Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-17
BUT ONE EXPLORER.
IS LEFT IN ARCTIC
Stefansson and Party Soon Will
Be Heading Eastward From,
Melville Island. .r
ON BOARD THE POLAR BEAR
He Hopes to Accomplish North4
east Passage and Ascend s
St. Lawrence River. -

tBy Associated Prcss.J
SEATTLE WASH, June 16.-The arr
rival in Greenland of the Mcmillan ax-
petition. which left New York in July
1913, to explore Crocker Land, and
which reported that this supposed con-
tinent. whose mountain tops Rear-Ad-
miral Robert f. Pcary believed he had
seen in 1905. did not exist leaves VII.
hjalmur Stcfansson. at the head of a
Canadian expedition. the only explorer
In the Arctic Seas. 1t is believed that
Stefansson and his twenty-four white
men and nineteen Eskimos already are,
or soon will be. heading eastward from
Melville Island on board the motor
vessel Polar Fear in an attempt. to
make the northeast passage from this
Pacific to the Atlantic ocean. -,
Stefansson and his expedition lef
Victoria. r. c., June II, 1918, just four
years ago, in the steam whaler Karluk.
At Nome. Alaska. the expedition war
divided into northern and southeru
parties, Stefansson, on the Karluk,
taking command Of the former. which
was to seek new land north of the
mouth of the Mackenzie River, and DR.
Rudolph NJ. Anderson. with two smaller
vessels. proceeding toward the Corona.
ton Gulf country. cast Of the Mac.
Scnzie delta, to make geological DO.
tanical and biological survey of thu
country, beside charting channels and
studying the Eskimos, some of whom
are blued-eyed. it is supposed, from
an admNture OF blood from the LOST
scandinavian colony OF Greenland. -.
VESSEL is FINALLY
CRUSHED By ICE
The Karluk stopped at Point Barrow;
the most northcrly point OF Alaska.
early in September, 1913. and was al
once clutched by the ice. On Septembe,
II the ship was apparently frozen In
for the winter. and Stcfansson, accom-.
panied by two white men and two
Eskimos. went ashore to hunt caribou
for winter meat. While he was ab.
sent violent storm arose and blew
the 1<arluk out to sea. Tho Kafluh
was soon afterward again gripped by
the ice and carried westward, ,beins
finally crushed by the ice January'16
1914, cast OF WranGell Island. which 10
north OF Siberia. The men took to
the ice. but became separated. and sew.
cral were never seen again. The
others. under Captain Robert Bartlett
reached Wrangell Island, and eight
men were rescued in September, 1914
by vessel sent to the island for thi
purpose. Captain Bartlett having made
his way over the ice to Siberia and
Nome with news of the disaster.
Meanwhile, Stefansson and his az.
sociates moved eastward along the
shore Of the Arctic and fell in with
tho Anderson party in winter quarters
at Martin Point, west OF the mouth
of the Mackenzie River.
Stcfansson and two companions set
out in March. 1914. over the ice with
dogs and made their way due north,
discovering n large island or CONT.
nent northwest OF Prince Patrick
Island, and making a safe returnyt to
Banks Island. Stefansson passed the
summers OF 1915 and 1916 in exploring
this new land having established COM
munication in 1915 with the Anderson
party through the power boat Polar
Bear. which had gone to Banks Land
with supplies. Stefansson purchased
the Polar Bear. and has since made II
his headquarters. Most OF the crew. OF
tho Polar Bear remained with him
He has an abundance OF food and
large stock of gasoline.
HOPES TO ACCOMPLISH
NORTHEAST PASSAGE
Or. Anderson. who returned from ths
Arctic in 1916. brought news that
Stefansson purposed to pass the winter
Of l?l6-l7 at Winter harbor. Melville
Island. 1t was his purpose, as soop
as the ice broke, to head eastward
with the Polar Bear in an effort "a
accomplish the northeast passage, ane
end his adventures with an ascent o,
tho st. Lawrence River to MONTREAL
Stcfansson at last accounts had q
largo number Of dogs, and was in TIE
best OF health -,
In n letter to Rear-Admiral Peary
dated kcllctt, Banks Island, January
II. 1916. Stefansson said: Should yot
not hear from us by November, 1911
ii is to be presumed that somethfna
beyond our control has delayed US
am OF the opinion that in the sprinI
OF 1918 n ship or ships should be SEM
north from the Atlantic to look 10,
US il we have not been heard from
then" In this letter Stefansson ex.
pressed hope OF cooperating with tn,
Mcmillan party in demonstrating tn,
existence or nonexistence of Crocke,
Land. 4SS
Fourteen men Of the Canadian .sx,
petition have died from exposure
suicide and disease, twelve havinl
persisted on the ice and on WrangeE
Island after the wreck OF the Karluk