The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-06-19
IOWA EXPLORER
ON HIS WAY NORTH
'STEFANNSoN PARTY SETS OUT
FOR THE POLAR REGION.
THE PURPOSES ARE PRACTICAL
No Effort viii be Made to Reach the
North Pole-Expedition viii be
Entirely Devoted to Evpiora.
ton and Scientific Work.

Victoria, B. c., June 1S.-The Cana
dian polar exploration expedition
which will spend three years in the
arctic under the direction of Vilhjal-
mar Stefansson, of Iowa university,
the discoverer of the blonde Eskimos,
set out today when the old whaler
Karluk, under the command of Capt.
Robert Bartlett, with ten scientists
and crew of fifteen men steamed
from Victoria for the far north.
Dr. Stefansson did not sail on the
iKarluk, remaining behind to COM
Eplete book he is writing. He will
join his vessel at Nome, Alaska, about
July 20.
Dr. r. M. Anderson, who will have
charge of the southern party which
will use the auxiliary gasoline schoo-
ner Alaska, now awaiting the arrival
of the party at Nome, and will visit
Nictorialand, also remains behind.
The departure of the Karluk was
witnessed by large crowd which as.
,sembled at the wharf to bid the ex-
Iplorers farewell and as the vessel
headed out of the harbor the whistles
IOf harbor craft were footed, the
Ithrong on shore exchanged cheers
with the men on the boat.
The scientific work of the expedi.
ton began with the sailing of the
Karluk, James Murray, oceanogra-
pher, beginning his investigation of
currents, while Fritz Johansen, Unit
ed States government biologist, be-
gan investigating the sea life in the
water through which the Karluk pass
led. Murray and Johansen will con-
duct constant research into ocean
fish and other life, the chemistry OF
the sea, temperature of water, direc.
Ition of currents, ETC., in laboratory
constructed especially for them on
the deck of the old whaler.
The Stefansson arctic expedition,
whose expenses are paid entirely by
the Canadian government, diners
from most of the other polar under
in that its objects are praetl.
lcal and commercial. Its purposes
are to learn whether a polar contin.
'ent exists; to map the islands al
ready discovered east OF the mouth
of the Mackenzie river; to make a
collection. of the arctic fora and
fauna; to survey the channels among
the islands in the hope of establish
ing trade routes; to make geologi-
cal survey of the islands, which are
believed to contain copper and other
minerals, and to study the blonde
Eskimo of Coronation gulf, on the
main land south of Victorialand.
No effort will be made to reach the
north pole; that will be left to Amund-
sen, who will sail into arctic waters
next summer. No attempt will be
made to bring back any of the blonde
Eskimos or to open their country to
Utilization. which Stefansson says
would destroy them. The expedition
expects to return to Nome in Septem'
Der, 1916, but may be corried to
Greenland, crossing the north pole
on the way.
| Stefansson's expedition, when 1t
leaves Nome, Alas, on July 20, will be
composed of the old barkentine rig
ged wooden whaler Karluk, 247 tons,
and the gasoline screw vessel Alaska
thirty-two tons which is already in
the north and will meet the Karluk
at Nome. From Nome the ships will
proceed north through Boring strait
into the arctic ocean during the brief
period of open water and head east
to Beaufort sound 1t is reported
that a continent exists north OF the
sea and the Karluk will steer due
north and seek land on which Stefans'
son and his party may establish
base, the Karluk returning to Her
schel island for the winter.
! The ice in Beaufort sea may lay
hAl Of hn II aPInR and her
toward Greenland, or it may crush
the ship into bits. The explorers are
prepared for either event. II the
Karluk Is able to make its way north
through the supposed location OF the
continent and no land is found, it will
if possible, make it's way east to
Prince Patrick Island and winter
there, with the purpose of making
winter sledge journeys north and
east.
! With Stefansson on the Karluk In
the northern party will be Capt. Rob
ert Bartlett, a old sailing master, and
. a picked crew of Britishers; James
Murray, oceanographer; w. T. Mckin
ley, magnetician, University of Glas
gov; George Malloch, Canadian gov
eminent geologist and a specialist In
stratagraphy.
Most of the scientists will join the
southern, or Victorialand party, OF
the Alaska. From Point Barrow she
will hurry eastward, hoping to react
IA base on Simpson bay, Victorialand
before winter sets in. In this party
will be DIR. R. NJ Anderson, BIOLOGIST
commanding; Fritz Johansen, United
States government biologist; j. b
O'Neil, mining geologist, member
geological survey; Kenneth Chap
man and ]. C. Cox, Canadian topog
aphers; Henri Beauchat, authrolo
gist, Paris; DR.. Jennis, ethnologist
DR.. A. Forbes Mackey, Shakelton'
antarctic expedition surgeon OF Edin
burgh university, and photographer
and cinematographers.
A thorough scientific exploration
will be made of Victorialand. whicl
is supposed TO contain great cope
deposits. Visits will also be paid I
Al n.lx ka tr.II y