Evening star., 1913-05-22
|STEF FANSSON READY
FOR ARCTIC TRIP
viii Leave New York Next
Week to Hunt for Polar
Continent.
HIS BODY OF SCIENTISTS
LARGEST'EvER GATHERED
Twelve Specialists in Group and
Peary's Cd Commander Bart
lett Is His Captain.

NilhjaimUr Stefansson and his men will
leave New York next week to spend the
next three or four years in the Arctic
regions. They are as Unconditional and
placid about it as though they were going
to Jersey City.
If you do not hear from us in three or
four years do not worry said Mr..
Stefansson to friends in New York few
days ago. The chances are that we will
be all right. 1t isn't always possible to do
things in a hurry up there-but it is
Usually possible to do them if you know
how
Mr.. Stefansson will be at the head of
the most important scientific expedition
as distinguished from an exploring eX-
pedition-that ever entered the polar re-
gions. In several respects 1T will be
unique. Its aim is more comprehensive
than that Of any of it's predecessors. 1t
is the largest purely scientific expedition
ever to enter these regions.
Greatest Number of Scientists.
1t will be accompanied by more spe-
cialists of science than any previous one.
so far as Mr. Stefansson can discover
that was ever sent out at the sole ex-
pense of a government. Canada is paying
the cost No individual has contributed
penny, although the National Geo
graphic Society of Washington first voted
Stefansson the sum OF So, ,o0J for the trip,
and only relinqu.shed its claim on the ex-
plOrers services when it was found tnat
the Canadian government desired TO Ia
H. md q.
in accordance with the National Geo
graphic Society's idea, this year.
1t will differ from other expeditions IN
the plan of operation, too. Mr.. Stefans-
sons primary aim is to learn Wnetner or
not there is land in that vast unexplored
area which lies to the north and west OF
Beaufort sea- This is the largest por-
tion of the globe still unexplored. In
order to make this discovery Stefansson
will wait until the wind turns easterly
sometimes the winds blow in one d.
rection for half a year on end-and then
he will sail north along the meridian OF
141 through Beaufort sea. III the Wlnd
blows west the Beaufort sea will be
choked bv ice. Then he'll make his
dash by dog sled.
Sensational Feature.
That is perhaps the most sensational
feature of our expedition" said Mr.
Stefansson. very candidly. You see.
we're going into the unknown. And when
| you leave your base in the Arctic you
must depend on Providence. But We do
not expect anything to happen"
| What might happen?" he was asked.
The ship might be nipped by the ice,
said he Then we'd walk out"
| Inquiries later from DR.. r. M. Ander-
| son discovered that this walk out would
| be of 500 to 600 miles over frozen Arc
( tic sea, to the nearest possible supply
I depot. That is why Stefanssons twelve
| scientists have been chosen with due re-
| gard to wind and limb as well as 70
| their scientific knowledge.
| Il hunted all over the world to find the
| right men for this expedition" said he.
| The secondary purpose of the expedi
| ton is to find out all that Is findable
about the birds and beasts and land ano
sea of that portion of the Arctic which
touches on the Beaufort sea. That Il
| why Stefansson has planned the sort o.
! expedition he has. If one could imagine
| Stefansson as giant throwing handful
| of buckshot at the map-each bucksho
| a specialist in science-One could get &
fair idea of what he hopes to do.
when I was on Victoria Island sait
he, Il found copper. Now, / don't know
anything about copper. except to recog
nize a chunk of it when | see 1t. So
| got "a specialist in copper
j A Mining Geologist.
/ He is j. j. O'Neill, mining geologist
who Is now making special study o.
the copper deposits in Michigan Vic
toria Island is to be the southern base o
the expedition. Another geologist-Georg'
| Malloch now on leave of absence from
Yale-is specialist on stratiography. He
goes to the northern base Up there th'
| rocks are stratified and there are indica
/ tions OF coal deposits. 1t is up to MallOcf
| to find them. Science wants to know al
| about the floor and currents and tides
and animal and vegetable life of the arc
| tic seas So that Stefansson is taking
along James Murray of Glasgow. ar
oceanographer, who was biologist or
| Shackleton' antarctic expedition.
mo other expedition has ever carried
an oceanographer, said Stefansson
rather proudly.
| There are twelve specialists, not count
ing the chief himself. and every one is a
picked man.
II could get college graduates by the
| carload" said he But l do not want
them They are incapable of scientific
| work. Their equipment is just youth and
ginger. / gathered men for this expedi-
ton who can be self-supporting at need
and who are also scientists of world-ac-
| cepted reputation.
He explained the meaning of the term
| ''self-supporting.
| Il nave nVed IOr mOntnS Oh Hed'
straight" said he, land l kept perfectly
/ 1T But not one man in ten is fit to un-
dergo a similar experience. The trouble
isn't physical but temperamental. Your
man will cay that he is no savage and
pretty soon he'll tell you that he'll not
| live like a savage And what is he 60
/ ing to do when there is nothing there tc
eat but meat? Too many men want all
the comforts they could get in America :
No Needless Hardships.
4 Stefansson doesn't intend to subject his
men to needless hardships. His expedi
| ton is to set sail in two ships. The Kar
LUX q stout whaler of 247 tons. about