The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-11
HOPES TO REACH THE POLE,
PLANS or a CANADIAN EXPEDITION
TO START NEWT NAY.

-
Capt. Bernier Expects to Follow Nnr..r,,
Route, Abandon His ship in the leo ana
Travel with Dog Teams to the North Pal.
Most of the Money Already Rni.ed
QUEBEC. Dec. a.-The members VI tho Ou..
bee Geographical Society. and some " tho
Canadian Cabinet Ministers as well. belov.
firmly that their country's flag will be rlantol
at the North Pole by a French-Canadian navi,
gator in the closing days OF the present conturv
or In the opening ones of the twentieth, Tia
purely Canadian expedition to the North polo
is expected to start next May. II will be led hv
Capt. Bernier OF Quebec. who comes of an old
/ seafaring family. and mas already commanded
some forty-seven ships and steamers In differ.
ent parts Of the world. Arctic exploration ha.
been his lifelong study. The Laurier Govern.
ment is giving the expedition substantial aid
| and its leader has now the assurance that ia
total cost will be betrayed, save about S2uOOO
which he Ia confident will he Forthcoming from
Canadian sources within the next few weeks.
DR.. Dawson. director Of the Dominion Gcolor.
zeal Survey, says that the expedition has A
fair probability OF success. and DIR. Nanson.
after having seen all its details, said to CAPT
Bernier. "You will get there II you are per.
severing enough" The Captain asserts no
special originality for his plans. They ara
based. he says. on the results achieved by Nan.
ssh. ut II VI tlIc III VIA uluIY Ol ina
other expeditions failed because they were
planned in opposition to nature. They started
northward in seas where the current ran
toward the south. As the vessel advanced In a
northerly direction 1t was consequently meeting
drift ice, which. instead OF assisting It ,barredits
progress. II the explorers advanced on sledges
over the ice foe. they became exhausted nv
useless efforts. for the slow current gradually
drove. to the south the foe on which they
thought they were advancing. In the case Of
with their success. This was the experience Of
De Long was perfectly justified. according to
Bernier, in saying that II his vessel had re.
vicinity. :Bernier estimates, that, Il, De Long
had remained upon the ice foe which crushed
Of Q nor;herly bound drift; .,
poses to take advantage OF lust such a north
ern-boand current, His intention is to charter
a m6 GT9d Of sf Ell eS sfea Rieer' a Sibs8r I0e% nnd to t.. the the
further toward the north as possible, probably
abandoning her L. about ~. north and be.
scientific observers. and two ,EskimSs |. take
equipment that human ingenuity can devise
he expects at a minimum rate Of four miles a
day to reach ta have the nDp G ) and hi with mTss Gisht s5
AllO W thS 1851 bNA
reached Spitzbergen in the other hemisphere,
He hopes to be assisted thither from the pole
by a southerly-b bound current. From SpitE.
bergen he expects to return to civilization by
the Norwegian excursion steamer.
Is a precautionary measure the expedition
will be provisioned for two years and Il halt. In
his equipment there will be a unique boat in
COMPARTMENTS built Of aluminium and wood
with all the necessary appliances for wind and
hand power and SO arranged that it will serve
also as a house. There. will be thirty sledges
OF various kinds. modelled to carry from 800
to 1000 pounds each. also made o, aluminium
and wood. to fit into and form the bottom OF
a rubber raft twenty-five feet. long. six feet
wide, four feet deep and capable OF carrying
$4,000 pounds. Six skeleton kayaks will form
part Of the outfit. will. covers detached bu;
these kayaks will be able to accommodate two
men and six months provisions.
Capt. Bernier will take with him 120 tame
and uniformed reindeerto be utilized in carry
ing the provisions as far north as possible;
pounds of moss a day, and killed one by one to
sixty Of the. Siberian hound variety. Before
going into winter quarters the balance. of the
reindeer will be killed to provide food for men
and dogs.