New-York tribune., 1879-02-04
THE Arctic EXPEDIIION


PROFESSOR NoRDFN> >KJoLD's VOYAGE AS FAR As
me MOUTH OF IHE RIVER LENA-IuE FEARS
FOR HIS sArETY-BEAsONS 10 HOPE THIS
ALARM Is NOT WELL FOUNDED.
The cable has recently brought news of the
anxiety felt III Europe the fate Of tue Swedish Arctic
Expedition under Professor NOrdenskiOld Wnlle the
reports published ume since to the effect that
vessel mad been discovered ceb.und TO the north OF
Cape East are involved uncertainty, there is
good reason apprehcnd that tacy may DO trst"ory
at least in part Allowing these reports even partial
trutn fear, for safety of Professor NOrdcnskiOd
may be naturally entertained.
The pxpcdiuou consisted OF the Vega steam vessel
1tcd or manly by Mr.. Osar Dickson, merchant oi
Gothenbur2; the Lena, small steamer laden with meF-
chandse. by Mr.. >ib.uJkoH Russian ecntlcilAn Tor
purposes OF trade and two other steamers. OF these
four vessels the Vega only prepared to make the
entire passage to Behring's strait Two OF Them were
TO slop at the River Ycucse and the Lena having pro
eeced far the river Of that name WAS expected
there To discharge her cargo the beginning OF pos
eble export trade with the regions with which that
river communicates The tour vessels sailed from
Gotcnbrg early IN July 1873. and easily reached the
Ycucs in the fore part Of August On TIE 9th of that
month the two steamers which were TO Proceed no
further started up tae river and the Vega and the Lena
sailed for the ktmenye Islands On th" following day
the water OF lee. but dense fos settled over
1t and the vessels compelled to anchor For tdrce
days occasional advances were made, with frequent
soundinss through the toy untl Tamyr Island was
reached Here the vessels remained until tho lsth,
when Professor Nordruskiod determined 10 push ahead
IN spite Of the fog which had taIncd them Tour days
and which showed no signs Of liiung.
They proceeded slowly along the western coast OF
Talmyr Island toward Cape Cheyuskin, the northern
most point OF Asia which once rounded the feasibility
OF northeast passage might be considered practically
demonstrated A. he apprO9ched this point Professor
Nordrnrklold feared that from the dense mist he
should find mPassabc, but on IN" l9th~ fog cleared
and on q bright sunny aftcraoou the Ycssc9 dropped
anchor IN a small bay OF the promontory. Here the
Economists. botan.t, aud zo0osists were landed the
drodgc brought mp many specimens Of low marine l!e
and Few birds w!fr sn0fe. OF this point the
Professor gives the following DESCRIPTION:
Cane CheIyuskin - formed by long promOn.OrY, cut
IN two by the creek In which tno vessels tad dropped
anchor. mountain U.lE,. the Sluts ol WHith are
the coast toward the south According to tue approx
atr calculations ~ our a,rOHoulca OboeryatlOus aud
ern Dromontory IL situated ~ 80 ~" y. latitude and
1913 30 OUL uie l.. OF Greenwich ami toe eastern
and 1912 longitude. Some dl-lanc" inland the nonn
tns seemed to reach heIght q! LOCO feet lh!s noun
tam ridge a. we'll "a the surrOuu plains nearly
iroe from snow. Some masses Of wh,e snow were only
visible here and there IN The cyties q! the mountain
.iGucs ana deep barrow uocs 81 the plans. IN
most places along The sAOe here Was SIN s'p OI Ice
I,r.
On the following day anchor weighed buI ice aud
mist prevented much progress until the 23d On the
2Tth urtes comp paIatyey easy sailing, when convinced
Professor SoideuSkod that the warm water discharged
y the large rivers prevents excessive formation of
ice aon. the northern coast Of Siberia during the latter
part of summer the Vega aud her companion reached
the mouth Of the River Lena. From this point sent
back an account Of the yOyasc up 10 that mc with the
details given above Here tIe L.na halted having
accomplished her intended voyage; ami the VEGA.
taking advantage OF clear AMI atmOs here, pushed
on forthwith towards Eti,jrw Island. whence she was
TO ay 10 direct cors, Behring'S strait. n the reports
which have caused 50 much anxiety for the
tate OF the explorers be true. the vessel
succeeded IN reaching point about forty
iu les north ~ Cape East. \ cdDl" ulspdJth
IN gr.tr.dny, Nffdid announcing that the WINTER lh
NutEraStrr Siberia mas been aud continues 10 De ter
critical II - announced that
Mr SiIr.k .kuR,s ttng out vessel al MS own expense
,u carry n,-.tture 10 too Swed Expedition. THIS
\ .sri. me SorjcushDld. VIII he TrUdy early IN May
and Win snl ,or tne mouth Of Lena. The Russian
naval vessel AJrck has been ordered Ia proceed ca the
same Grand touching AT CiIu,kl Tor ESau,uauX
with thtr and 6rdCcs. II - also stated mat Mr.
: r,s Gordon Heunc u vessel. the Jeanette. now h
-lfat prepared 70 reuhtr any pD-siDlc a>sisthucc.
Focigu iprrs announce that l. no direct news ar II
alarming reports should bc received fOm Professor
Sordrn,Ajcld during the Winter Mr. Dickson, the pro
moter ~ the expedition, VIII dcspitci r lci.
A letter III ycstrrtays ErsHuig Post, from william II.
Dali tnItri states Cost ey, and one wnch
he that paper Francisco. deprecate any
alarming reports concerning tue iaIc OF the swedish EN
pcdili0n. The writer's take hr ground thai the VEGA
must De- land she could not nave been deserted
from the nelghbOrhood nf Cape East aud that tho eX
plOrcrs will nave difficulty In getting safely thrOuSi
the Winter the should be lost which was
scarcely b. d. since the reports announcing that
she iceb bound did not even ntimste that she was
disabled