The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-03

| worlds most renowned men last night.
in Barratt hall, told of the achieve
ment which has sent his name down
into history-Captain Road Amundsen
told of the conquest ot the Northwest
passage
Captain Amundsen's lecture was il
Illustrated with stereopticon views, the
Illustrations being reproductions of pho
tographs taken during the memorable
expedition The noted navigator avoid
ed all technical descriptions and used
the map only when il was necessary
to make his points more clear. His
Prescription of the life and habits and
customs of the Esquimaux was intense
ly interesting. Captain Amundsen, al
though a native of Norway, and edu-
Gated in foreign schools. speaks Eng
lish fluently. He embellishes his lee
ture with dashes of humor.
Barratt hall was filled at the hour
when ii was announced the lecture was
to begin-7:30 O'Clock There was de-
lay, however. and the address was not
begun until an hour later. In the
course of the evening the Sangfares
siger Norge. or Norwegian Song union,
under the direction of Anton Peterson,
sang three numbers, and at the close
the audience Joined in the singing of
America" The selections by the Choir
us were: TIA vi Fisher" (Nordraak):
"Olaf Tryvison" Rusiger), and "Nord-
haVet' (Rusiger).
Captain Amundsen was introduced by
Governor John c. Cutler. who deliv-
cred a complimentary address of some
length.
Battle With Ice.
Captain Amundsen's lecture was
largely in the nature of the presenta-
ton OF the log of his ships voyage.
Each step in the program was Illus
trated with pictures thrown ON the
screen. "On the night of June 1917,
1903" said Captain Amundsen, 1.-The
Gjoa sailed down the ford of Chris
tiana. This little vessel was built in
1872 and had been sealer. She was
siXty-eight feet long and twenty feet
of beam and drew nine feet of water
All told, there were seven of us on
the GJoa. Lieutenant Godfred Hansen
was second in command and other
members OF our company were Anton
Lund, Helmer Hansen, Peter Ristvedt
Gustav Wiki and AdOlph Lindstrom
We were supplied with a small petro-
leum motor engine of SO indicated
horsepower and capable of driving the
vessel at the rate of about three knots
ION June we sighted ice and there
after IT was a battle until we made
Gjoa harbor on King William Land.
Ihe purpose OF the expedition was to
locate the magnetic north pole and for
this purpose We carried a great many
instruments. We established our OBJ
servatories on land and for nineteen
months We took observations night and
day We made sled Journeys TO vari-
ON int IN, II -
and took observations"
Captain Amundsen had photographs
OF the observatories taken both in win
ter and summer. He described minute
ly the building of snow huts, after the
fashion of the Esquimaux. and said
that these were found to be indispen-
sable.
Natives Are Friendly.
Captain Amundsens relations with
the natives were extremely pleasant.
one family going to the extent of Of
fering the captain their child. when in
reality it was a dog he wished to
borrow.
At one time the gravest danger
threatened the expedition. Fire broke
out on the GjOa. There were 1000 gall
Ions of petroleum on board. besides
large quantities of gunpowder. BY
dint of the most desperate efforts the
fire was mastered and the ship was
saved.
1T was not altogether summer wea-
Their as you know it here" said Can
tain Amundsen, referring to weather
conditions. The average of the ther-
mometer was about A. below. and the
lowest we recorded was 10 below. Be
ing in comfortable snow hut. how
ever. and the entrance sealed. we did
"a
ter blizzard follows blizzard The sum-
mer lasts about two months, July and
August. During one winter the ice was
twelve feet thick.
Narrow and Shallow.
when We set sail for Gjoa harbor
we encountered great difficulty. The
passage is extremely narrow. but this
is not the worst of it. for it is also ex-
tremely shallow. Once We struck
ground, and for thirty hours we were
fast, being unable 10 move the vessel
off. Luckily north wind helped MS
and we went over safely. the only
damage being TO the false keel under !
the ship.
we were constantly compelled to |
keep the lead out and TO keep a man in |
the cross trees. It was trying work. |
and most of ii was performed with !
minimum of sleep.
con Aug. 3. 1905. however, we sighted |
a vessel, and presently we were speak
ing an American whaler, the Charles |
Hanson of San Francisco. The north |
west passage had been accomplished. |
The photograph showing the meeting |
between the American whaler and the |
Gjoa was received with long continued |
applause
With touching tenderness Captain |
Amundsen told of the death of one OF |
the members of the brave little crew, |
Gustav WIKI. which occurred on March |
Is, 1906, west of Mckenzie river. The |
body, however, could not be buried I'M !
til late in May. In the meantime it |
was placed in the shore station of ice |
huts. Wiik's grave is on a command |
ing rise Of ground, and is marked with |
a cross and is easily seen from the sea- |
Passing from Boring sea the Gjoa |
made a stop at Nome, Alaska. and was |