The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1924-01-04

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington. -. Co.
Valuable information which may
help farmers, fishermen and sailors,
as we'll as scientific data that will
materially enrich mans knowledge of
his spherical home promise to flow
from an extended survey Of the Arctic
regions. Such a survey, to be made
next spring, has been ordered by Sec.
rotary Of the Navy DENLY with the
authority of President Coolidge, and
will be participated in by the National
Geographic society.
The expedition Is to traverse the
most extensive unexplored region that
remains IN the face of the earth. 1t
lies, roughly, in a large we~dge-shaped
slice, at the threshold Of American
territory, between Point Barrow, Alas
ka, and the North pole. This north
ern tip Of Alaska is separated from
the pole by 1887 statute miles, and
the direct path between the two cuts
the center of the million-square-mile
region Of mystery. 1t Is not even
known whether this is an area Of land
or water or both.
Only the edges of the UNEMPLOYED
region have been skirted, but deduc-
tiOns have been drawn from careful
observations which seem to indicate
that land exists there. This conclusion
has been reached by a number of OBJ
servers from a study Of the movement
onJ ono % tao npI r.pp, tiIa npJ r,,,
measurements. If land exists there
it may harbOr minerals of great value
as does SpitZbergen in a comparable
situation on the other side Of the pole.
1t is entirely possible that islands, if
they do exist in the unknown region,
may have such an economic value that
the planting Of the flag of the United
States there may be accounted an act
Of great foresight by future genera
lions.
Animal life abounds in the Arctic,
fish are plentiful, and as a multiply
ing population turns more n more
to the sea for It's food the submarine
life Of the Polar regions assumes ever
increasing Importance. Oceanic nam
mails, especially whales and seals,
emerge into reach Of mankind'S habi-
tatiOns upon the Arctic's outskirts.
Should aircraft be used to make q
reconnaissance flight over the 1887
mile course between Point Barrow and
the pole the flight will be another mem
orable exhibition of the navy's initia-
tive and daring. but it will be far
from the rash adventure the layman
might at first imagine.
Indeed, the flyers would have some
marked advantages over a similar dis
lance across Atlantic ocean waters.
The continuous daylight Of a polar
summer eliminates the handicap that
darkness entails in the event Of me-
chanical troubles. In an uncharted
region the 24-hOur day is especially
helpful.
, Not So Bad for Flyers.
Flyers would encounter leads Of
water short distances apart in much
Of the unknown zone. These would
permit planes to alight, and would
allow the use of convoy planes to
bring supplies, relief, and additional
personnel. The ice foes are virtually
safety RATS for the flyers. In trou-
bic, Il plane ~alighting in the water
always would be in easy reach of ice
or, If under sufficient control 10 land
on the ice. it could there make repairs
or radio for relief.
The radio, of course, is q prime fac
tor in eliminating hazard in Arctic
flying.
Another important advantage the
Arctic holds is the eternal calm Of the
waters. No high seas are ever en-
%countered among the leads, as fire.
quently Is the case in the Atlantic.
Comfortable flying temperatures are
practically certain in an Arctic sum-
mer. The weather bureau has record
ed 100 degrees at Fort Yukon, Alaska.
In this respect the use Of aircraft gives
the polar explorer a new-found adj
vantage over the pioneers who had
TO brave the extreme cold Of winter
TO gain the benefit of unbroken ice.