The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-05-14
NORGE LAST
HEARD FROM
YESTERDAY
Pacific Coast Radio Stations
'Endeavoring to Commun.
icate With Ship
SPECULATION IS RIFE
Falling Barometer Indicates
Storm May Be Raging
in the Arctic Region
SPECULATION Is RIFE

seattle. May 14-(AP)-Groupiny
into thc icy vastness Of the Archi,.
pilnd spot dozen Pacific coast
radio stations today are trying to To-
cate the dirigible Norge. many, houfs
overdue at Nome in its polar FLIGHT
from Spitzbergcn.
:, what has happened to CAPTAIN
hoaid Amundsen and his II comuan-
| lons aboard the airship was q nues-
tion none in the northwest was able
TO answer. It is known that Amund-
sen passed over the North Pole at :
p. m. Tuesday, eastern standard time
| ~ was reported that the diriciblc was
sighted off Pont Barrow on the Arctic
coast OF Alaska at 1:3O a. m. ycster-
day.
Last Heard From Yesterday
rive times Wednesday night and
once yesterday morning. the United
states navy's powerful radio station
at ST Paul's Island, Alaska. reported
nearing messages from the Norge.
Inc last time the airship was heard.
reports from st. Paul's Island said.
was at 2:29 a. m. yesterday, when the
Norge was heard to call u station and
say Go ahead
Since that hour there has been
nothing but silence and speculation.
Was the Norge forced to land? Is il
cruising around in the Arctic on "A
tour of exploration? Has it been
blown far off its course and is it
wandering derelict over some terri
tory with which there is no communi-
cation?
Those knowing Amundscn best arc
only slightly fearful Of the worst to-
day. They recalled a previous advcn-
ture Of his into the Arctic some years
ago. when he discovered the north
west passage and dropped from sight
for more than two years.
Then one day a bearded. unkempt
musher appeared ut the lone
ly government tclepragh sta
tion at Eagle City. Alaska.
and filed long cablcgram to
the Norweeiess.4 xovernpNpt. Thc
operator messaged his chief that Il
"crazy man" had tried to get him to
send long telegram half way around
the world and they had a good laugh
about it.
Was Amundsen's Report
The chief signal officer in the Sc
attic cable office heard about it and
chuckled over it to q newspaperman
friend he had out to dinner. The
newspaperman began to speculate
over the incident and offered to pay
the tolls on the telegram If he could
look at it when it came in. 1t was
Amundsen's report to the Norwegian
government that he had threaded his
way along the northern coast Of
America to discover the northwest
passage. the short way to China
sought by advcnturers for centuries.
Amundsen's acquaintances suggest
the explorer may be preparing to
spring new surprise on the world.
that he was not satisfied with flying
over the last unexplored part Of the
globe. but wanted to look over it
thoroughly and. with his goal in
sight, turned back to survey it again.
The world of science is awaiting
word from Amundsen to settle the
long-disputed question Of the pres
ence Of an arctic continent between
Alaska and the North Pole. The drift
Of the polar ice pack. soundings taken
by other explorers in the Arctic
ocean, the flight of birds toward the
north end and the presence Of animal
spoor far beyond the known lands.
all have been pointed to as evidence
that land exists.
Still q Secret
The naccessibility Of the region
has hitherto preserved the secret.
Scientists have asserted that if land
existed in the Arctic, it probably
would have a compare lively mild cli-
mate and that vegetation capable OF
sustaining animal life would cover It.
The land would have value. it has
been pointed out, in the establishment
Of airways connecting centcrs Of pop
ulation on opposite sides of the globe.
as landing stations, for maintenance
and re-fueling could be located there.
The Norge is carrying the first
letters ever mailed at Siptzbergen for
the United States via the North Pole.
The polar route cuts down the dis
tance from Spitzbesgen to Alaska to
about 1000 miles. compared with ap-
proximately 10000 by the nearest
other route or about 10000 by usual
commercial routes.
Fog was reported last night at Nome
and other Alaskan coast points. indi-
eating the Norge may be battling
storm off Point Barrow. Radio sta
tions are continuing in attempts to
get compass bearings to the dirigiblcl
More than 72 hours have elapsed
since the dirigible left Kings Bay. It
Continued on page three.)