The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-01-11
NORWAY.

Inc Wireless STATION at Gre60 Har-
Dor, Spitsbergen, was opened for pub
lie correspondence Dec. IL. The first
message was sent to the Kristiania
Aftenposten at a cost of almost $500.
1t is all very interesting reading to,
the public at large and some of it's
main points are as follows. The
wireless station works eXcellently.
The installation work commenced July
10 and the station was in working or
der on Sept. %. There was an aver
age of %thirty-three workmen employed.
Altogether, 26,953 working hours were
used, of which Sail comes on unload
ing and transportation. The station
contains the dwelling house of the OF,
orator, the telegraph house, three
storehouses for petroleum, a store
house for coal and wood, four bar
racks and the three-cornered iron
masts 100 meters apart and sixty me-
tiers high. Each mast weighs fifteen
tons and rests on a glass isolation and
is held by three sets of stays, each
containing two iron chains, also iso-
lated at top and bottom by glass iso-
lators. The powerhouse contains two
petroleum motors of the Deutz type,
each of thirty-five horsepower, with
water cooling, air compressors, pumps
and two sixteen-kilowatt dynamos.
The foundations for these engines
weigh sixty tons. BY different phen-
omena we understand that strong and
regularly varying electromagnetic
powers and currents are at work. The
northern lights are scare and always
on the southern horizon, displaying
themselves from east to west. None
have appeared to the northwest.
There are $50 persons wintering at
~Spitzbergen among whom are six wo-
men and two children, one being only
1 veal old. All are doing well. Here
at Green bay are nineteen persons.
The others are at Advent bay, Kings
bay, Sassen bay, Bell sound and at
South cape. There may be some
others at other points. We hear no.
thing from those living beyond Green
harbor. The ice formed at Green har-
Dor o Oct. 81. Drifting ice has not
been cen since the summer. The
first snowfall came on Sept. 16. Later
O. colossal masses of snow have fall
en-. The lowest temperature up to
date has been 81 centigrade. The
equinoxial stroms were terrible. Dur
ing the last few days we have had
mild weather with 3 degrees cent?
grade, so that the immense masses Of
snow have almost disappeared. The
ice in the harbor has also been broken
up by the storms and the harbor is
now open for navigation. We suppose
that the e is now open all the way to
Norway. The difference between
day and night is hardly noticeable.
Animal life is reduced to our seven
dogs, but there are traces of bears,
foxes and ptarmigans, which evidently
sneak around us in the dark. Time
passes quickly thanks to our good
houses, good varying bills of fare, a
large library, lots of work of a varie-
gated nature, electric light, an organ
and a gramophone, good fellow feel
ing, good health, good humor and daily
dispatches of news from the outside
world, sent us by the director of Nor.
wegian telegraphs, Mr.. Heftye.
There are no difficulties in spend
ing a winter in the arctics under such
conditions.-Hermon Peterson"
This is the first telegraphic dispatch
ever received from the Arctics. Great
scientific knowledge is expected to be
gained from this new station, situated
as it is beyond all ordinary human
habitation. Weather observations will
be recorded daily and sent to the
weather bureaus all over Europe.
Prof. Fridtjof Nansen gave a talk
on education at a meeting of the stu
dents society and the way he handled
the Norwegian school system was a
terror to the educators and a great
encouragement to those who ask for
more practical training In the public
schools. This great objection to the
present schools of Norway Is, that
they monkey with too many general.
tiles, making the rising generation SUI.
perficial and poorly equipped for the
demands Of practical life. hansen ).
slogan is, fewer branches. but more
thorough work.