Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1903-02-14
Recent Occurrences Of Interest
in Sweden, Norway and
Denmark.
HED1N MAY SEEK SOUTH POLE
Noted Explorer Captivates Paris 10y
Dramatic Accounts of His Recent
Researches in Thibet.
SWEDEN.
Stockholm.

|
According to the well-founded ru-
NOR which emanated from the geo
graphical society circles in Paris Feb.
3, the south pole expedition which will
start from France in the spring headed
| by DR.. Charcot, the eminent botanist
and geologist, son of the famous eX-
ponent of hypnotis n, will not be the
only undertaking of the kind. A few
noble and wealthy patrons of the
science of geography hope to be able
| to persuade DR.. Sven Hedin, the
ton Of a parallel mission at the same
time. DR.. Hadin has captivated Paris
during the last few days by dramatic
accounts of his recent explorations in
the unprecedented confines of Thibet.
He has also made deep impression
on the scientific bodies in Paris, the
members Of which are convinced that
he is endowed with ideal characteris-
tics as an arctic adventurer. Among
those who are said to be patrons of
the enterprise are Prince Roland
Bonaparte, the prince Of Monaco, and
the Paris Geographical society. The
subject was discussed and the eXpedi-
ton projected in those quarters long
before the Charcot enterprise was an
nounced. DR.. Hedin's friends in
Paris says that there is little doubt that
he will be willing to meet the views of
his patrons, but it is understood that
the proposition will not be made to
him until the society has settled the
question as to whether it is possible
to find a Frenchman of sufficient eX-
perience and training to head the eX-
petition.
Special commissioners have been
dispatched to ascertain conditions in
the remote corners of the famine dis
trict in the extreme northeast, and
grave fears are felt with reference to
the probable situation awaiting them.
There is many stories of want and
misery drifting into Stockholm from
Lulea and Umea, and most Of these
have reached the relief officials, but the
inaccessible points hidden far up in
the mountains, hundreds of miles from
the railway, have not been heard from
since the famine began. 1t is in these
remote territories wherein it is feared
death may have claimed many vic
tins. Excellent work, however, is be- 4
ing done by the station-masters of the
Swedish state railways in all parts of
the kingdom in forwarding supplies
with all dispatch to the stricken re-
gion. Without doubt the promptitude
with which the, friends of Sweden
came to it's aid has enabled the coun-
try to dealdeffectively with the worst
of the difficulty. The wretched peas
ants have been tided over period of
sudden restitution that threatened to
extinguish the population of north
Sweden. The peasants are living, but
that is about all Starvation rations
are all they can be given at present;
but even in this way, with the kind
aid of the United States to maintain
the people few months longer, the re-
turn of the brief arctic summer may
enable them to take up the fight for
existence on their own account.
The recent Laval invention is caus-
ing widespread attention and COM
ment throughout Europe. Dr. Gustaf
de Laval, the inventor of the first
known cream separator and of electric
ore separators and electric furnaces
for melting iron ore, has now, after
twenty-five years of toilsome expert
mental work, succeeded in completing
and perfecting method by which ore
containing both zinc and lead can be |
melted by electricity without losing |
more than i per cent. of the. metal
1t has hitherto been impossible to eX-
tract more than very slight part of |
zinc percentage contained in the ore |
found in Sweden, and in doing so the |
lead has been oXidized and. lost. By |
this new method 1912 per cent of lead
and 2972 per cent. of zinc can be eX-
tracted from ore containing 20 per |
cent. of lead and 80 per cent. of zinc;
thus losing only / per cent in the
process of melting. A syndicate has
been formed with a capital equivalent
to Sl0,O0O,000, which will now oper-
ate zinc mines in Sweden and Norway
DR.. Wretlind, the well-known tenn
perance advocate, says that of late
drunkenness has greatly increased
among women. He reminds the people
that during the great era of drunken
ness that visited Sweden seventy-fve
years ago, it was the sobrety of the
women that saved the nation Now,
he says, women constitute one-tenth
of the number of persons treated for
alcoholism in Stockholm.
President Roosevelt has contributed
500 to the fund for the relief of the
Finland sufferers.
NORWAY.