IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 140, 21 June 1919, Page 7

IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC

NEW DISCOVERIES. The fed lowing official' statement was recently issued by the Canadian Government: “The Department nf the Naval Service lifts deceived from Fori Vnkon, Alaska., ft despatch from tltorfeel; Storkerscn announcing Uio sale ar rival Of his ice exploration party on November 7 klsl dh the .north coast of Alaska.. This brings to an end the exploratory work of the Canadian Arc tic Expedition. The work carried out by Storkers cn was planned by Mr Stcfansson, who intended to command the> party personally, but was prevented from doing so. “Storkersen’s party, when they left the north coast of Alaska at Cross Island, consisted of nine whites and four Eskimos with eight sledges. They started on March 15, 1910. After about two weeks of travel northward across the Ice S-torkerselt sent, back three of the sledges and film - of the men. two hundred miles from Alaska he sent back three more sledges and all blit four of his companions. Their plan iheii wfts to camp on the ice and mitt With it. They carried practically DO provisioliisi, expecting to live on seals alld polar bears. It bad been the ; general belief of geographers and Polar authorities that there was a current running westward and that Storkersen’s party would be carried west parallel to the coast of Siberia. Had ‘he drift been to the westward Storko-r. ecu would undoubtedly have remained on the icc all winter, but it appears from his despatch that, such west ward drift Was found, but that the ice cake on Which they were camped was cal’ried around in what may be considered a large eddy. They commenced their drift at about 73 degrees north latitude and 145 degrees west longi“The most north-westerly point reached by them Storkcrsen reports to have been 74 degrees north latitude and 152 degrees wast longitude, while the most easterly point reached was degrees west longitude. In addition to valuable deep-sea soundings which were taken, although no report of them has been received, this exploration luis shown the inaccuracy of The theory previously held as to currents in thus part of the polar sea, and has given additional demonstration of the safetv and suitability for polar exploration of the method of living on the country, for Slorkersen: reports tliat after seven months without other provisions than those secured by the .rifle, his party landed all safe. The other four members of the party were Gustav Mastik. Lome, Knight, Martin Kilian. and G. G. Gumar.’ ’

AN INTERVIEW

In the course o£ an interview >Stcfansson said thtft there woe three outstanding facts from the landing' of the icc explorers. Fii'styl that the genti>i!l\ accepted theory among polar explorers and geographers that, ocean current (low mg westward 1 parallel to the coasts of Alaska, and Siberia existed is discredited: secondly, thait the so-called Kean* au’s Land.' which is marked on all modern polar charts somewhere ni. the region of 74deg north latitude and Mu dei' west longtitude is non-existent; and,, thirdly, thak it is a final demonstration of the soundness of Mr Stefans - son’s claim that food supplies from the outside may be dispensed with in Ar.tiic expeditionary work, a. constant source of food always being available fu the form of seal and polar bear meat. T t has long been held among Arctic explorers, including niyselt. said Mr Stc'fansson, “that an ocean current flowed westward parallel to the northern coastline. I based the belief on the course of the Karlnk, which, after becoming fast in the ice north of Alaska, floated westward in a straight lino to a point north .of Wangel Island and there sank. “Storkcrsen started to float, on pay icc about 'the middle ol April, 191H, but instead of going in a westward !y direction for any sustained' period, floated north-west, then, north-east, and generally in an indetermmate fashion m an area within the lines 74 mid' 73 north, and 140 and 150 west. This disproves the western current theory and shows that there is no definite ciirrci l - a t all Storkcrsen has also sounded a vast unexplored region, and 1m work will be a big geographical achievement. I fc proves that Keanan s Land does not exist The projected' coast line ol thw land supposed to have been scen srmie 30 rears ago by a, whaler named; Keauan Is mi most uo-todate charts. | •‘lt is also a final demonstration) said Mr Stefanssou,” of the feasibility of my thcavy that provisions need not be taken, or at leadt upon foi food There are always « seals. Storkcrsen used seal blubber fo fuel and seal ami polar bear meat for food Up till recently it was thought fo be suicidal to attempt any prolonged ..edition in Arctic regions without 1 months’ supplies of food existed solely on seal and water. Lastly,” said Mr Stc£an»K)iii, Hi conclusion, the party hanenetrated 150 miles further north than ■ anyone else has done in ilikt tpavt ol the ocean.”