Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-11
SAW TIE NORTH POLE
Strange Story Of a French Cana.
dian Trapper.
Joseph z. Joic Excitcs Interest of Scientists
by Claiming That He Visited "Fnrthcst
North" and Found Il New Race.
The Washington Evening s,ar)

now in Seattle. but fresh from thea klen-
dixie country. rich in arctic enthusiasm
and with abundant means acquired i'll
gold digging. have just completed plans
Tor q novel expedition TO the far north.
They reject all former plans for reaching
the pole as entirely unavoidable. AS they
express 1t. they propose to so back TO first
principles and deal with the matter along
simple, practical lines. They will travel
overland using sledgcs drawn by dogs.
and Will establish stations along their
route sufficiently close together to insure
an open line of communication at all
times supplies sufficient for all con,ii;-
Gencics Will lie stored in the stations. and
some OF them will be tenanted Tor pro-
tracteG periods by one or more men each.
RumScy and Sorcnson believe their
scheme TO he the only one that promises
certain success. One might rs well en-
deavor to sail across the plains OF our
western States. says Rumscy, as to try
TO cross the polar seas In ships. This has
sailing; expedition TO the far north Many
OF the vessels have been hopclesSly locked
i'll the ice Hoes and many have been
pccted 10 drift northwnrd in the pack
have failed in every instance.
NOT WITHOUT EXPERIENCE.
Though wholly unknown as explorers.
fumscy and Sorenson are by no means
without experience as arctic travellers
They have journcycd hundreds Of miles
oNcI inc ICY regions OIL Ill ScHrCn
OF the precious metal traverstng hills.
plateaus and frozen rivers, with no human
companion save an Esquimau guide. with
their supplies carried on dog slcdges, and
they are basing their hopes upon their
| own experiences. Snow and ice have lost
their terror for these men: All they want
IS sufficient fresh food and pack of good
dogs.
With these they claim they will be able
human endurance on Il trip such as they
propose has been settled by the intrepid
Peary. who twice forced path of moro
than a thousand miles across tho bleak
reaches OF northern Greenland. Moreover
DIR. +. y. Cook, whose experience in both
arctic and antarctic explorations qualities
him TO speak authoritatively on the sub
jcct. has recently stated that the only
way the North Polo will ever be reached
of Rumsey and sorenson includes practi-
cally the same idea it is safe TO say st
was, developed by them long before DR..
Cooks scheme was publicly announced.
Besides. their plan includes some points
not indicated by DR.. Cook They dispense
entirely with the old sai!boat idea, start
pushing their way across now continent
or we'll managed army invading hostile
territory. they will keep open certain
| Will be followed by constantly advance
| ing stream of supplies.
| AN ABLE LEADER
Mr.. Rumsey. may fairly be considered
| the leader of tho expedition He Is Il man
| OF wide reading and is particularly well
informed in tho history of arctic cXplo.a-
| ton. AS boy he WAS intensely interested
In the adventures OF Sir John Franklin
| and DR.. Kane and even then resolved to
lead an expedition TO the frozen north If
! fortune should ever allow him TO make
! the attempt. He is now a. years old. and
his interest in the cherished idea of his
youth has grown stronger with age. Sor-
! enson is n young man of Scandinavian
descent who met Rumscy in Alaska They
were members of the same camping party
and when the cold and ice of the Klon-
n no angAt. Ne.sa f,t..
Their travel. they cast their fortunes to-
ecther and started alone on their trip over
the inhospitablc country
At first their search for gold met with
little success; SO they resolved TO so on
further. where few white men had ever
set FOOT. and finally found the yellow
metal in sufficient quantities to make
them independently rich. Their exper-
fences quickcncd their desire for further
explorations and they made up their minds
10 travel northward TO the utmost limit.
Finding that they could not accomplish
all they desired single handed. they re-
traced their steps, resolved TO return TO
CIVILIZATION and prepare for an expedition
10 tho pole along the lines they had per-
sonally found practical
During their travels in the far north
west they acquired much information
which W II aid them in their coming work
and forts which the British maintain in
that country. From the officers OF these
forts and from the surrounding Indians
they Secured intelligence regarding the
frozen country beyond. Ii is a part Of
the plan 10 use the British outpos,s as the
southern basis Of supplies while the ex-
north, and the British officers who have
become greatly Interested in the eXpedi-
ton have promised hearty cooperation,
SUPPLY STATIONS AND ROUTE.
The more southerly stations will be bulls
of heavy timber and each will contain
large stores. Further north, Of necessity,
they will be built of snow and ice. and
will be much smaller. Structures OF this
character easily erected and
shifted If occasion demands. 1t Is i'm
material where they are built or where
ahead is informed of their whereabouts
The route OF the expedition. SO far as
mapped. is about as follows: From Seat
tie they will so by boat To Juneau, Alas
ka. the real starting point. Proceeding
east they Will avoid any hard mountain
work by going TO the. south of Chilkoot
liatchee lake. From there they so around
the Eltc Mountains at the north. breaking
whe eh LES Lse f nEe IN ne arroW VALLEY
Franses. on the banks of the lake. they
will establish the first permanent station
The second station will be al Fort Snip
son.. which is a little more than two hun
dred miles to the north. Here they will
cross the Mackenzie river and 70 east
At the headwatcrs of this lake they de-
sign to build station, probably at ono
ii the new forts there. From that point
they plan to SO eastward to Fort Enter
prise. OH Lake Providence, where the last
outpost station will be located. There
after the stations will he nearer together
Tho line. OF their further route. as
p:annod. follows down the Copper Mine
river. From its mouth they viii follow
the west short line TO the narrows Of
Union strait: this they cross leaving thu
continent and touching the ;irst island OF
the Arctic archipelago.
APPROACHING THE POLE
Following Il rorthcasterly course across
Prince Albert Land, they will come 10 the
McClirtock channel, which is fun of small
of Wales Island an easy matter. They
purpose establishing station in this sec
Of flrfir ~ a q lnl INN,