The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-12-22
ADVENTURES DEFY DEATH, HARDSH1PS
AT WRANCELL ISLAND, SOVIET RULED

w VAAx AAV000
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accompanied only by an Eskimo. He
landed, made his way to Nome, de-
spite illness, and gave the word that
sent several vessels on Il relief race.
The race was won by the King 4
Winge, Il Seattle-bu gasoline
schooner. She found II survivors Of
the company of % that Stefansson
left aboard the Karluk. OF those on
the island one had committed suicide
and two had died of hardship. The
rescue was effected September Z,
1914.
Travelled On Land
Stefansson, bereft of his vessel.
had turned his energies to providing
that men could travel several hun
dred miles over the surface of the
Arctic, living on the ice and killing
seals for food and fuel He led his
party to safety.
Stefansson considered that Great
Britain had II good claim on Wran-
geil Island, which he predicted would
prove an invaluable station for aer-,
ial transportation. But the sinister
associations of the island had led it
to be dubbed the death trap Of the
Arctic"
Another expedition, promoted bS
Stcfansson, was led to the island in
1921 by Alan Crawford, young son Of
Il Toronto professor. He took three
men, Lorne +. Knight. McMinnville,
Ore; Frederick W. Maurer. New
Philadelphia. o., and Milton Gale.
New Braunfels, Tex. Knight and
Maurer had been members of tho
first Stefansson expedition. At Nome
the party engaged scamstress, Ada
Blackjack, an Eskimo. Such native
seamstresses are indispensable in liv-
ing amid ice, because they only are
able to fashion from skins the cloth
ing necessary to life, and to do it
swiftly.
The next summer Captain Joe Bcr-
nard Of Nome in the gasoline schoon-
CT Teddy Bear tried to reach Wran-
CELL Island with provisions for the
colony. Ice extended so far from the
island that he did not come within
sight Of it.
Another Explores
The following summer, 1923, Har-
old Noice, a young Scotchman, led a
party to the island in the gasoline
schooner Donaldson. He found that
Crawford, Maurer and Gale had de-
parted over the ice for Siberia in
January and had gone the way Of the
other parties that disappeared.
Knight had died of scurvy. Ada, the
sole survivor, was killing what game
she could and making clothing ready
for winter alone. Noice left on the
island James Wells of Nome and -
Eskimos, whom he had engaged for
that purpose-the third Canadian
colony on Wrangell Island.
Last summer several efforts were
made by American and Canadian YES
sells to reach Wrangcll Island but the
ice was the worst that old-time
northerners had known. and all at
tempts failed.
1t was left for a Soviet army trans
port, the Brasny Oktibr Cred Octo-
ber) to make her way up the eastern
coast of Siberia from Petropavlovsk,
thread Bering Strait, and pressing
through the ice, to reach the island
August 20, 1924. She hoisted the Rus
sian flag.
Wells and the Is Eskimos were
taken away by the Red October, to be
landed probably at Nladivostok, i 900
miles to the south, according to lat
! est advices. The Russians confiscat-
ed 4 valuable store Of furs which the
British colonists had gathered.
Dispatches from Moscow and Len
! in2rad have said that Davidof, Rus
sian scientist, would head an expe-
| dition to go to Wrangell Island and
survey its geography and resources.
| 1t was added that Russia was willing
| to lease the resources, whatever they
might be, to Americans, provided the
Americans would pay over large
enough share of the proceeds. 1t was
| stated that Russia regarded the is
| land "as an important wireless sta
ton and supply base in event of
war"
Russia had maintained claim to
! Wrangell Island for Il number of
years, based on a landing asserted to
have been made in 1911.
|