Imperial Valley press., 1917-06-16
.STEFFANSON IS
ALONE IN ARCTIC
ALL OTHER EXPLORERS HAN f.
RETURNED.
M'MILLAN COMES OUT
LEFT VICTORIA, b.
C., IN JUNE, 1913.
Discover Large Island Northwest OF
Prince Patrick Land After
Many Hardships.
CBy Associated PreSS)

(By Associated Press)
Seattle. June 16.-The arrival II
Greenland of the Mcmillan expedition
which left New York in July, 1913, tc
explore Crocker Land, and which re-
ported that this supposed continent
whose mountain tops Rear Admlra
robert f. Peary believed he had seen
n 1906, did not exist, leaves VilhJal,
rIur Steffanson, at the head of a Ca
madam expedition, as the only explor-
er in the Arctic seas. 1t is believed
that Stefansson and his "a white men
and 10 Eskimos already are or soon
will be heading eastward from Melville
island on board the motor vessel Po-
lar Bear in an attempt to make the
/ Northeast passage from the Pacific to
the Atlantic ocean.
Left in 1913.
Stefansson and his expedition left
Victoria, B. c., June II, 1913, just
four years ago, in the steam whaler
harluk. At Nome, Alaska, the expe
dition was divided into northern and
southern parties, Stefapsson, on the
Karluk, taking command of the for
rler, which was to seek new land
rcrth of the mouth of the Mackenzie
river, and DR.. Rudolph Nj. Anderson,
with two smaller vessels, proceeding
toward the Coronation Gulf country,
east of the Mackenzie delta, to make
a geological, botanical and biological
survey of the country, besides chart
ing channels and studying the Eski-
lcos, some of whom are blue-eyed, il
IS supposed from an admiXture o.
blood from the lost Scandinavian col
ony of Greenland.
Stop at Barrow.
The Karluk stopped at Point Bar
1ow, the most northerly point of Alas
ka, early in September. 1913, and was
at once clutched by the ice. On Seq
tember 10 the ship was apparently
frozen in for the winter, and Stefans-
son, accompanied by two white men
end two Eskimos, went ashore to hunt
caribou for winter meat. While he
was absent g violent storm arose and
flew the Karluk out to sea. The Kar-
lux was soon afterward again gripped
fy the ice and carried westward, be-
ing finally crushed by the ice Janu-
ary 1G, 1914, east of Wrangell island,
which is north of Siberia. The men
took to the ice, but became separated,
and several were never seen again.
The others, under Captain Robert
Bartlett, reached Wrangell island, and
eight men were rescued in September,
1914, by a vessel sent to the island
for the purpose, Captain Bartlett hav-
ing made his way over the ice to
Siberia and Nome with news of the
disaster.
Meanwhile Stefansson and his as
5cciates moved eastward along the
shore of the Arctic and fell in with
he Anderson party in winter quarters
at Martin Point, west of the mouth
OF the Mackenzie river.
Stefansson and two companions set
.Crt in March, 1914, over the ice with
dogs and made their way due porth,
discovering large island or continent
northwest of Prince Patrick island
I'D making a safe return to Banks
island. Stefansson passed the sum-
mers of 1915 and 1916 in exploring
fhis new land, having established COM
municaton in 1915 with the Ander-
son party through the power boat
Polar Bear, which had gone to Banks
ltrd with supplies. Stefansson pur-
chased the Polar Bear, and has since
made it his headquarters. Most of
the crew of the Polar Bear remained
With him. He has an abundance Of
! food, and a large stock Of gasoline.