Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-09-13
ANDERSON PARTY
MAKES RICH FINDS
iowa Explorer Discovers Elk,
tensive Deposits Of Copper
in Arctic Region.
NEW ANIMALS AND PLANTS


isfied with their work, the seven mem
oers Of the PARTY Of DR.. Rudolph NJ.
Anderson, commander OF the southern
branch Of the Stefansson Canadian ex-
petition into the far north, will leave
Seattle, where they arrived yesterday,
for Ottawa in a few days to make re-
ports to the Canadian government on
the results achieved. They will re-
port, DR.. Anderson said today, many
interesting discoveries, including
great findings Of copper, new species Of
small animals, and perhaps new spe-
cies Of flowers. Stefansson, it was
reported, was believed to be eontin-
1ing his explorations north Of Prince
Patricks island.
Great Deposits Of Copper.
Discussing today the work Of his
party, DR.. Anderson said:
I'VE were especially instructed to
survey the copper deposits already
known and seek new ones. Every
explorer from the earliest times had
noted that the Eskimos east OF the
Mackenzie used knives, spcarhcads
and utensils hammered from copper,
and the Copperminc river, which
empties into the Arctic, got its name
from mineral discovered many years
ago. We found on Coronation gulf
and Bathurst inlet vast deposits Of
copper Of low grade. We were not
equipped to undertake mining opera
tons, but upon the sides Of cliffs we
could measure the depth of successive
flows OF amygalerdal lava containing
nuggets Of copper An Eskimo
brought to US Jumps Of copper weigh
ing forty pounds. There were seams
in the lava that had been filled with
pure copper. Geologist O'Neill took
many samples Of rock, which will be
assayed. He also made estimates Of
the area Of ore in sight. This infor-
nation is for the Canadian govern
fnent and not to be published by US.
The ore had many of the Characters
tics Of the Lake Superior copper rock.
II is workable from the surface and
is near navigablc water. Ii would be
feasible to construct : railroad from
the Mackenzie river, which 10 naviga-
Bile five months Of the year, to Great
Bear lake, which is also Is navigablc
much Of the year. A further railroad
could be built from the lake to the
copper fields, enabling the transpor.
tation OF the ore to the interior Of
Canada by way Of the Mackenzie
river.
"Our headquarters were on the
south side Of Dolphin and Union
straits, which run out OF the west end
Of the Coronation gull. We took
from our vessels enough lumber to
build house. Along the beaches we
found nearly enough small driftwood
to keep us In fuel, but we also used
coal that we took north with US.
There Is workable coal within ten
miles Of Franklin bay, on the Arctic.
This coal outcfops In ravines, veins
several feet thick being found.
Indians and EskImos Trade.
1.-THE Eskimos east Of the Macken.
zie are abandoning their copper and
stone weapons and buying guns when
ever they get Z chance. Lately the
Eskimos and Indians have been meet
ing at Great Bear lake and trading
and they have found this intercourse
highly profitable to both sides, al
though formerly the Eskimos and In
dams avoided each other. The In
dams exchange ammunition, guns and
other goods for fox skins and muskox
hides. There are no Eskimos on
Banks island except during the SUM
Iner, when they 90 to the island to
hunt polar bears, which are abundant
on the island, but not on the main
land. Caribou are plentiful on al the
large islands, Walrus are seldom
found on the shore Of the mainland.
but are abundant on Banks and other
Islands. There Is no salmon run in
the Mackenzie and other arctic rivers,
but trout are abundant. All the fresh
water lakes in the north are, we'll
stocked with lake trout.
New Species OF Animals.
We probably have discovered
number Of new species OF small ami
mails, and we shall find out about
that when the skins and skeletons are
examined at Ottawa. II would not be
possible to find new species Or
even new geographical variety OF
the large mammals. Our botanical
specimens probably contain new spe-
cies Of flowers, but we do not yet
know certainly.
The expedition we regard as hav-
ing accomplished its purpose