Evening star., 1924-08-16

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Moreover, number Of settlements
scattered along the Alaskan Coast, be-
tween Nome and Point Barrow, the
farthest north station under the Stars
and Stripes. apparently are stranded
without mail or fresh provisions for
another year.
No Break In Ice jam.
The failure of the Coast Guard cut
ter Bear. veteran of years of Arctic
adventuring. to penetrate the ice gave
the first intimation to officials here
that conditions in the Far Northwest
were abnormal Coast Guard officers
stated yesterday that If the Bear
could not make her regular trip to
Point Barrow 1t was extremely doubt
full whether any ship could get there.
Fragmentary reports received here
indicate that there has been no break
in the jam above Seward Peninsula
Inlet. hundreds of miles either from
Point Barrow or Wainwright, it's
nearest neighbor on the coast.
Early this Summer the Canadians
who financed the second Wrangel eX-
pedition, having no word from the
members who left Nome late in the
Spring with the first indications that
the ice was breaking up, became wor
ried. They appealed to the United
States Coast Guard to have the Bear
visit Wrangel after leaving Point
Barrow. This ordinarily would not
be a difficult trip, since the island on
which the Canadians hope to raise the
Maple Leaf and the Union Jack lies
almost due east of the American set
tlement. 1t is possible only about
three months of the year, however.
Even if it is possible for some ves-
sci to push through the jam to Point
Barrow now it cannot afford the time
to make the run to the desolate Arctic
island.
The Canadian party now on the is
land are experienced in Arctic life, in
fortunate contrast to the previous
party, the members of which periShed
largely because they did not know
how to meet the conditions of the
Northland. Moreover. they have more
supplies and are well equipped with
arms and ammunition. The island at
this time, Swarms with wild ducks.
There are seals, Arctic foxes ard an
occasional bear to be shot. The men
are entirely without means of COM
municatins with civilization. how
ever. They had expected that some
relief would be sent before the Sum-
mer was over. They face the pros
pect of digging in for the Winter un-
der conditions which mean terrible
hardshipS.
Long Place of Tragedy.
The Coast Guard considered it a
matter of international courtesy that
the Bear render every aid possible to
the Canadian expedition. This branch
of the service has an intimate inter-
est in Wrangel since it first was dis
covered by Admiral Reynolds, former
commander of the Coast Guard The
United States, however. apparently
has given up all hope Of holding the
land on which the Stars and Stripes
was first raised. 1t has been place
of tragedy from the start, culminat-
ing In the fate of the last expedition.
The Geological Survey received its
first word yesterday that all might
not be well with DR.. Smith and his
party. Officials admit that ice con-
ditions may be such that the men
may not be able to get out of the
Arctic this Winter. but claim that
there is no reason to worry over their
welfare. This expedition is the most
pretentious into the Far North ever
undertaken by the Government. The
Arctic slope of Alaska is a great
plateau sloping from the foothills of
the Endicott Mountains to the ocean.
This area has been set aside as
Naval oil reserve. Very little is
known about 1T. Various expeditions
sent to Point Barrow from Nome and
thence into the plateau have been
able to accomplish little because Of
the short season. After waiting at
Nome for the ice to break up they
have been obliged to leave late IN
August or early in September in order
to have any hope of reaching Nome
again before another year.
Trip Adventurous.
Last winter the Geological Survey
determined to overcome this diff
Guilty by an exceedingly adventurous
undertaking. DR. Smith and his party.
with % dog teams, started out from
Tanana, the northern most point of
the Alaskan Railroad. to enter the
plateau by the overland route. This
country never had been traversed
before. Once the SHOWS melt it is
impossible. The expedition had to
find it's own route and discover some
pass through the Endicott Mountains,
travelling with native guides and
through the unbroken Arctic night.
Once over the mountains the dog
teams were sent back. The guides
brought word that DR.. Smith and his
associates had succeeded in getting
into the pleateau. That is the last
heard of them. They are completely
cut off from civilization without even
the benefits of radio communication
which has removed SO much of the
terror Of Arctic exploration. They
were to start work as soon as the
long Arctic day dawned surveying and
classifying the resources of the upper
section of the plateau, which never
had been reached before due to the
short season. Then they were to come
down to the coast, probably split into
two parties. One would launch canoes
on the Meade River, the other on the
Quipp. The canoes were taken with
them from Tanana by dog teams.
Both these streams are deep and free
from rapids. Geological Survey Of
ficials here believe that the parties
now are on their way, hoping the
reach the Arctic coast the first week
in September and travel along the
shoreline to Point Barrow, a distance
of q few hundred miles, in time to
get passage back to Nome either on a
Government ship or on some trading
schooner.
Can Reach Point Harrow.
That the men can reach Point Bar
row without serious mishap is con-
sidered practically assured. They can
travel "a hours a day, II necessary,
since there is no darkness. The most
serious condition met with in the
region, the hordes of mosquitoes
which swarm about the streams dur
ing the short, hot summers, now is