Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-31
BY GRETCHEN S. SMITH.

TN the Summer of 1928 one of the
last wilderness frontiers Of the
United States - Point Barrow,
Alaska-was put into communica-
ton with the outside world by the
installation of United States Signal
Corps radio station, the main building
of which rests within few feet OF the
Arctic Ocean and is, perhaps, the most
northerly station OF its kind In the
world.
AS far back as September, 1881, the
Government has, of and on, maintained
a meteorological station on this bleak
point of land resting on the Icy shores
of the Arctic, and through the observa-
tons there made many valuable china.
tological records have been compiled
for the Weather Bureau of the United
States Department of Agriculture.
These records were many weeks In
coming from the point where they were
made to their destination in the United
States. The only means Of communt-
cation until the installation of the wire
less station was by dog sled IN Winter
and an occasional steamer In Summer.
Altogether, about three to four mails a
year were received between Point Bar
row and the States.
Years before the Government sent It's
first expedition to Point Barrow, IN
1881, whaling vessels had been plying
the waters Of the Arctic Ocean during
the months when 1t was navigabie.
Later, after the Government had start
ed its small meteorological station, fur
traders also found their way to Point
Barrow, and finally, with the passing
of time, the Bureau of Education es-
tablished school for native children,
while the Presbyterian Church sent out
a small mission to assist In the educa-
tional work among the natives.
In 1898 the world watched with
breathleas admiration those hardy souls
who dared the ice and SHOWS of frozen
Alaska in that wild, fearless rush to the
Klondike. People marveled at the
courage displayed by those men who
risked their all, forsaking homes and
families for a cold, bleak uncertainty.
But the men of the Klondike were
The pioneers of Point Barrow sought
neither gold nor glory. They went
merely as pioneers of science on mis-
sion of research and exploration, and
the country to which they went pos
sessed little vegetation and less sum.
iner-merely barren waste OF frozen
land, with an uncertain season which
may be called Summer, when the
thermometer never goes higher than 60
degrees, and at least Is days out Of the
80 of the month have freezing tenn
A vivid pen picture has been painted
of this Arctic region in report written
In 1882 by an Army officer, Lieut.. Joseph
S. Powell, Signal Corps, who was 2
member of the first expedition TO Point
Barrow at that time.
.aThe prospect from the station, even
IN SUMMER, when 1t is at its best, Is
YaonotonoIs and uninviting. and IN
winter it must be dreary indeed" wrote
ije,It. Powell. 1.-THE tundra spreads
away level and brown, relieved here ano
there by patches Of sickly green. gut
tered In all directions by shallow water
courses and covered with small, shallow
pools. while &C no point within view
does it reach an elevation O. 5u Iee'
above the level Of the sea. Vegetation
is very scanty. consisting cnieny o.
moss and lichens and other groWtns
with occasional patches Of hard, Wiz
grass and O few simple flowers. Ins
only shrub to be found Is the oWarl
willow, which, instead OF growing ~ q
erect position, creeps along unaer ~
moss as If trying TO hide from tne ".
clement blasts. and IN Summer y snooes
forth It's green leaves IN timio man,
ner. as Il aware Of the uncongenia
character of its surrounding.
During eight months OF the yeAl
the earth is frozen. and during IN
remaining four 1t thaws TO the oeptf
Of foot from the surface, out below
that depth Il IS permanently frozen Y
an unknown depth. probably leg % ~.
fleet. II Is q desolate land, interessinl
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