Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-01-24

les degrees Of longitude while the
distance across it exceeds by many
hundred miles that from the north
ernmost point of North America TO
the Isthmus Of Panama.
The survey Of these remote regions
was bat one Of the many progressive
improvements for Russia initiated by
that luminous character, Peter the
Great Planned in his last years,
this most extended of geographic sur
veys ever attempted was known as
the Great Northern expedition; 1t
lasted II years. from 1928 to l'42.
It's results gave fame TO Boring, Mura-
yief. TO the Laptiefs, to Prontschlschei
and others. In later days they were
followed by Kotzebue, Wrangel, AEjou
and Sannikof
How Russia has persistently pursued
a maritime policy for the develop
ment of Siberian trade has been
fully set forth by Gen. J. de Schokal-
sky, Russian imperial navy, in vari-
Gus publications. Safe routes of nav
igation to and from the valleys OF
the Yenesei. of the Lena and of other
lesser rivers are absolutely essential
for the prosperity and development
of this habitable empire, which Is
half as large again as is the United
States. Siberia is no lOngerr a coun-
try of convicts. but land swarming
with pioneers. wondrous leaVen
among its 100000 of inhabitants.
Routes via the Kara sea and around
the north end of Nova Zembia have
been tested, but neither has been
found same for commercial ships year
/ after year. It was then suggested that
a satisfactory route could be found
by entering Boring strait. This would
| enable Russia to obtain a Siberian out
| let. with Vladivostok as the main port
! to which would be shipped the prod
ucts of the vast region to the east OF
! Cape Chelyuskin.
In the summer of 1912 two power
/ full ice-breakers, the Taimyr and the
| Vaigatz, made safely a voyage via
| Boring strait to and from the Lena
Standings anc surveys were made en-
route. but ice conditions around Cape
! Chelyuskin prevented the ships from
returning to Russia through the Kara
sea.
Early in July, 1913, the ice breakers
Valgatz and Taimyr left Vladivostol
to prosecute their surveys and to re
new their efforts to round Cape Chel
yuskin and return TO ST. Petersburg
through the Kara sea
The expedition was under command
of General Sergelef, imperial Russian
navy, who was incapacitated by
stroke of apoplexy. Lieutenant viii
kitzky, imperial navy, succeeding Il
the command, made a running surve.
of the Asiatic coast from the kolym;
river, latitude 20 degrees north, longl
tude 100 degrees east, to Cape Chez
yuskin. 1t is the first time that thi
cape has been visited by a ship com
ing from the eastward. Wilkitzky'
hopes of completing the circumnav
CATION of Asia were destroyed in long
tude 90 degrees east, where he foun
an impenetrable barrier of soil
ice.
AS the sea was open to the nortf
he decided to explore this unknow
area of the Siberian ocean. To hi
, establishment. he soon sighted hig
peaks, the SUBMITS of a new land. |
, latitude 81 degrees north, longitud
100 degrees east he landed, hoiste
, the Russian imperial colors, took POI
session of the land in the name of tn
, car and named it Nicholas Secon
Land.
: Wilkitzky followed the land nortl
ward, finding it with a continuin
I northwesterly trenG In latitude
2 degrees north, longitude 90 degree
D east, he found a pack of solid ic
which forbade further progress
4 though the land reached as far as til
= eye could see. Retracing his cours
+ the southern extremity of the ne
e land was found in latitude 70 d
s grees north, longitude 104 degree
3 east, whence the coast took a treI
b to the northeast. The land is thu