LOST IN THE ARCTIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 5883, 1 April 1915, Page 7

LOST IN THE ARCTIC.

MISSING EXPLORER. SEARCH TO BE MADETimes and Sydney Sun Services. (Received March 31, 7.30 p.m.) London.', .March 50. It is considered in Canada that Dr. Stefan6son, the Arctic explorer, is lost. Three steamers are ready to search the Arctic coasts the moment the ice breaks. STORY OF DISASTER. . Dr. Stefansson's expedition to the Arctic regions, winch left Vancouver in June, 19id, was under tile auspices of the Canadian Government. It included a stag of 14 scientists, and carried supplies for three or four years. The principal vessel was the Karluk, an old whaler, commanded by Captain Rartlett. Two auxiliary steamers accompanied the expedition. It was intended to make for Herschei Island, in the Beaufort Sea, there to land Dr. Anderson, with a party to study the "blonde'' Eskimaux, discovered the previous year by Dr. Stefansson, and also the geology of Victoria Land, where indications of rich copper deposits bad been found. The Karluk, however, became icebound in September, 1913, in lat. 70deg. 47m., long. 150deg. 7m. The leader, with four of the staff and two Eskimaux, landed for a short hunting expedition. During their absence the ice unexpectedly broke' up, and the ship was carried away. Nothing was heard of her for some months, and it was then learned that she had been crushed by the ice during the drift to the north-west, and that part of her crew had made their way over the ice to \V ran gel Island. These, except three who had died on the island, were rescued in September last, by a vessel sent for the purpose, but no trace could be found of two parties of four each, who had not succeeded in reaching the island.

Dr. Stefansson and hit companions, on being left by the Karluk, made their way over the ice to Port Barrow, where they learned that the two auxiliary steamers were safe at Collinson Point, to the east. They spent the winter exploring the Mackenzie delta and other parts of the Canadian Arctic coast, and in March, 1914. Dr. Stefans6on started on a sledge expedition over the frozen seas to the north. Little news of hin movements have since come to hand. Anxiety was caused by the return of parties who made their way to Banks Land and found no trace of the explorer. Dr. Stefansson is a Canadian by birth, and is of Xorso extraction. He was brought np on a farm, and at different times was cowboy, school teacher, life insurance agent, organiser of secret society lodges, public lecturer, newspaper reporter, and later, editor, and instructor in anthropology at Harvard University. In 1904, ]p led a private expedition to Iceland, P.nd in the following year an archaeological expedition on behalf of Harvard. An ethnological expedition to the Eskimauxof the mouth of the Mackenzie River and "Northern Aliska for Harvard Un'versity, find 'lie University of Toronto followed in 1906 7 In 1908, Dr. Stefan6son, accompanied by Dr. Anderson, led an Arctic exped.tion under the auspice? of the American Museum of Natural History and the Geological Survey of Canada, and reported the so-called blonde Esk'manx. He put forward the theory that the Europeanf;ko features of these Eskimaux were prob■blv connected with the ancient lost Scandinavian colony of Greenland, or else they were duo to natural variation.