Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-03
MZKKHSEN
BACK FROM
EXPEDITION
WENT IN QUEST or FAR NORTH
CONTINENT
BRINGS VALUABLE FUND OF NEW
DATA ON ARCTIC
Noted Explorer, Who Lost His Ship,
Arrives in Seattle and VIII
Fit Out for Another
Voyage
BY Associated Press.

SEATTLE, Wash, April 2.-Capt
EJnar Mikkelsen, who Jointly COM
manded the Anglo-American polar ex-
pedftion, which sought to find an un-
discovered continent in the Beaufort
sea, arrived from the north today on
the Yucatan
Capt. Mikkelsens vessel, the Duchess
of Bedford, was lost in the ice pack
near Flaxman island year ago.
He brings with him q great fund of
information concerning the unexplored
Beaufort sea and announces his pur-
pose of fitting out another expedition to
continue his search for land.
Ernest de Kovel Leffingwel, who
with Capt. Mikkelsen commanded the
expedition, remained at Flaxman island
to continue his scientific work.
Capt. Mikkelsen started October 16
from Flaxman island and made the
journey along the northern shores of
Alaska to Nome, arriving at the latter
place January 3. He left Nome with a
companion January 18 and journeyed
with dog sledges up the Yukon river to
Fort Gibbon, and came out by the way
of Fairbanks and Valdez.
Some Discoveries
Capt. Mikkelsen's expedition traced
the continental shelf in the Beaufort
sea and ascertained that IL land does
lie beyond the sea 1t is an independent
continent.
He has obtained information concern
ing ocean currents which will be valu-
able to him when he makes his next
attempt to attain the unknown con-
tinent.
Capt. Mikkelsen made use of a new
idea in Polar travel by which he was
able to save ninety pounds weight on
his sedges.
In the tedious march over the ice
hummocks the party frequently came
upon open water. Capt. Mikkeisen had
none of the native kayaks of which DR..
Nansen made such good use. but in
stead he made his boats when the oc-
casion arose. He strapped waterproof
tarpaulin beneath his sledges and inn
provised raft which floated
The sledge expedition went further
into the unexplored Beaufort sea than
had been planned by the Royal Geo.
graphical society of New York, which
directed the expedition.
They found the continental shelf and
had learned that beyond this shelf
there was water of great depth. 1t
was ascertained that the Beaufort sea
was not a shallow basin, as had been
supposed.
Expedition of sIedees
HONG KONG. April "A number
The sledge expedition started from
Flaxman island March IL. 1907. They
took twenty dogs. The trip occupied
sixty-five days.
During the journey they encountered
rubble ice, which is formed by break
ing up of thin ice under pressure and
freezing again. leaving the edges stick
Ing straight up.
For eight days of their journey they
accomplished only fourteen miles Oc-
casionally they encountered ice hum
mocks thirty feet in height.
The older hummocks were snow COW
cred and comparatively easy to cross.
but the ridges offered a big hindrance
to travel
1t sometimes happened that huge ice
blocks rose or sank beneath their feet,
occasionally fitting on edge and top
pling over.
All about them was the canNonading
of the ice pack. New ridges would
form as they gazed and frequently
lanes of open water appeared.
1t was on this open water that the
Mikkelsen idea was put into use. Two
sledges would be placed side by side
and lashed. Then the waterproof tar
paulin was slipped under them and
lashed securely. The result was
boat capable of carrying 300 pounds
aside from the man to navigate It.
Course of Journey
The journey north was approximately
along meridian 49, Soundings were
taken occasionally. At distance of
sixty-four miles from land they were
unable to touch bottom with 800
fathom line. This indicated that the
continental shelf had been passed, and
one of their objects had been accom-
plished. They continued the journey
until they crossed the seventy-second
parallel, when the ice conditions pre-
vented further travel.
The return journey was made under
the most trying conditions. They land
ed near Cape Hackett, May 6.
Capt. Mikkelsen explains the loss of
the ship by saying that the ironwood
sheathing with which it was equipped
was not placed low enough.
He has two plans to attain the polar
continent. One is to hazard a boat and
sledge trip from Point Barrow, taking
only a small amount of provisions and
trusting to find the ice-capped land, the
shores of which he believes will support
human life His other plan is to fit out
another ship, which will be frozen in
the polar pack as far north of Point
Barrow as he can drive the vessel, and
to use it as basis of supplies for his