Evening star., 1923-10-21

tndt ne DelleVed the lSlhHQ Would De
OF inestimable value as possible fu-
ture base for airplane and radio op-
erations He had tried to induce the
Canadian government to sponsor his
plan Of making good his claim by
establishing colony there. CANADA
was slow to respond. Believing that
Japan would not be long In seeing
the value of the island because Of its
strategic position on future air
plane route between Japan and Eng
land, Stefansson had decided to finance
an expedition himself.
He told me that the expedition was
nominaIly in charge of a young Ca
radian, Allan Crawford, a student or
Toronto University and son of one or
the professors. The other members
were Americans. knight and Fred
erick Maurer had both been with him
on q previous expedition but Milton
Gale, a nineteen-year-o boy from
Texas. who had travelled with him as
secretary, had had no more expert
ence OF the north than Crawford.
Inexperfence Is BIamed.
Looking back 1 can see that in the
youth and inexperience or Its person
I mel lies the tragedy Of the venture
The first realization 1 had that
these men were in danger came last
winter when I met Capt Bernard
He was In charge Of the supply boat
that was to have landed provisions
and men for the continuation of the
colony. From him I learned that, un-
less the boys had the best of luck in
hunting. the outfit they had taken
could not possibly last them over
second season.
Capt. Bernard. financed by Canadian
! money, had tried to reach the island
during the summer. but the ice condi-
tions were unusually bad. After max
ing courageous effort to batter his
crt, hn hn Nod 20
turn to Nome. lacking the outfit for a
more extended trip.
1t was not until reached Wrangel
myself that I learned from Ada
that the ice around the island had
opened late in the fall. after Bernard
had been forced to abandon his at
tempt.
Volunteers His Service.
After my talk with Bernard vol
! unteered, IL no one else could be
| found. to take charge of relief ex
would permit. Stefansson wired, asking
me to come to Toronto, where
he was again trying to get financial
help from the Canadian government.
| There I met Allan Crawford's parents.
and II there had been any doubts left in
/ my mind as to whether or not /
! should go, they dispelled them. They
were trusting that Lorne knight
, would guide their boy ! knew that
! big. good-hearted fellow that he was
! Knight was no ieader-knew that he
| was not mentally equipped to save
| himself or others.
! 1t was not until had assumed di-
| rection of the expedition and obtained
| access to the records of the company
| that really began secretly to fear
, the tragedy I was to find. had
known their youth and inexperience
/ but had not suspected how pathetical-
| ly inadequate were the supplies they
| took.
| They had bought their own stores in
| Seattle and the invoices showed a
! pitiful lack Of Judgment. 1 knew
/ that, even with the most careful ra,
| tioning, their food must be exhausted
they would be dependent entirely up
on their skill as huntsmen. and
there wasn't, SO far as / could find out,
| a real hunter among them.
persuading the Canadian government
to finance the expedition. Instead.
! they sent him TO England and told
him TO get Great Britains support.
When my orders to sail H.. finally nall,
| days to make the last boat, out of
| Seattle for Nome. I arrived on the
18th OF July. chartered the motor
ship Donaldson, put her in seawor-
thy condition ,6n and % 9utted anest my f@pe we
II,
headed north. II was strange de-
| parture.
Three days before we were ready
to sail the United States cutter Bear
brought me a note from the Siberian
government, advising me to wire Pet
| ropavlock for permission to go to
| wrangel and informing me that II
| failed to reach them to call at one OF
two other Siberian ports and present my
credentials.
wired to Stefansson for orders
He cabled me to proceed direct. say
ing that he had been in touch with
! officials in London and that any ques-
tions arising would be settled by the
| international court. and not by any
| predatory expedition.
Stefansson Wires Orders.
Stefansson's wire ended with in
structions to continue the occupation
| of the island.
on August 3 we headed north. We
| had been working day and night and
! were in a strange state of excite
| rnent There were six white men IN
| the party. One Of US was destined to
spend the next year on Wrangel Is
land. None of US could do more thar
guess how his predecessors had Jared
Would we find them alive or dead
! Would we find them at all? AS far
as the eye could reach there was
| nothing but a vast expanse of clear
blue water. How far beyond ice lay,
we could not know. One thing was
certain. Whatever lay ahead we
would not turn back until the fate of
| Wrangel Island was settled.
Continued in The Star Of Monday
Copyright 1928, in United States and Canada.
BY North American Newspaper Alliance. All
rights reseryed.)