The sun., 1909-01-02
TO TACKLE ARCTIC ALONE
HARRY v. RADFORD GOING on
A THREE YEARS TRIP.
One Purpose Is to study the Rare Wood
bison ana Make Pictures Of Him
VIII Depend on Indians for Compan-
IOnship-He Is Paying His Own Way.


Bison and Make Pictures Of Hin
WIN Depend on Indians for ComDan
IOnship-He Is Paying His Own Way
Harry Vincent Radford, sportsman
naturalist and writer upon subjects re-
lating to natural history. particularly
with reference to the Adirondaoks will
start from this city about the middle o
January for the Arctic. His trip. which
will have the double purpose of geo
graphical discovery and geological in
vestigation. will probably cover from
5000 to 5000 miles through northwestern
British Columbia, northern Alaska and
the East Cape Of Asia. and will take abou
three years. Mr.. Radford starts out alone
and the only companions he will have oil
the journey will be the natives with whom
he will come in contact. Much OF the
ground he expects to cover lies through
territory which has rarely been traverseC
by white men and of which little or moth
ing is known.
Mr.. Radford is financing the trip him
self and he has not yet determined Il
what society or organization he will rem
der his report. He expects TO turn ovel
whatever geological specimens he col
leots TO the United States Biological
Survey. This is his first arctic explora.
ton, though he has travelled and hunted
extensively in America and Europe
and he is now in the city advising with
friends who have travelled north and
getting together his outfit
Leaving New York about January Is
MIR. Radford goes first TO Ottawa. where
ha will Copfar With the Canadian Off1oialR
regarding the necessary permits and for
malitles, and then he will continue TO
Winnipeg and Edmonton, Alberta, the
most northerly railway point in Canada
Four days drive in a sleigh will bring him
to Lac la Biche, I75 miles almost due
north, and that is as far as IL is possible
TO 60 by road,
There he will engage. one or two Indians
and dog train OF four huskies TO draw the
sledge bearing his food and instruments
At intervals of 200 miles there Is Hud-
sons Bay post. where new dogs and mer
will be taken as these Indians are IN
willing to 20 further than 200 miles from
their homes, and by these stages he will
go directly north TO Fort Resolution.
Four hundred miles south of Fort Reso-
luton between the Peace and Slave rivers
lies a district which Mr.. Radford is very
anxious to explore and into which he will
make side trip IL it is possible. This ls
the country Of the wood bison, which MIR
Radford saws is without exception the
rarest and least known animal in the world
No sportsman has ever shot one, he de-
clares. and it is thought that there are
not more than 800 specimens extant AT
the present time. Very few men have
even seen them, and IL il Mr.. Radford' a
intention not TO shoot them but to OBJ
serve their habits. make an examination
of them and attempt 10 discover the rea-
SONS for their diminution with n view of
restoring them TO their former abundance.
He will take a stereoecopic camera and
hopes to be able TO get some good photo
graphs.
Mr.. Radford believes that this IL the
first serious effort which has ever been
made to study carefully the wood bison
Other men who have made expeditions
into this country have selected the sum-
mer as the time of their trips. WsTbnrton
Pike was there in 1890, Caspar Whitney in
1895 and Ernest Thompson-Seton in 1901.
Mr.. Radford hopes that by being in the
country in the winter when the bisons,
tracks may be found in the snow, he will
be able 70 get results where others have
March and April in this region.
From Fort Resolution Mr.. Radford will
either go directl ynorth across the barren
lands. Of which no accurate maps exist
or il he fails in this because of not being
able 10 induce Indians to go with him
he will 60 down the Mackenzie River 70
its delta at Fort Mcpherson. II he finds
the former route possible ~ viii bring
him to the shores Of the Arctic Ocean al
Bathurst Bay Just what season Of the
year will find him at this point Mr. Rad
ford cannot say But he expects TO spend
two or three winters in this country
where 30 below zero is not uncommon
and he hopes 10 be able 10 make his home
with the Eskmos in the seyerest por-
tions Of the year
SkirtinR the shores Of the Arctic 70
the Alaskan boundary he will ascend the
Yukon to its source and then descend II
10 it's mouth. Then he will cross 10 Nome
City. spending several weeks there re-
cuperatng
Crossing Bering Straits on some Rus
sian boat or Junk he will spend some
time on the East Cape of Asia studying
any animals he may find Of which little
is known The last lap Of this eNtraor-
binary trip will he down the Pacific coast
to San Francisco.
Although he IL only 2s years old Mr.,
Radford is member Of many societies
OF naturalistS and he is recognized
authority on the sports and natural his
tory Of the Adirondacks He has letters
from many prominent scientists wishing
him success in his undertaking and Of
fering him their help in any way he may
desire. Mr.. Roosevelt is keenly interested
in the trip.
Archbishop Farley, TO whom Mr.. Rad
ford explained his plans on Thursday
followed his proposed journey on a map
and at the end OF the interview. after Civ
ing him letters TO the prelates and mis-
sionaries Of Canada, conferred his official
blessing on Mr.. Radford and his explora-
tions,