SEARCH EXPEDITION FOR STEFANSSON.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1939, 23 December 1913, Page 5

SEARCH EXPEDITION FOR STEFANSSON.

.TO SCOUR THE'. AR CTIC.

By. Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrlclvt .'Times*,' —Sydney ''Sun" Special Cables.

(Hec. December 22, 7.15 p.m.)

New York, December 21

An 1 expedition is being organised at Seattle to soarch'Arctic waters for Sto--1 fansson'a vessel, the Karluk. It is beiievod that, she is imprisoned in ■ a Kront ice floe, floating about in an unknown corner of that region.

According to Stefaasson's original plans the Karluk was to have proceeded cast along the north coost of' Alaska. "If easterly winds prevail," .said the explorer, "we shall find open water in tho Beaufort Sen, and should reach Hersehell Island, at tho mouth of tho Mackenzie River, ■at " the. beginning of August, 'flience wo shall sail north as far as tho ice There is no means of telling how far this is possible, although wa know that whaling vessels have been 200 miles without sJcing ice. If, however, wo have westerly instead of easterly winds, wo may have difficulty in reaching 'the ■ Mackenzie River, thus necessitating keeping dose to the coast and having to forego exploration for a year. In this case no should establish a. base as far-north-east as possible. My intention is to send tho-vessel homo each summer with news of our progress. , We exoect to lis nwar on this expedition for four and a half years. It is no part of my programme to go to the Pole, Some scientists hold that there is a vast area of undiscovered land in the unmapped portion of tho Polar Sea, for it is impossible tn explain the tidal phenomena on any other assumption, and the smallest area this' reeion. is put at is 56ft,OQfi sunnre mile'. ■ That may bo one land or a dense archipelago."