The Alaska daily empire., 1913-12-16
STEFANSSON'S OWN STORY
 OF ARCTIC CONDITION

Writing for the Seattle Post-Intelli gencer, the New York Times, and oth CT newspapers, from Point Barrow under date of October 30, Stefansson gives a detailed accout of ice condi. tiOns surrounding the Arctic fleet of exploring and whaling craft. It agrees, in the main, with the state ment of Olaf Swenson, part owner of the Belvidere, who was in Juneau on the Northwestern, which was given in The Empire yesterday. StefanssOn' s statement was sent by wire from Can dle under date of December 5th. In part, it follows:
 This has been a most extraordinary ! icy year in the regions east of Point Barrow. Of the eight vessels that came to Point Barrow this summer the United States revenue cutter Bear, which was beset for some time in the gathering ice, managed to escape and returned to the South. The gasoline boat Alaska of our expedition, and our steam-schooner, the Mary Sachs, are wintering Safe at Collinson Point, while the steam whaling bark Belvi- dere, of the expedition, has apparent ly been placed behind the grounded ice some three miles off shore near the Hist meridian.
 ''The gasoline schooners Elvira and Polar Bear, as we'll as the Karluk, went adrift in moving back and the four-masted schooner Transit was wrecked near Cape Smythe
 karIuk Drifts with the Ice Fields.
 "The Karluk, itself heavily beset in the thickening ice, drifted towards the North, past Barrow Point on August IS. On the same day, however, she be- came free again, but only to be best again by heavy ice four days later, on August F, about fifteen miles off shore in longitude AZ. On August r she managed to get free of the ice once more and thereafter drifted con tinually with the wind in a direction parallel to the coast. This drift con- tinued for days until September 10 On that day she stopped drifting in latitude 70 degrees and AZ minutes and longitude 15O degrees and 2 min utes.
 Believing as we did that the ship was fast for the winter in the ice we we thereupOn, on September 20, left the Karluk, going ashore on a foraging expedition in an attempt to procure a store of fresh meat. This expedition included the following members of our party:
 Party Sets of to Get Fresh Meat.
 "Jenness, a cook; Mcconnell and Wilkins. We took along also two Es- kimos, with two sleds and twelve dogs On September 22, two days later a strong northeast gale sprang up, ac- companied with snow and fog. The vii olence of the gale was such that it broke the ice that had gathered.
 'Believeing as we did that the ship was fast for the winter in the ice, we carried the Karluk west or whether it freed her, allowing her to make pro- gress toward the ast. At all events she should be safe, inasmuch as the wind opened the ice pack, causing no pressure on the Karluk from that source
 Aboard the Karluk are twenty-five persons, including her captain and crew, Capt. Bartlett, Henri Beauchat, Bjarme Mamen, Alister Forbes Mac Kay, George Malloch, William Laird Mckinley. James Murray and five Els kimOs. All members of the party aboard are we'll
 Company in No Danger.
 "The ships company are in no mate rial danger as a result of the present situation. inasmuch as the Karluk is equipped with a skin boat and with proper gear for getting ashore, if need be, over the ice.
 There is no danger; the ship cannot sink suddenly in case she is crushed in by the ice in the course of the winter. From the known drift of the ship Phoe- nix, which also was carried off by the ice, and of ice similar to that around the Karluk, it seems likely that if the Karluk was carried off she will return again.
 Capt. Bartlett, in command of the Karluk, had instructions from me to land Beauchat, Mckinley and Murray some time about Oct. 1, and he will undoubtedly land them if the vessel is