The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-01-30
Over the Top of the World by Air
is the Latest Arctic Project.

BY using airplanes instead of old
time dog sledges, Captain Robert A..
Bartlett, the explorer, expects dur
ing two summer months next year
to learn more about the mysterious
regions of the Arctic Circle than
scores of previous expeditions have
learned in 800 years of toilsome
seeking.
Captain Bartlett will sail north
ward next May, accompanied by a
large party of scientists and expert
.aviators He will be backed by the
patronage and the money of the
Aero Club of America, and will cap
The Bartlett party plans to cross
Melville bay as soon as the spring
thaws break up the ice, and will es-
tablish a preliminary base at Etah,
Peary's old jumping-off place. Later
the planes will fly on northward.
e aryne and form anu second sass
at Cape Columbia, the northernmost
projection of Ellesmere island, near
the Great Land shore. The active
work will be carried on from this
point.
stood there will be at least one heavy
machine of the Caproni or Handley-
Page type and number of fast
scouts. One object of the trip is a
proposed flight across the north
pole, starting from Cape Columbia
and alighting at Cape Chelyuskin,
Taimyr peninsula, Siberia.
The distance across the top-o'-the-
world is approximately 1900 miles.
The Caproni machine has an ex-
IRENE cruising radius of considera-
bly, more than this, and. can carry
sufficient fuel to maintain a 100
hours: In such a plane property
two aviators should be able to make
a nonstop flight from Columbia to
Chelyuskin in comparative safety
and comfort.
na The nos spSetaevar i Journey ne 5r
mary purpose Of the expedition.
Captain Bartlett will take with him
a large equipment of scientific in
struments, and extensive research
work will be undertaken: 1t is also
hoped to explore the arctic basin and
by photographs and charts to give
the world it's first knowledge of the
100000, square miles of territory
that heretofore has remained the
closed book of the northland.
Vilhjalmur StefanssOn, the famous
explorer, many years ago suggested
a probability of finding a lost human
race living somewhere in the remote
polar Businesses. Captain Bartlett
pect, but said there was POSSIBLE
ity of discovering new lands among
the frozen seas.
Explorers have learned to expect
two months of pleasant weather
during the arctic summer-usually
in July and A. August g3 e The e tempera,
into ephemeral life, animals and
birds make their appearance and the
flOes split into large stretches Of
clear, open water.
During this period the Aero Club
planes will cruise forth from their
pole. The machines will probably
be equipped with pontoons and will
be able to settled in the open leads
whenever the pilot chooses to de-
:scend for more intimate study of
the sea or shore.
duration, SO far as actual. time. is
scout plane will be able to cover
more territory than former adven-
:turers could explore in months of
toll and suffering.
BY eenbhi {n9on sySe%1 e of no GGd
land the members Of the party vii!
be enabled to roam almost at will
among the desolate stretches of ice.
1t will be possible to land at the pole
which is about 600 miles from Cape
Columbia, and to stay there as long
sas favorable weather lasts.
In his famous polar dash, Admir-
-o1 poary 6oro6 rick hnt single
nights sleep after he had reached
his goal. Approaching winter and
a growing shortage of provisions
forced him to turn around the next
day and make his way back home
ward by long forced marches. He
able to undertake any of the detail
ed work that has inveigled the
dreams of scientists for centuries.
Members of the Aero Club expedi-
ton will not be hampered by Peary's
time restrictions. Igloos can be
erected, food and equipment brought
oratory established at the pivot of
the earth. Here the scientific mem
hers of the party will be able to
camp for two summer months if the
fruits of their researches justify
such a stay.
sea anu dlE CufIeulS Will Ue lcSI-
ed day after day, the drift of the
lee pack, across the pole will be
fauna gathered, and it is possible
even that an attempt will be. made
to sound the water and study the
ocean bottom.
The laboratory and the accom-
panying observers can be moved
from point to point within a wide
radius of the pole as the scouting
planes discover newer regions of in
terest. In the end it will be a mat
ter of couple of days or SO to pack
up the partv and fly back to civili-
zation.
In comparison to northward trips
made by their explorers and by Cap
tain Bartlett himself on previous oc-
.casions, the proposed expedition
promises to be pleasant summers
outing.
Captain Bartlett was the COM
mander Of Peary's ship, the Roose-
ended in the discovery of the pole:
Peary was followed by exceptional
good fortune during his northward
Journey. vet his personal log was a