Bridgeton pioneer., 1916-11-30

Noted Explorer Travelled Seven Hun
dred Miles Alone Through Frozen Re-
gions to Bring About Rescue of Mem.-
bers of Expedition Stranded In icsr
When karluk Sank.
To the swelling library of arctic ad--
venture there has just been added u
most interesting contribution, and this
Is "The Last Voyage of the Karluk,~
by Captain Robert A. Bartlett, master
or the ship. 1t is a remarkable tale
of endurance and deliverance.
StefanSsen's Canadian arctic expefIf--
tion set out from Esquimalt, b. c. In
the summer of 1913, aboard the odd
whaling ship Karluk. While Stefans-
sons division Of the expedition was to-
search for new land, perhaps new
continent, north of Beaufort sea, tho
Karluk party was to explore the region
west of the Parry islands, and, IL
caught in the ice, to test by Observa-
tion of the ships drift the correctness
OF certain theories about the course OF
arctic currents.
As to these currents, Captain Bart
lett concludes that the old idea OF easks
and wreckagc drifting across the pole
from the waters of Alaska and Siberfa
to the Greenland sea is mistaken one
He thinks that stout craft buiIt I'm
general like Peary's Roosevelt, with O
ships company of eight. who should be
crew and scientific staff in one, could
follow this drift through it's whole
course and would complete the circuit
of the Arctic ocean in three or four
years. To prove his own theory Cap
tain Bartlett is organizing new arctic
expedition.
In review of Captain BartIettls
book the New York Times thus epito-
mizes one of the most remarkable OF
all arctic adventures:
"On June II, 1918, the KarIuk left
Esquimalt and made for Nome. where
she stayed until July 13. The next
day she reached Port Clarence and
after staying there some thirteen days
to make final preparations started Ouc
on the great voyage By the end OF
August she was frozen in the ice.
"On Sept. 20 Stefansson and party
set out to obtain caribou and fisIs
Five days later a terrific gale sprang
up. the ice began to move. and finally
the vessel began to drift. wcdged in
on all sides by masses of ice
How the Ship Was Lost.
'"rhe drift continued. and the Kariuk
was at the mercy of the masses Of
moving Ice. In October she was still
drifting along in a northeasterly d.
rection, and the ships company pre-
pared for an extended stay on the
moving ice.
"The sun disappeared on Nov. II, and
the ships party set about making the
best of the long arctic winter. But
during the night of New Years day
ominOus crackings were heard through
out the ship 1t was the ice pressure
asserting itself. Ten days after this u
great crack appeared in the vessel, and
the men prepared to leave her There
was rush to save all the stores posst<
Bile, and they were just in time. for ON
Jan. II, 1914, the Karluk sank in thir-
ty-eight fathoms of water
''In the camp that was set up near
the locality of the wreck the party spent
the winter, following the routine set
up on board the vessel. Captain Bart
lett tells, with liveliness of detail, OF
the activities of the company of ship
wrecked explorers, of the parties that
set out to make the landwar1 journey.
two of which, composed of four MEM.
bers each, perished on the ice and OF
the final migration of the rest of the
company to Wrangel island
1T was long, painful journey, bug
by March II land was reached The
expedition was lost, however. and
Captain Bartlett felt that assistance
must be obtained at whatever cost, and
the risk was undertaken by him as be-
ing responsible for the safety of an
those who had been placed In his care
by Stefansson. So on March IS ac-
companied only by young Eskimo
and with one sledge and seven dogs. ha
set out to get news of the disaster be-
fore the authorities at Ottawa.
A Tramp Across Frozen Seas.
"Now begins a wonderful tale OF
travel across the ice. Captain BartIcak
started out and walked over the frozen
seas 200 miles TO the Siberian ecass;
and then for another 500 GiFes, east.
ward to get a ship for AI;tSI>,e The.
journey took the two men ov9r ewa.
months. 1t was trip never accom-
plished before by any man. am adSef--
ture on which untold dangers and sssf--
ferings were experienced
The Times goes on TO relate how TIC
Wrangel island party We're eventuaIfy
rescued, less three who had died frotu
exposure, and adds:
"This is the story of Captain BsrtIetr.
which he tells with an earnestness
that comes only from one who has
fought with the stern forces Of nature,
In the frozen seas. Yet it is touchests
here and there with humor that lights
up the grim perils of the arctic"