Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-01-05
The LAST VOYAGE
OF THE KARLUK
A Remarkable Tale Of Endur-
anCe and DeIiveranCa.
.HEROISM OF BARTLETT

/ o'eo "ies Siono through FROZEN re-
gions to Bring About Rescue Of Men,
! bers Of Expedition Stranded In Ice
When karluk Sank.
| To the swelling library Of arctic adj
venture there has just been added
most Interesting contribution. and this
is The Last Voyage of the karluk,"
by Captain Robert \. Bartlett, master
of the ship. 1t is Il remarkable tale
OF endurance and deliverance
StefansSen's Canadian arctic expedi-
ton set out from Esquimalt, b. c., In
the summer of 1913, aboard the old
whaling ship karluk While Stefuns.
sons division of the expedition was to
search Tor new land. perhaps new
continent, north of Beaufort sea, the
karluk party was to explore the region
west OF the Parry islands, and. if
caught In the ice. To test by obserya-
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 casks
and wreckagc drifting across the pole
from the waters OF Alaska and Siberia
to the Greenland sea is Il mistaken one.
He thinks that stout craft built in
general like Pearys Roosevelt, with
ships company of eight. who should be
a nj cnianttti, IN In,
follow this drift through its 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 Bartlett's
book the New York Times thus epito-
( mics one of the most remarkable OF
all arctic adventures:
"On June II, 1913, the Karuk left
EsQuimalt and made for Nome, whore
she stayed until July -. Tho next
day she reached Port Clarence and
after staying there some thirteen days
to make final preparations started ont
on tho great voyage By the end Of
August she was frozen in the ice.
ION Sept % Stefansson and party
set out to obtain caribou and fish
Five days later terrific gale sprang
up, the Ice began to move. and finally
the vessel began to drift, wedged in
on all sides b. masses of ice
How the Ship Was Lost.
"The drift continued. and the Knrluk
WAS at the mercy OF the masses OF
moving ice. In October she was still
drifting along in no:thcasterly d.
rection, and the ships company pre-
I pared for an extended stay on the
moving ice
1.-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
great crack appeared in the vessel. an:
the men prepared to leave her. There
was rush to save all the stores posi-
BILE. and they were just In time. for Oh
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 spcnt
the winter, following the routine set
/ up on board the vessel Captain Bart
i 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 landward journey,
two OF which, composed of four mem
bers each, persisted on the Ice, and OF
the final migration of the rest Of the
company to Wrangel island.
1T was long. painful journey, but
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 all
those who had been placed In his care
by Stefansson. So on March Is, ac-
companicd only by young Eskimo
and with one sledge and seven dogs, he
set out to get news of the disaster he
fore the authorities at Ottawa.
A Tramp Across Frozen Seas.
"Now begins wonderful tale Of
travel across the Ice. Captain Bartlett
started out and walked over the frozen
seas 200 miles to the Siberian coast
and then for another 500 miles east
ward to get a ship for Alaska The
journey took the two men over two
months. 1t was u trip never accom-
plshed before by any man. an adven
ture on which untold dangers and suf-
fcrings were experienced
The Times goes on to relate how the
Wrangel lsand party were eventually
rescued, less three who had died from
exposure, and adds:
"rhls Is the story of Captain Bartlett
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 1t Is touched
here and there with Il humor that lights
up the grim perls Of the arctic"