The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-11
TO FOOT IT TO THE POLE.
AN iRCTT EXPEDITION PLANNED
ny THO MI NDIkERy.
They Have Found Gold In the Far North
and Now They Propose to Utilize Their
Experience of Travel on Snow to Reach
the Pole-Will start From Alaska.

Copyright. 1900, BY n. l.. Jones.
Mark Rumsey and Harold Sorrnson, now In
Seattle. but fresh from the Klondike country,
have Just completed plans for an expedition to the
Far Sorth They reiec, all former plans for
reaching the Pole as entirely impracticable, As
they express 1t, they propose to go back 10 first
principles and deal with the matter along simple,
practical lines. They will travel overland, using
sledges drawn by dogs, and will establish stations
along their route sufficiently close together to in
sure an open line Of communication at all times
Supplies sufficient for all contingencies will be
stored in the stations, and some will be ienan'ed
for protrac,ed periods by one or more men.
Rumsey and Sorenson believe their scheme 10
be the only one that promises certain success
one might as well endeayor TO sail across the
plains Of the Western States, says Rumsey, as TO
try 10 cross the polar seas in ships. This has
been proved by the signal failure Of every sailing
expedition 10 the Far North Many ot.ihe vessels
have been hopelessly locked in tn, Ice foes and
many have been crushed while the hopes Of those
who expected to drift northward in the pack have
failed in every ~instanne, Though wholly un
known as explorers, Rumsey and Sorcnson are
by no means without experience as Arctic travel
lers. They have iourneyed hundreds OF miles
over the icy regions Of Alaska in search Of the
precious metal, trayersing hills, plateaus and
frozen rivers, with no human companion save an
Eskimo guide. with their supplies carried on
dog sledges, and they are basing their hopes upon
their own experiences, Snow and Ice have lost,
their terror for these men. All they wan, is sum
cient fresh food and a pack Of good dogs.
With these, they say, they will be able to travel
indefinitely. The question Of human endurance
on a trip such as they propose has been settled
by Peary, who twice forced a path more than a
thousand miles across the bleak reaches Of north
ern Greenland, Moreover. DR. +. A. Cook, whose
experience in both Arctic and Antarctic exploration
qualities lin to speak nu,horitatively on the sub.
Jet, has recently stated that the only way the
North Pole will ever be reached is by walking toit
But while the plan Of Rumsey and Sorenson in.
cluhes practically the same idea, 1t is safe 10 say
il 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 sail
boat idea, starting overland. and, like railroad
builders, pushing their way across a new con
unent or a we'll managed army invading hostile
territory, they will keep open a certain and sale
route for retreat, II necessary, and will be followed
by a constantly advancing stream Of supplies,
Mr. Rumsey may be considered the leader ot
the expedition. lie Is a man If wide reading
and is particularly well informed in the history
Of arctic exploration As a boy he was intensely
Interested In the adventures Of Sir John Franklin
and lr Kane, and even then resolved TO lead an
expedition to the frozen north IL fortune should
ever allow him 20 make the attempt He is now
As years old and his interest in the cherished idea
81 his youth has grown stronger with age Soren.
son is a young man Of Scandinavian descent
who met RumSay IN Naska. They are members
of the SAINT camping party, and when the cold
and ice Of The klondike made their companions
give UP further travel. they cast their fortunes
together and started alone On their trip over the
inhospltable country
AZ first thei- search for gold met with little
success; so they resolved 20 go 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 experiences
quickened their desire for further explorations
and they made UP their minds 10 travel n~orthwerd
to the utmost limit Finding that they could
not accomplish all they desired single handed,
they --raced their steps. resolved TO return TO
civil and prepare for an expedition 10 the
Pole along the lines they had found practical
Curing their travels in the far northwest they
'tquired much information which will aid them
IN their coming work They visited several Of
tho trading posts which the British main.
tain in that country From tho officials n,
these pests aud from the surrounding Indians
they secured intelligence regarding the frozen
country beyond II is a part # the plan to Use
the British outp,St> rs the southern basis Of sup.
pileS while the "NpluirTS are pursuing their travels
a. the rortl, ana the Bn,I.h officials VINO have
become greatly interested Ia the expedition have
pn ~ ttll "a r % ~. as go
The more %SuuihelI\ stations will bc built If
heavy timber! and "arI will Cpnhi large stores.
Further north Il necessity they will be- built If
snow and Ice, and will be much smaller Struct.
lures Of this character are easily erected and can
he shifted II occasion demands. 1t is immaterial
where they are built " where they are moved
SO long as the party ahead IS informed of their
Whereabouts.
The route 81 The expedition, so far as mapped
II about as follows From Seattle they will 60
by boat 10 juneau, Alaska, the real starting point
Proceeding east they will avoid any hard noun.
tain work by going 10 the south Of Chilkoot Pass,
crossing the Lewis River near katchee Lake
From there they Hu around the Blue Mountains
at the north breaking through the range in the
narrow valley where lies AXE transes At
Fort FransHs, on the banks Of the lake. they will
cSta blish .,e tr>t permanent station. The second
station VII be- at Fort Simpson. which is a little
more than two huntrel miles 90 the north Here
they will cross ic Mackenzie River and 60 east,
following the waters ot lake LaNlatre. At the
hsadwaters Of this lake they design 10 build a
station, probably at one of the new forts there.
From that point they plan to go eastward TO Fort
Enterprise on Lake Providence. where the last
OUTPOST station will he located Thereafter the
stations will be nearer together The line Of
their further route, rs planned, follows down
the Copper Mine River From It's mouth they
will follow III" west short lima t. the narrows Of
| MON Strait this they cross leaving the con
tinrut and touching IN" first island Of the Arctic
archipelago.
Following a northraStprly course across Prince
Albert and, they will com" e. the McClint0ck
t%hannel, which Is fun OF small islands, making
matter They prupOS" 10 establish a station
In this section 81 then route ut about every hundred
miles. They will reach the isle Of BoOthia, on
which the magnetic pole Is located, by crossing
the Franklin Strait. and 1t Is their hope 10 build
Q, permanent, depot Of supplies on this island
From here they swcrvc nor'hward, crossing
Bellot Strait 10 North Summerset Island, and
,hci. across the Barrow Strai, 10 North Devon
Island Supply stations will BE- established
on both 81 these islands Here the course
turns more directly north. aiming at the narrows
Of Jonc>'S Sound This brings them 10 a long
stretch Of land separated from Greenland by a
series of straits arl channels. This land bears
Here the supply stations will probably be no
more thon sixty or seventy miles apart At the
north end the island all hut joins the main land
Of g rrenlend. The course A. mapped out crosses
this channel al this paint, and from Cape Kane
they plan 10 go due north over the greatice foes
As they approach the pH,". stations will be rs-
tablish~l still more frequently. The one nearest
the pole may not he more than fifteen Or twenty
miles Awav from II
This route differs from those Of all previous
polnt expedition in that It holds 10 land as far MS
possible TIE earlier Cuursp is along interior
Waterway, aud small portable boats can be us-d,
The route over TIE Archipelago hNS been carefully