The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1906-05-03
A POLAR CONTINENT
NEW ARCTIC EXPEDITION TO
SET FORTH.
A Danish Explorer the Lesder-In
Search of Polar Continent or
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF
the Stone Age

Is there great pOldi SOhlAhcAt "a
archipelago to the north Of the Ameri-
can continent? Indications point TO
such existence. Next to finding the
North Pole itself the greatest Arctic
discovery yet to be made In that OF q
vast unknown Polar continent or
archipelago, which. from soundings,
driftwood, thickness Of Ice. currents,
etc, Is thought to exist In the Beau
fort sea to the north Of the American
continent. Here Ia an immense unex-
plored area which may contain land
and people of great interest. Of which
nothing Is now known"
What mystery. what adventure In
the quest of such q land and people!
A journey to Mars, the Martians. seem
scarcely more unreal to the layman.
But to the geographer. to the ex-
plorer the matter takes some tangibil-
ity of shape: and forth In pursuit OF
this vision presently band Of hope
full men Is to set forth. the leader,
Captain Mikkelsen, a Danish explorer
and Arctic traveller. Captain Mikkel-
sen served with Andrup In Greenland
and was with the Baldwin-Ziegler ex-
pedition. The Danish explorer starts
on this new venture under the author
ity Of the Royal Geographical society
OF London, the American Geographical
society. and the United States govern
ment. II the new land Is attained.
Captain Mikkelsen will raise on its
for distant shore the stars and stripes
Captain Mikkelsen contemplates an
absence Of two years. The leader will
have for assistants Ernest Lefinswell,
geologist, and Ejmar Ditlevsen. nat
uralist and artist. both with expert
ence In Arctic travel. His companions
are to leave Athabasca Landing. B. c.,
at the end OF May for the Mackenzie
river. and by one OF the Hudson Bay
steamers descend this river TO the
mouth to the Polar ocean.
The captain expects to start with the
supplies and scientific instruments
early in August, sailing from San
Francisco In whalex, passing through
the Behring sea and straits. making
occasional stops on the Siberian and
Alaskan coast to procure couple of
Siberian ponies and carefully selected
sledge dogs. 80
The party plan to meet about the
last Of August, and attempt to reach
Cape Neslon and there unload the out
fit. Then boat capable of carrying
three or four tons OF provisions, will
be loaded and a party start for Cape
Prince Albert or some island of the
coast; here game will be hunted and
catched for use the following spring
In the meantime the dogs are to be
trained to develop utmost speed and
endurance. (The plan here given IL
as outlined by Captain Mikkelsen be-
fore the Royal Geographical society,"
In the early part Of February the
whole party are 10 start northward
travelling on the Ice. Several Esqai-
maus are to be added 10 the company
of white men. Food for i40 days will
be carried for the men and for two
ponies and 80 dogs. Captain Mikkel-
sen has considerable faith in the ST.
berian ponies. having made use OF
them in Franz Joseph Lands. but
counts most on the dogs.
BY taking soundings the explorers
expect to find whether or not the con-
tinental shelf has been crossed. The