Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1913-10-17
A NEW LAND FOUND
RUSSIAN EXPLORERS REPORT
DISCOVERY IN THE ARcTlcs-
LARGE As GREENLAND.
HAD BEEN QUEST Of ADMIRAL PfARY
Hitherto Unknown Land North Of
Siberia, Where Stefensson 10 Now
Headed-canadlan Expedition
Not Recently Heard From.

st. Michaels. Alaska.-The Russian
government steamers Taimyr and
Waygatch. under Commander whisky,
which have been engaged in arctic ex-
ploration north Of Siberia for three
years. arrived here October IL for coal.
Captain Whisky reports the discovery
Of body Of land as large as Greenland
extending beyond latitude 81 north and
longitude 102 east.
Did 9tefaneson Discover II?
Admiral Peary and other arctic ex-
plorers have believed that large body
Of land. almost q continent. existed in
the polar regions. The Canadian gov
ernment had so much faith in the
theories Of Peary, Stefansson and other
explorers that last summer 1t sent
Vilhjalmar Stefansson to the arctic
with the best equipped polar expedi.
ton that ever entered the ice.
Three Of Stefansson's boats are
frozen In the ice pack near Point Bar
row, Alaska. Two Of these boats car.
ried supplies which were to be landed
at depots east Of the mouth Of the
Mackenzie. The third was to explore
the mainland and islands already
known east of the Mackenzie delta.
Stefansson himself, with the whaler
Karluk. got away safely from Point
Barrow and steered for the mouth,
seeking the unknown continent which
the Russian expedition that arrived at
st. Michael reports discovering
nicholas Second Land"
St Michael. Alaska.-The Russian
flagship Taimyr and its consort. the
Waygatch. which constitute a Russian
polar expedition under Commander
Wilkitsky. which left Vladivostok June
10 OF this year, reached st. Michael,
stormbound. October 9 and brought to
that port news Of the discovery north
OF Siberia, In latitude 81 north, longi-
tude 1O4 east, OF q new uninhabited
mountainous land, possibly a CONT
nent.
The expedition landed with difficulty
on the new land, raised the Russian
flag on 1t and took possession in the
name Of the car. Commander. Will
kitsky christened the new land "Nicho-
las Second Land"
The expedition sailed from Vladivo-
stok by way Of Petropovlock and East
Cape and thence westward along the
Siberian coas- to latitude So east.
Tells Of New Country.
Commander Wilkitsky says that the
shore Of the new country where the
expedition landed and along which the
vessels travelled is rocky, with high,
abrupt cliffs. formed evidently from
volcanic activity. Volcanoes of the dis
trict possibly may have been active
recently, he said. Many high peaks.
he stated, were discernible inland from
the vessels and what seemed to be
yapor could be seen arising from one
of these. The temperature taken on
the water near the shore line was 51.8
degrees Fahrenheit, while that taken
on shore was 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
The land was covered with snow al
most to the sea.
In July and August the expedition
saw much evidence Of the presence on
the land Of reindeer. Many walrus
were seen and bird life was plentiful.
A number Of polar bears also were no
ticed. The vegetation on the new
land, Commander Wilkitsky stated.
was but scant Twenty fathoms from
shore depth Of water Of 95 fathoms
was sounded.