The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-29
ON ARCTIC JAUNT
Explorer Lane VIII Hunt for
StefanssOn Party.
Latter "LOcked Up" in Ice
Bound Region Three Years.
CANADA FINANCES EXPLORING
Seeking New Land in Beaufort
Sea, Also Minerals.
One Boat Crushed in Ice-Lane
Building Arctic Special.

Seattle, April 29.-Captain Louis L.
Lane, an Arctic navigator or long ex-
perience. announced here today that
he will leave Seattle for the Arctic
Ocean about June L in a 3oO-ton
power schooner now being built here,
and expectes to return to Nome or
Seattle next autumn with V1lh1almur
Stefansson and the other members or
the Canadian government exploring
expedition that sailed from Victoria,
B. c. for the Arctic Ocean June II,
1918 Captain Lane plans to be at
Banks Land, in the Polar Sea, about
August 5, and to meet StefansSon
there. Lane, in the power schooner
Polar Bear, took Stefansson and two
companions from Banks Land to Her
schel Island last August, and after
ward sold the Polar Bear to Stefans-
son, who returned to Banks Land with
this boat and the small power boat
Gladiator, intending to pass the winter
in exploration of Banks Land and
then on the breaking of the ice this
spring, making further exploration of
the new land which he discovered last
wear north of Melville Island. Cap
| tain Lane is now in Seattle supervis-
| ing construction of his schooner
Strongest Boat Ever Built.
Captain Lane is going north, not
under contract with the Canadian gov
| eminent but under a verbal agree
ment with Stefansson. Lanes new
power boat, which probably will be
named the Great Bear, Will be OF
wooden construction, and the strong
est ice-resisting vessel even built on
! Puget Sound. Lane will take with
him gasoline and other supplies for
the Stefansson fleet Stefansson has
asked the Canadian government to
permit his parties to continue their
work a year longer, but it is believed
that on account of war conditions the
h. Et7o
| expedition was planned to continue
three and a half years.
| Unless ice movements are unfavor-
able, Captain Lane expects to reach
Banks Land at the time fixed upon.
| If he has good fortune he will call
first at Herschel Island, where he may
receive word from Stefansson. If he
does not get instructions there, he viii
proceed north to Banks Land, max
ing stops at points agreed upon last
year, where Stefansson may have let
| tiers or men waiting for Lane. 1t may
be that the explorers will choose to
return to Nome in their own boats,
| the power schoonerS Polar Bear,
Alaska, Mary Sachs and North Star.
but the vessels probably will be out OF
repair and unable to make the quick
voyage that will be necessary to elude
the treacherous ice, which closes upon
the coast rapidly in early autumn. If
all goes well, the explorers should ar
rive in Nome soon after the middle of
| September.
Discovered Blue Eyed Esl1imos.
The Stefansson expedition from the
beginning was divided into two parties.
The northern, under Stefansson,
planned to seek new land in the Beau
fort sea, and succeeded, notwithstand-
ing the loss of the principal boat, the
whaler Karluk, which was crushed in
the ice the first winter out. The
he aVfxy daH~ nd n h
| Anderson, has been exploring and
I charting the delta of the Mackenzie
river and the country to the east, and
also making a geological survey of the
| islands and mainland at the mouth
| of the great river, making especial