Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-11-01
Two Arctic
 Explorers
 Are on Way
One Headed Eastward Other Westward; Will Reach
 Lena Next Year.

Seattle, Oct. 30.-Two arctic cx- pjcl CTS, Roald Amundsen, noted Nor Neigian, drifting ill his ce-lockcd beat eastward from the Atlantic, and Stofker Storkarson, lieutenant Of Nilhjalmur Stefansson, Canadian eX- plorer, floating westward from the Pacific on an ice pack, are bothe be- iiesed approaching the New Siberian Islands, which jut out of tie Afctic ocean off the mouth of the Lena river ill Siberia Authorities credited With knowing the Arctic currents be- lieve the two will reach the islands early next year.
 No other explorers are now in the Arctic and it is though very likely that neither Amundsen or Storkerson knows the other has the same goal ill mind They probably will not meet, for Storkerson is expected to arrive ahead of Amundsen and prob ably will land far west of Amunlsen's course.
 Amundsen, the discoverer of the south pole, and navigator of the diff ficult Northwest passage, is on the first lap of a journey to the North Iole, He expects to make the last lap by aiplanes. Storkerson is bound hack in the general direction of civ iilzation after spending several years in the Arctic. Both arc seeking new lands and studying the currents and life of the northern ocean,
 When Amundsen reaches the Si- berian islands, the current, it is be- licNed, will carry him north. He is expected to remain with the drift urtii it lands him on the immovaolc ice far up towards the pole. There, according to his plans, he will cs taElish base and attempt to fly the rest of Inc distance to the top of the globe.
 Stcrkerson, according to his plans, will leave his ic pack when it reaches the Siberian islands With his five men he will come ashore and make 1lis way back to Alaska. His friends expect to hear of him landing some time next summer near the Lena. However, they say, he may change his plans and come ashore before that time.
 Stefansson, when he was in the North last winter, planned to make tne trip Storkerson is now on. After he completed arrangements and pur~ chased all the necessary supplies anl dogs, illness forced him to come out side. When he left he put StOrkcr- son ill charge.
 The Canadian thinks Storkerson' $ trip is one of the most daring Arctic feats ever undertaken. ''l!e is up there camped on the ice and prac- tieally living off the ice pack" IStcfansson says. "Other explorers do their work from their ships. Ships are little les than floating ho telS Storkerson has no ship. If Stcrkerson doesn't get homesick we should hear from him next year."
 Storkerson and his five mon were landed last May on the ice pack 2nout 130 miles northwest of Her 5ohal island. Rough estimates show that the ice at times drifts more than ten miles a day. This current. Stefansson thinks. carried Storkcr- son westward until in October he yrobably was about 200 luiles due north from Wrangel island, off Si- 'bel ia and east of the New Siberian islands.
 The Karluk Stefansson's first Ioat, which was lost, was carried westward from aff Alaska. When
 t was crushed ill the ice, it was off Wrangel island Storkcrson cX Iected to get caught in the same current and go beyond Wrangcl to the Siberian islands.