Evening star., 1948-05-26
Stars, Men and Atoms
III
Weather Stations Set Up
On DesoIute Arctic Isles
u. S..Canadian Far North Network
Accessible Only by Plane
By Thomas r. Henry


The United States and Canadian Weather
Bureaus have Just set up by air observation
stations on two Of the most remote and
desolate Arctic islands.
This increases to five the international net.
work Of meteorological outposts in the Far
North, three Of which ordinarily will be access !,
sible only by plane. Each Of these three 10
manned by six volunteers.
The new stations are In essentially un.
explored territory. One Is on the shore Of
Isaacson Land in the Canadian Arctic Archi-
pelago. Hitherto 1t has been designated on all
maps as an isolated island. It turns out, how
ever, to be the southernmost part Of Elias
Ringes Land, large island which is one of
the farthest north points on earth 1t was
discovered about 40 years ago by the Nor
wegian explorer Otto Sverdrup and named fo-
one OF his officers. Since then 1t has been
visited only once, by the Canadian explorer
vilhjalmur stefansson, before the arrival Of the
meteorologists Both previous visits were in
midwinter by sledge.
Cut OFF From World.
The weather observers will be the first to
will be cut of completely from the world except
by radio since no plane can land in the
vicinity. 1t is land Of rolling. low hills, ap-
parently completely barren. There is no trace
Of any Arctic game animals. Most islands Of
the archipelago are grass covered In summer
with an abundance Of game.
But Isaacson Land, according to Col Charles
J. Hubbard head of the Weather Bureaus
Arctic service, who set up the station, is .
"place Of character" 1t is in strategic spot
for detecting storms sweeping southwark
across the pole from Siberia.
The second new station is on Prince Patrick
Island, westernmost of the Canadian Islands.
1t is In the center of region from which no in,
formation of any kind has been available in the
past. 1t is 500 miles from the nearest supply
point. The island is completely inaccessible by
ship. The meteorologists. still living in tents at
q temperature of IA below zero, must wait until
next April before it will be possible for plane
to land on the large fresh-water lake which Is
the only airf1eld.
Equipment Flown In.
Men and equipment for both stations were
flown in from the central supply station and
major meteorological post set up by a Navy
expedition commanded by Capt. Robert g.
Quackenbush last summer at Resolute Bay on
CORVALLIS Island, facing directly on the north
west passage just west of Lancaster Sound.
This Is the farthest point certainly accessible
by ship sailing westward through the water
route which was the goal Of most early ex-
plorers.
Tha hoeic yNla forA ia of
network calls for two major stations which can
be reached by ship in summer and an indefinite
number of satellite stations to be established by
air in late winter and probably visited only
once year by plane to bring in supplies and
exchange personnel.
The first of the major stations Is at Thule,
Greenland, on Smith Sound This, with its
nearby village of Thule Eskimos, is the farthest
north permanently inhabited place on earth.
With the aid of modern icebreakers Navy cargo
ships are assured Of reaching 1t every year dur
Ing the summer months. From 1t has been set
up one satellite station on Eureka Sound, the
250-mile-long narrow strait which separates
the northern tip of Ellesmere Land from Axel
Heiberg Land, northernmost land of the Western
Arctic. This station, less than $50 miles from
the North Pole, now has operated successfully
for a year. The little camp stands on sandy
beach against background of Ellesmere Lands
9,000-foot-high mountains. This station actu-
ally is accessible by ship In midsummer with
good luck.
Crossroads of Arctic.
CORVALLIS Island however. promises to be-
come the crossroads of the Western Arctic. It
was at first planned to establish the mother sta
ton about 100 miles to the west on Melville
Island, but this proved impossible when rud-
der of the Navy icebreaker was smashed last
summer, making further progress impossible.
Eighteen Americans and Canadians have
manned the station during the winter and there
have been numerous American and Canadian
Air Force visitors for whom special quarters are
provided. 1t is a grassy land in summer, rich
with game. Musk oxen stroll leisurely through
the camp at all times and are not disturbed. A
major danger last winter, however, was from .
ferocious wolf pack. Wolves used to wait out
side barrack doors in the bright winter moon
light, expecting human victim. The danger
was so great that finally nobody went outside
except with loaded rifle. One OF the meteor
ologists was badly mauled by polar bear.
The place. Col. Hubbard says, already is be-
ginning to look like small city. There are
eight buildings, four radio towers and an air
strip-all constructed in two weeks last Septem-
Der by Capt. Quackenbushs men, who worked
"a hours day so that the expedition could
get away before 1t was trapped in the Ice.
During the winter the camp was almost COM
pletely buried under Is feet Of snow. due to
drifts. The actual snowfall Is only or
inches a winter. The winter landing place
is large fresh-water lake, whose surface is
kept free of snow by the wind. Col. Hubbard
found 90 inches Of ice, sufficient to hold
locomotive. From this lake eight planes
operated almost continuously during the winter.
Magic Season Now.
Not until April was it possible to start work
on the new satellite stations. This time, says
Col Hubbard, is the magic season In the West
ern Arctic Wind and storm are almost nom
existent cold is about at its peak, ice is smooth