Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-01-03
The health of the queen is poor, and
she may have to go abroad in the near
future.
NORWAY.

Christian Leden, of Kristiania, has
just returned from a stay of several
months In the far northwest arranging
for an exploration trip to the arctic on
which he hopes to start next spring.
When the ice of the Athabasca river
breaks up, Leden, accompanied by
three other Norwegians, hopes to be
at the Landing with specially con-
structed boats, about $4,000 pounds of
provisions, sleighs, skis, etc., ready for
TWO or three-year trip. From Atha-
basca Landing, the little party will 20
up the Athabasca and Slave rivers to
Great Slave Lake, and then up the
Mackenzie river to Mackenzie bay.
They then hope to make the northwest
passage, keeping close in to the coast
to King William land, whence dash
across neck of land will bring them
to Chesterfield inlet, now a Hudson
Bay post. They expect that an iceboat
will bring them back into civilization.
From the Eskimos the party will pur-
chase dogs to pull their sleighs for
short trips on land or in the emer.
gency of their boats being abandoned,
Leden is used to Eskimo life, and says
the happiest race on the earth is the
colony of. Eskimos in northern Green
land. He will make this trip with q
view of studying the Eskimo. He feels
that the Eskimo race is doomed to
extinction and that what records may
now be secured may prove soon to be
records of extinct tribes. Accordingly
he will go upon their desolate shores
with photograph and moving picture
camera, to bring home as much real
song and talk as possible. ALT Hoel,
a distinguished geologist of Chris
tiania, is to be one of Leden's asso-
ciates. The party expects to arrive in
Mackenzie bay in July, 1912, and from
that point east Leden will be largely
guided by Amundsen's papers drawn
up during his remarkable voyage. AS
1914 will see. the centennial celebra-
ton of Norway's independence, Leden
would like to be home by that time,
otherwise he is Indifferent whether
the trip lasts two or three years.
lingo is the name of small island
close to the northernmost point of
Norway. At this place is a wireless
telegraph station which forms the con-
Meeting link between Spitzberegen and
Europe. Part of the first message sent
to Kristiania from Spitbergen, by way
of lingo, reads as follows: "The con-
nection Spitzbergen-Ingo was com
pleted this morning. 1t promises to be
good connection. Experiments will be
continued. The line can be opened to
the public at any time. All hands are
we'll and it is splendid to stay here;
cold and dark, but coy. All machines
and apparatus work satisfactorily.
have the honor on account of the crew
to congratulate you with the success
full completion. Peter
sen. The dispatch was addressed to
Thomas Heftye, general director Of
Norwegian telegraphs and telephones.
Mr.. Heftye, who Is an aggressive man,
lieutenant colonel in the army and
twice minister of war, originated the
idea of building wireless station at
Spitzbergen about a year ago, and his
proposal was Immediately accepted by
the storthing, which appropriated the
necessary funds for erecting stations
at Green harbor, Spitzbergen, and at
lingo, Norway. There are two steel
masts at each place nearly two hun
dred feet high. The steamer Fanny
made two trips loaded with the ma
terials for building the station, engine
and wiring houses. Forty workmen
completed the outfit during the sum-
mer. Three telegraph operators, an
electrician, an engineer and cook
complete the crew of the station, and
they are deliberately fitted out with
sufficient stores to keep going more
than year, besides what they may Sc
cure themselves by hunting, as good
guns and plenty of ammunition were
also sent along. The system employed
for wiring is the telefunk invented by
Professor Slaby and Count Arco, with
headquarters at Berlin. The second
mast at lingo is not quite finished, hay-
ing been much delayed by furious tenn
pests. This telegraph line is probably
one of the first which has ever been
erected without any hope Of direct
profit. Meanwhile the station will
reach over great part Of the Arctic
ocean with a radius of 1000 miles,
and any arctic expedition which will
be frozen in within this radius will
be able to get news from the outside
world If they have a wireless appa-
ratuS along For those Workmen end
trappers who stay in Spitzbergen, 1t
will mean to be in steady touch with
civilization and the sphere Of influence
Of Norway will. in this way, have been
extended to this group of island, which
up to the present time, have been no
mans land.
BATTLE IN PHILIPPINES.