The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1914-02-20
First Letters Received from
Expedition-Tell|s of the
!. Loss Of the Karluk.
FEAR FOR SAFETY OF
THOSE ON BOARD
Several Members Had Gone Ashore,
Leaving Oilers on ship-Northeast-
.er Blows up aud Ice is Released
Disappointed at Losing the Karluk.

New York, Feb. 20.-The first let
ters from the lost stefansson expedi-
tion and the first pliotogra phs taken
BY member of this, party were re-
ceived In New York this week. ,
The Letters. which, tell for the first
time Of the reason fOr>the separation
OF Vtlhjalmur Stefansson and certain
Ing vessel Karluk, set at rest the ru-
mors of friction in the party.
Fear for the safety OF Captain Rob-
ert Bartlett and those who remained
on board the vessel is expressed, how
ever, and the future plans Of Stefans-
son are mentioned.
1t is known that Stefansson. the
dtscoverer Of the blong Eskimos. is
deeply disappointed through the loss
OF the Karluk. for he had felt abso-
lutely certain that 1t would be the ves-
sci first to reach the unknown contin-
ept that Is supposed to lie northeast
OF Alaska.
The letters received here are from
Stefansson and from Bert Mcconnell.
were delivered to Miss Gertrude NJ.
Allen. secretary TO Stefanseon, who
accompanied the party as far north an
Teller, Alaska, and returned last sum-
mer.
Letter Tolls of Lost Men.
Stefansson wrote that he expected
to be at Herschel Island by next May.
1t was McConnell's letter that convey
ed the news Of the expedition. This
was posted at Point Barrow, Alaska,
November 1. and was dated OCTOBER
10, 1t reads:
''stefansson. Jenness. Wilkins and
myself. with two Eskimos, went
ashore September 20 at the mouth OF
the Colviile to hunt caribou, after be-
Ing marooned on one Of the Jones
Islands for several days. Meantime a
MQrtheaster blew up and loosened the
ice that held us all Summer. We had
to kill q seal or two. so we lived very
well. We had two teams Of six dogs
each and arrived on the mainland NJ
Beechey Point On September 20.
as;StekasslSoA.sd Ida to head tor
Point Barroy after being certain that
the the karlua M n,.i had sot cle.r of thss .se
were mar6ahsi eh the second isiand. :
Disappearance Of Karluk. -
We kept a sharp lookout to sea
and one day thought we saw a ship
backing in and out In the ice. Stef-
ansson watched 1t for several hours,
then relieved him and watched for
two hours. We finally lost sight Of
her.
'on October eewe headed for. Point
Barrow. as we had enough dog feed to
last four days. We never hurried on
the entire trip and arrived on the
18th. Mr.. Brewer. a trader, took us
in and We are very comfortable now.
THE Karluk was sighted off Point
Tangent by an old Eskimo who had q
spy glass and who claimed he was
near enough to see her ropes. She
was drifting west, and no smoke was
issuing from her funnel or galley.
There is no reason for doubling the
old mans word, as he knows the KARI
LUX, and has no reason for lying. A
few days later schooner, without
either yards or funnel, was seen of
Point Barrow.
r'At any rate, the boat is adrift
somewhere, and nothing remains to
be done except Join the Alaska and
Mary Sachs. They are at Collinsons
Point, hauled: out for the winter and
in good shape. I am not Of the pes
simistic order, but IL ever see the
Karluk again shall be very much
surprised.
bert Mcconnell"
Stefansson started from Victoria,
3. c.. on June II last, his expedition
being financed by the Canadian gov
ernment. A secondary expedition, un-
der DIR. r. NJ. Anderson. accompanied
the Karluk. utilizing two smaller yes.
sells. the Alaska and the Mary Sachs.
Explanation OF Idfc Prcserycr.
Ottawa, Feb. 20.-An explanation
Of the finding Of life preserver from
Stefansson's Arctic ship the Karluk at
Kvialina: Alaska. last October, is Civ
en- In letter just received by George
j. Desbarats. deputy minister Of naval
affairs, from the department Of the
interior at Washington. d. c. The
letter explains that shortly before
October 10. the date q. H. Mcguire,
an official Of the department of edu.
cation for the United States at XII
valina. found the life. preserver, there
was one OF the worst storms ever re-
corded in that part Of the country.
An extract from Mr.. Magliire,s let
ter to his department at WASHINGTON,
reads: -
I'VE have just passed through per-
haps the very worst storm that has
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