Gilpin observer., 1905-12-28
NORTHWEST PASSAGE
TRACED BY NORWAY CAPTAIN
From Atlantic and eaffin's Bay to BE.
ring Sea and the Pacific-Mas-
netic Pole Accurately Located.


netie Pole Accurately Located.
Captain Arnundsen, who recently
made successfuk trip through the
Northwest passage, according to ad-
vices just received at San Francisco,
in speaking of his trip, said that navi-
gators have tried to find this passage
Tor three or four centuries. The dis
covery will prove of great scientific
value, among those mentioned being
extreme variations in the magnetic
needle as practically the magnetic
north pole. From the northern point
OF Peel Sound to the western end of
simpsons Strait the ships compass
was found to be useless.
An observation station was estab-
ltshed by Captain Amundsen at King
Williams Land, latitude 6S degrees
and 80 minutes north and 80 degrees
west. Captain Amundsen declares his
belief. based on the two years of obser-
vation by him, that the north magnetic
pole is within ninety minutes of that
point. The observations nave been
taken day and night for period OF
three years, and in the opinion OF the
explorer the actual position of the mag
netic pole will be discovered as soon
as his observations can be figured out.
Evidently the change from the position
marked by Ross has been very slight.
Captain Amundsen with his crew of
seven men sailed from Christiana on
June II, 1908.
He has not only. brought his ship
through that passage that had never
been completely traversed before, but
he and his men have arrived in the
Arctic without casualty and without Sc
riOus illness. The route sailed from
Chrfstiana to Baffin Bay, and then
through Lancaster Sound, Barrow
Strait. Peel Sound, James Ross Strait.
Rae Strait. Simpsons Strait. Dease
Strait, Coronation Gulf and Dolphin
and Union Straits to King Point, where
the explorer obtained communication
with the winter-bound fleet of whalers
from San Francisco.
The Gjoa is wintering under the leo
OF Herschel Island, and as soon as the
ice breaks away in the spring she will
sail through Bering Sea to San Fran
cisco. From the latter port she will
proceed by way of Cape Horn to her
home port in Norway, thus accomplish
ing for the first time the complete
circumnavigation of the American con-
tinent
The Norwegian sailors were without
news from the outer world from June
IT. 1903, to August of this year, when
American whalers were met in the
Arctic. Captain Amundsen made in
Quiries regarding the Esquimos wher-
ever he went for tidings of the lost ex
plorer Andre. but was unable to obtain
any information about him. Some of
the natives had never seen a white
manebefore.
The Gjoa was fitted out with finan-
cial assistance by King Oscar, some in
fiuential men of Norway and Sweden.
and the Royal Geographical Society of
London. She is seventy-three feet long
with twenty feet of beam. and draws
ninc feet of water. A much larger ship
would never have succeeded in getting
through the Northwest passage. and
the Gjoa probably would not have ac-
complished her feat without the use
of auxiliary oil power. Captain Amund-
sen states that the coolest weather he
experienced was in March. 1904, when
the mercury registered 10 degrees be-
low zero.