The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-04-27
How a Canadian Proposes to Discover
the North Pole. 44t

the North Pole. 44,s
Mr.. Okill Stuart, distinguished Ca,
madam engineer. has outlined the fol-
lowing plan for discovering the North.
Pole: H4F lfsl
| would Che says) have constructed
Immediately two hundred sled huts on an
improved plan and have them delivered
by steamer at the northwest angle of
Hudson's Bay, latitude GA degrees north,
longitude "a degrees west, at a point
known as Chesterfield Inlet, not later
than August. This point is distant from
the pole 1866 miles.
Now, from Chesterfi eld Inlet to the
north end of Lake Winnepeg, where
supplies could be delivered bY boat, is
but six hundred miles. This distance L
woul overcome permanently by build
ing . system of relay stations twenty
miles apart and connected by a through
telegraph line to Winnepeg City, at a
cost of $120,000. This work would. be
carried out by Government, and would
eventually pay, connecting, as it would,
Churchill Harbor, mouth of Nelson
river, and the west coast of Hudson
Bay, where, in the future, will be the
great emporium of the North, thus neu-
tralizing this expenditure by the great
advantage of q telegraph system for
the purposes of emigration and trade.
These relay stations Of block huts would
be stored with all necessary supplies for
the undertaking, together with sleighs,
dogs, and men in charge, for purposes of
transportation from Lake Winnepeg to
Chesterfield Inlet, which latter place
would be the headquarters of the expe-
'dition, in daily communication with the
outer world. These sled huts would be
constructedof paper board, Of the light
ess design and frost proof; each
sled would be about six feet wide
and ten feet long, neatly rounded at the
top and about five, feet high, with.a hole
down through the center for signal pole
or anchor, to avoid drifting while rest
ing in a gale. Each sled would be steel
shod, shaped somewhat like toboggan,
rounded up at either end. Each Sled
would contain a kerosene stove, oil=tankt
and lamps, as well as complete supply
of preserved food, medicine, axes and
ice shovels, sufficient for six men for six
months, together with fur trappingsand
other clothing When acofmplete eaelf3
sled hut would weigh 900 pounds, or a
little, more than $50 pounds per man.
Thus equipped we would commence the
forward march by moving, ten sleds at
time, manned in the following order: To
each sled one practical engineer, one
doctor and four, able-bodied men, all
thoroughbred Canadians; thus ten sleds
would comprise sixty men. These would
advance in order at intervals, all keeping
the. due north course, and any deviation
would be reported by a haltfrom the adj,
vance Sled. All the; sleds would be adj
yanced in this order until a complete
chain of communication was established. j
/ I would commence this movement
about the 1stof December, or as soon as
the ice3 formed On the more southern,
rivers, Our route would lie by the west
coast of the Gulf of Boothia to Barrow
Strait thence to North Devon and, North
Lincoln by Jones' Sound, having land
the whole distance, except Borrow Strait
and Jones Sound, which would be frozen.
At North Lincoln we would be distant
from Chesterfield Inlet 786 miles, and
from the pole 7S0 miles, !, To North Lin,
coin we. would push all the sleds, except
seventy eight, which we would leave BY
relays of tenmiles. all anchored with sig
mails, SO as to form complete chain of
refuge in our rear, and if found neces-
sary would establish q system of tele-
phone from each sled by means of tripod
poles. This would give us daily commu-
nication with Winnipeg, and gov
ern our dog transportation trains,
which would be in constant attend-
ance throughout the whole line..s When
this was done wee would commence
our advance along the third or polar di-
vision in the same order as before, only
by shorter relays. as we would have 122
sled huts to station over 780 miles, or
about six miles apart, so that each hut
could be seen or reached with safety. It
might be necessary to have some of these
sleds constructed upon boat principle,
in case open water was reached, and
could be used for towing others. as they
would all be water-tight and capable of
being ffoated. But as / do not contefn-
plate finding open water, this latter point
would not offer any serious difficulty.
The only obstacles likely to be eneount-
cred are rough and irregular ice lodges,
which might have to be leveled or tun-
neled in places. In this manner I would
expect to overcome the whole distance
from Chesterfield Inlet to the pole BY the
1st of July, 1884, that being the best sea-
son for observations at the pole. The
whole cost of the expedition in this way,
not including the telegraph line to Win
nipeg City, would be about SIC, 600, and
is only a matter OF dollars and cents. i =
For. if properly undertaken, as have
pointed cut, there is nothing to prevent
success, for all connected with the expe-a
dition would be thoroughly Canadian,
who are the only men capable of such a
discovery This have always MAIN
tanned, for Canadians are the only men
who can face the rigor of the north, be-
ing Injured as they are to extreme cold
and quite at home in ordinary clothing
when the thermometer ranges down to
forty degrees below zero, at work in the
open air; therefore, when such men are
properly clad and fed, as propose. these
Canadian young men would be at home
on such an expedition, and expert in all