Western Kansas world., 1888-01-07

AAseueuree sf t. Dxnvo Nu11u
Frosen Nerth-
It's now just twenty years Il
government bought of Russia
possessions on this contineEf
that purchase Alaska has bG1
familiar to us in the reports el]
OF scientific explorers, of traders
tourists. The earlier history a
Territory is full of interest, for
marked by undertakings of the
intrepid daring and of heroic til
ture. That was bold plan thai
rected from st. Petersburg an exr
tion across the north Of Asia,
building of vessels on the east
coast, and the discovery Of sepox
continent on the opposite of the PaeIe
That plan was formed in the mind
Peter the Great, and it was carried RI
execution by Behring, whose name
since been connected with the sec &
the strait which lie between the e6
tinents.
Vitus Behring (Bering) was Dax
He was born at the village of Horse
Jutland, in 1880. As young man u
sailed in Danish vessels to the East a.
West Indies. In 1706 he entered th[
service of Peter the Great, and was -
signed to the navy which had just boe
built at Cronstadt.
The appointment Of Behring to IL
command of a scientific expedition ii
the Sea of Kamschatka was made Jar
uary 20, 1725. On the 5th of Februar1'
Behring started from st. Petersburr
and three days later his imperial ms
ter died.
So difficult was the journey overIan
that it was not until the summer g
the following year that Behring, VIII
the advance detachment, reached tn
Sea of Ochotsk. Behring then built
boat to carry the party over the Sc
He had brought men from Russia tQz
this purpose. The craft was christene
the Fortune. The last of June, 17&f
it carried over to Kamschatka the shin
builders who were to build the vess6
intended for the great voyage.
Their shipyard was established ST
the mouth of the Kamschatka Rivor(
The next winter was spent in preparf
ing timbers for the vessel and on thlI
Goth of July, 1928, it was ready for th&k
voyage. Three years and half hd{
gone by since Behring and his party
had set out for st. Petersburg.
The Gabriel-fOr that was the nauno
of the ship-sailed northeast along the
coast of Asia. On the 10th of August
the island of St. Lawrence was discov-
cred. Five days later they rounded .
cape in latitude 81 deg. Is min. northi
Here the coast line turned suddenly
to the west. Behring had prove shaf
the continents we're separate. The
party returned to the shipyard and
wintered there. On the 5th Of June,
1923, they left again on voyage of ex-
ploratlon, but were unsuccessful and
Behring returned overland to st.
Petersburg.
It was not until 1882 that proposals
were made for another expeditions.
Anna was now Empress and she wae
ambitious to extend the boundaries OF
Russia. She directed that special atr
tention be given to the possibilities 0k
a northeast passage along the Amert
can coast. Behring's plan was to push
across to the coast of America aud
trace it northward to the strait he had
discovered. The plan gave Russia her
possessions in America.
The party left st. Petersburg earl3H
in 1873. They built two vessels on tileJ
Sea of Ochotsk. Seven years had beer
spent when, in the st. Peter and the
st. Paul, they sailed over to Kams
schatka and wintered there. On the
4th Of June, 1741, Behring started on
his last voyage. He was in command
of the ST. Peter. July Is the Amer1<
can coast was sighted in latitude -
deg. % min. north. They followed the
dangerous coast to the west, meeting
head winds all the time. Scurvy broke
out, and Behring was confined to hie
cabin. A council was held and it Wa
resolved to return to Kamschatka.
The st. Paul was lost. On the 4t31
of November an island was sighted
the last discovery Behring was to make
1t was named for him. Here they
landed for winter quarters. The com
mander was carried on shore N0verI1r
ber and he died December 10. The
survivors of that winter built q boot
from the wreck of the ST. Peter, and
they reached Kamschatka on the 27tt
of August, 1742.- Youths C0napaniozk