Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-06-23

"And I have seen coal beds easily tapped
that even the lazy natives use them.
"That is not ALL have heard tales OF fossn
ivory. of furS, of radium of great meteoric ela-
mond beds that formerly furnished crown ]eWels
for Russia. The wealth of the Arctic Is ire
mendous.'
Petersen may be right he may be wrong.
Anyway. there is corroborative evidence of sorts.
Stefansson certainly seized Wrangel island last
year and took possession in the name OF Great
Britain notwithstanding it was discovered many
years ago by United States naval vessels anu
claimed as United States territory Whlle otel-
ansson has refused to divulge the purpose OF TINS
years expedition he did say this:
1.-THE development and colonization OF the
Northland will surely begin with the present gen
Grafton The mystery woven around the north
has resulted from INSTRUMENTATION theories tilal
it is unnhabitable have been forever reJected lor
it has been proved that fuel and food exist III
abundance.
..Since the true conditions in the north have
heen realized colonization and commercial ex-
ploitation will surely follow. The animal lie Is
the basis of attraction for commerce Al nrst
it would be largely source Of meat supply Dut
there are also large deposItS OF oL' eot1i eoppoA
and other metals
Amundsen seems to have many friends and
they have contributed literally to his exceedingly
comprehensive equipment. An American manu-
facturer of airplanes has "chipped in to the ex-
tent of abort $4,000 He Gas contributed an all
metal monopane winch mas peen lesleu ~ meet
arctic conditions.
Besides the monoplane, Amundsen will take
scout plane smaller British ship which will be
useG only within the vicinity of the Maud. The
monoplane with cabin in which passengers have
been carried, will be self-supporting. She is SO
equipped that she can carry large stocks OF fuel
and provisions and to her can be adjusted skis,
wheels or pontoons so that she can land on any
surface With her aid, Amundsen believes he
can chart a 2OO-mile-wide course across the top
of the earth.
The planes will be designed to permit of land
inc on land or water and will be equipped with
fuel tanks for twenty hours flying. Only one
Dane will leave the ship at time, with the Sec
ond always available for relief work.
Two Norwegian aviators Lieutenant omda1
and Sergeant Odd Dahl, accompany Amundsen
They will carry moving outfit and about
10000 feet of film. Both Omdal and Dahl are
expert wireless operators and expect to keep the
Maud in touch with Spitzbergen, and to receive
messages from the Norwegian wireless station at
Stavanger.
They also expect to talk with Washington.
They plan to flash reports from airplane to the
mother ship which is equipped with transmitting
aDparatus of 1900 miles radius The ship then
will communicate with Alaska, and Nome will
relay to the powerful station at st. Paul. on the
Behrlng sea. st. Paul Will send the messages dl-
rectly to Washington.
DR.. H. u Sverdrup technical expert for the
exnedition assembled at Seattle what was said
70 be the most complete equipment of technical
apparatus for meteorological research ever assem-
bed for a polar expedition. The equipment,
packed in forty cases, was lent to the expedition
by the Carnegie institute and Smithyonian insti-
tuition the coast and geodetc survey and the
United States weather bureau.
The Norwegian army and navy have presented
to the explorers the arms and munitions they
may need and sixty boxes of specially selected