The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-03-14

of the Kingdoms of the air. When the
final account of the explorations of
Nilhjalmur Stefannson is given it is
likely that it will show that he has
gone far in solving that great rid
die of the polar foes as to whether
or not there exists n vast continent, or
at least an extensive archipelago us
yet uncharted by man, hidden In the
blind spot of the world.
The news which came by way of
Fort Yukon, Alaska, brought there by
trader who had seen the sturdy
scientist at Herschel island, records
y further achievements of the Canadian
Arctic expedition, of which he is the
commander. The only polar explorer
of note on the western side, Vilhjal-
muir Stefnnsson comes to the fore even
in these days of war and upheaval,
for his conquest of nature and cir
cumstance, aside from the important
results which have attended it, mark
him as one of the most remarkable
men of the age.
Stefansson is of the blood of the,
North. His father was n native of
Iceland. although the explorer himself
was born at Armes. Manitoba, thirty
eight years ago. 1.-THE University of
North Dakota and Harvard equipped
him in science, but the iron will and
the stalwart constitution went back to
the Icelandic forbears.
1t was in 1904 that he went to lee
land on research work for his alma
mater at Cambridge, but 1t was not
until ten years ago that Stefansson be-
came an important factor in Arctic
work. Since that time he has labored
almost without ceasing. Once he came
out of the North wrote n book and was
back again in the boreal Businesses be-
fore he had even read the proofs of his
rather hastily written volume.
1t was in time of respite from his
mission beneath the North star that
he told us much of the strange Eski-
mos whom he had found, race blue
eyed. red-bearded and often fair and
rudy of skin. which had never seen
the men of the white race nor heard of
such. They might have been descended
from that ancient Icelandic colony es-
tablished by Left Ericsson, which is
supposed to have been driven by pi-
rates into the realms of the North. Be
tween the blond Eskimos and Stefans-
son there sprang up sense OF kim
ship md from them he learned many
secrets of life In the Arctic which were
to stand him In good stead In his re-
searches.
The young explorers work at Cape
Parry and later in the neighborhood Of
Coronation gulf made name for him
in science and justified the expenses
borne by such institutions as the
American Museum of Natural History,
the National Geographic society and
the universities. The fact that In 1913
the Canadian government decided to
finance his further explorations In the
North, with view of finding new
lands and obtaining other important
results. gave to Stefansson a new role
and new mission. He became a sub
5ect Of Great Britain and left Victoria
empowered to raise the flag of new
sovereign over new lands.
Canada claims Jurisdiction over all
the territory which may lie north of
her borders. Take down the map Of
the Arctic regions and note that north
OF Alaska and of the Canadian bor-
ders there is vast area, bald and
white on the map. region unex-
plored. Here and there is a scant in
dication of lands locked in this un-
charted expanse. There are few
islands around the margin of 1t, but
here after centuries Of polar explora.
mr. hun ,f
have lost their lives In bootless quests,
there Is little known about an area
which must contain ut least half mil
lion square miles.
Science has held for many years
that there is beyond the paleocrystic
foes a great land mass. The tidal OBJ
servattons indicate very strongly that
such Is the case. From the Pacific
side scarcely any tide enters the Arc
tic ocean. Two tidal streams make
their way into 1t from the Atlantic.
zone proceeds by way of Baffin bay
and frets itself out in the narrow
channels of the Arctic archipelago.
The second stream, which may be
traced and studied north of Alaska,
does not, according to all observations,
cross the North pole but sweeps along
the coasts of Siberia.
There Is then n great obstruction OF
some kind, an immovable body of enor-
nous area, not shifting expanse of
ice. and that may be solid land. So
such authorities as DIR. II. A. Harris
of the United States coast and geo
detic survey have long believed. and
have sought to establish by ingenious
demonstrations.
As long ago as 1906 Rear Admiral
Robert Z. Peary, on his dash to the
North pole, scanned the horizon to the
north and northwest of Cape Thomas
Hubbard and believed tina; he saw