New-York tribune., 1913-11-19
.STEFANSSON SAFE
IS OTTAWA BELIEF
Mounted Police at Herschel Island
Will Be Informed of Report
That Karluk Is Lost.
fBy Telegraph 10 The tribune ]

tBy Telegraph 20 The Trlbunel
Ottawa, Nov. ls.-The Department Of
Naval Service OF Canada. under whose
auspices the stefansson expedition was
equipped and dispatched. is not inclined to
place much credence in the report that he
has been lost with his ship. the Karluk
Until more definite information is forth
coming there will be no apprehension en-
tertalned by officials here
During this season OF the year IT is i'm
possible 10 send any vessel in search Of
the reported lost expedition. and II is un-
likely that such an expedition would be
sent even II the season permitted. II is
expected that the Royal Northwest
Mounted Police at Herschel Island VIII
be communicated with In connection with
the report. but this will take time. as the
trip will have TO pe made from the near
est telegraphic point at Circle, Alaska, to
Herschel Island by dog train. II VIII be
well on in December before word can be
conveyed thither.
Word received by telegraph from Circle.
Alaska. on November 10 from Captain
Anderson. in charge OF the Southern eN-
pedition wintering at Collinson Point IN
formed the department that the harluK'
stefanssons ship. had been last seen OF
EIaxrnan Island about August q, not nav
ing reached Herschel Island. The last
word received from Stefansson by the de-
nartnent was a telegram sent from Nome.
Alaska. early In August, giving an ac-
count OF his sailing from Port Clarence
on July q the Karluk got separated IN
storm from the companion ship Sashs
ar Kotzebue Sound. The whereabouts
OF the Sashs were unknown. Stefansson
stated that the Karluk had behaved wen
in a heavy storm and rounded Point Hope
on July 81. They met ice near Icy cape
The Karluk worked satisfactorily The
whole day OF August | they set fast In
the ice. Early on August they were
six miles from land, thirty miles west OF
BARROW. They worked out within the
next few days and rounded Barrow on
August s. All the members OF the party
were well.
Prior TO his departure Stefansson in
formed the New York Tribune corre-
snondent here that no uneasiness need be
felt II he were not heard from ior TWO
wears and thought that no relief expedl-
ton need be sent until that period, at
least had expired. Stefansson anticipat-
ed trouble, but was prepared for II. In
the event OF his vessel being crushed by
the ice SO as 10 be in danger OF sinking
I'm the spring. he was fully prepared to
unshin the provisions and make the jour
nov bv dog train to Herschel Island and
civilization.
A further alternative was to allow the
ice drift 10 carry his vessel round the
pole and out TO open water in the neigh
borhood OF Greenland. This slow process
he believed might take year
Seattle. Nov. 1s-Whle some anxiety
has been felt Of late for the safety OF
Vilhialmur Stefansson and the Canadian
Arctic exploration expedition which he
led into the north some months ago, IL
was reported here to-day that nothing
had been heard recently which indicated
disaster TO the party.
The supposition here among those IA
mlliar with Stefansson's plans Is that his
ships are frozen in. II is possible that
they have been crushed, as they were not
built TO resist ice pressure. but stefans-
son was prepared to take to the ice in
that event. and there is no more reason
70 feel anxiety for him, his friends say.
than there was some months ago.
The fourth Stefansson ship. the Alaska
is frozen In near the shore east OF Point