The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-07-01
A POLAR EXPEDITION
STEFANSSON AND CREW ARE
READY TO SAIL FROM ALAS
KA ON 2OTH OF MONTH.
PERILS OF THE ICE REGION
Expedition Differs From Other Polar
Undertakings in That Its Objects
Are Practical and Commercial. A
Familiar Country to Explorer.

Familiar Country to Explorer.
VICTORIA. B. C-Official cere-
monies have been held and Dr. With
1alhar Stefansson and his party early
to day were ready to sail on an eX-
ploring and chronological expedition
in the Arctic on the steamer kar-
lux. A luncheon was given to Mr..
Stefansson last night by members OF
the government of British Colum bia.
At the end of the luncheon Sir
Richard Mcbride on behalf OF the
people of British Columbia presented
to Mr. Stefansson a silver plate en-
graved with a suitable legend and
containing also the names of all the
members of the staff.
Mayor Morley and the aldermen OF
the city visited the Karluk and pre-
sented the expedition with set OF
flags to be used in taking possession
of new lands should any be discoV-
cred. The Karluk took on today a
deck cargo of fifty tons of the best
Welsh coal,
The Stefansson Arctic expedition,
whose expenses are paid entirely by
the Canadian government, differs
from most of the other polar expo |
ditions in chat its objects are prac-
teal ard commercial. Its purposes
are to learn whether a polar con- |
tinent exists; to map the islands al
ready discovered east of the rloutn |
of the Mackenzie river; to make a
fauna; to survey the channels
among the islands in the hope OF es-
tablishing trade routes; to make a
geological survey of the islands, |
which are believed to contain copper
and other minerals and to study the
blonde Eskimos of Coronation Gulf,
on the mainland south of Visitor is-
land. No effort will be made to
reach the North Pole; that will be
left to Amundsen, who will sail into
the Arctic next summer. No attempt
will be made TO bring back any OF
the blonde Eskimos. or to open their
country to civilization, which Stef-
ansson says would destroy them.
The expedition expects to return to
Nome in September, 1916, but may
be carried to Greenland, crossing the
North Pole on the way.
The Stefansson expedition, when 1t
T,11u
will be composed of the old barken-
tine-rigged wooden whaler Karluk,
247 tons, and the gasoline screw
vessel Alaska, 80 tons, which is al
ready in the north, and will meet the
Karluk at Nome. From Nome the
ships will proceed north through
Behring Strait into the Arctic ocean
during the brief period of open wa
ter and head east to Beaufort sea.
1t is reported that continent exists
north of the sea and the Karluk will
steer due north and seek land on
which Stefansson and his main party
may establish a base, the Karluk re-
turning to Herschel island for the
winter. The foe in Beaufort sea
may lay hold of the Karluk and carry
her toward Greenland, or it may
crush the ship into bits. The explor-
ers are prepared for either event.
If the Karluk is able to make its
way north through the supposed To-
cation of the continent and no land |
is found it will, if possible, make its
way east to Prince Patrick island,
and winter there with the purpose of
making winter sledge journeys north |
and east.
Bartlett Is Going.
With Stefansson on the Karluk, in |