
degrees "a minutes west.
July Is, 1879, after detention of 264
days, the Vega escaped from her prison
of ice, and July 20, passed East Cape
into Behring Strait, and thence, without
much trouble, to Japan, being the first
vessel that has ever made the northeast
passage, and, by making it, accomplish
ing the purpose of its voyage. In adj
dition to the achievement of this object,
many scientific and photographic studies
and discoveries were made, which will be
given to the world in due time.
Prof. Nils Adolf Eric Nordenskiold,
who has achieved this brilliant and hard
won distinction as navigator and
scientist, comes from family of note in
Sweden, and was born November Is,
1882, at Frugard, family estate in Fin
land. He is graduate of the university
of Helsingfors, in that country, and
from an early age has followed scientific
pursuits, being on many occasions the
companion of his father, who, by ap-
pointment of the car Of Russia, was,
for over thirty years chief of the bureau
of mining and mineralogy of Finland.
In 1858 Prof. Nordenskjold accompan-
led as one of the staff of scientists, the
Swedish expedition to Spitzbergen, for
an exploration of the island, and on his
return the government appointed him
chief of the neurological department of
the national museum at Stockholm, in
which position he brought order out OF
chaos, and published valuable papers
from time to time.
Since then he has been made member
of the academy of science and arts of
Sweden. He was one of the staff of a
second expedition to Spitzbergen, and
published geography and survey of
the same; and on third visit his explo-
rations were translated into the English
language.
In 1868 the professor, in command of a
government steamer, on an expedition,
reached the highest latitude ever at
tanned by any ship, and was honored for
his discoveries by most of the highest
scientific institutions of Europe. Since
then he has been constant and indefati-
gable explorer, making the most impor-
tant of Polar investigations and discov-
cries.
After visit in 1876 to the Philadel-
phia exposition, of which he was one of
the international judges, Prof. Nordensk-
jold returned home, and by the success
of q commercial venture established a
new commercial route to North Siberia.
Following that has been the daring voy-
age which has terminated so successfully.
His last expedition was believed, last
winter, to have been in extreme danger,
and relief vessel, the Swedish steamer
A. E. Nordenskjold, was sent to his aid,
but was lost off Tesso, August 5. Her
officers and crew have arrived safely at
Japanese port.
The Vegas voyage has been a happy
one. Its scientific work has been thor
oughly performed, and many important
discoveries made. With the exception
of having been struck by lightning,
there have been no serious injuries. The
men are all well, and there have been no
deaths during the voyage. The Vega
will leave Yokohama in about a fort
night.
The attempt to discover a northeast
passage was among the earliest efforts of
the navigation of modern times. 1t
originated in the desire of the maritime
nations of Europe to compete with the
Spaniards and Portuguese for the trade
of Eastern Asia, and as Spain summarily
repealed any interference with her COM
merce along the Atlantic and Indian
oceans, the other competitors were forced
to seek new channels. There were pre-
sented two ways, the northeast and the
northwest passages.
Repeated failures to find the latter
route caused vigorous prosecution of
the search for the former and in 1853
England sent out the first expedition.
1t consisted of three ships commanded
by Sir Hugh Willoughby and fitted out
under the direction of Sebastian Cabot.
A severe storm near North cape sent one
vessel into the White sea and it finally
reached Arcbangle, and the other two
drifted to Nova Zembla and back along
the Russian coast until off Russian lap
land, when the men were found frozen
to death.
The English and Dutch sent out the
following expeditions, but they never
went farther east than Nova Zembla:
The English-Burroughs, 1856; Pet and
Jackman, 1880; Henry Hudson, 1908.
The Dutch-Three expeditions under
William Barentz, between 1894 and
1896, Henry Hudson, 1909; Wood, 1876.
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