IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 208, 28 May 1919, Page 7

IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC

STORKERSEN'S PARTY ■NEW DISCOVERIES The following official statement was recently issued Dy the Canadian Government: "Tho Department of tho Naval Sorvioe has received from Port Yukon, Alaska, a dispatch from Storker Storkersen announcing the safe arrival of his ice exploration party on November 7 last on the north coast of Alaska. This brings to an end the exploratory work of the Canadian ATotio Expedition. Tho work carried out by Storkersen was planned by Mr. Stefan6son, who intended to command the party personally, but was prevented from doing eo. "Storkereen'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, 1918. After about two weeks of travel northward across the ice, Storkersen sent back three of the,sledges and four of tho men. Two hundred miles from Alaska ho sent baok three more sledges-and all but four of his companions. Their plan then was to camp on the ico and drift with it. They carried practically no provisions, expecting to live on 6eals and polar bears. It had been the general belief of geographers and Polar authorities, that there was a ourrent running westward, and that .Storkersen's party would be carried west Sarallel to the ooast of Siboria. Hnd tho rift been to the westward Storkersen would undoubtedly have remained on tho ice all winter, but it appears from his dispatch that no such westward'drift was found,' but that the ice cake on whioh they were camped was carried around in what may be considered a large eddy. They commenced their drift, at about 73 degrees north latitude and UG degrees west longitude.. "The most north-westerly point reached, by them Storkersen reports to have been U degrees north latitude and 152 degrees west longitude, while the most easterly point reaohed was 144} degrees west longitude. In addition to valuable deep-sea soundings which wero taken, although no report of them has been received, this exploration has shown tho inaccuracy of the theory previously held . as to currents in this part of the polar sea, and has given additional demonstration of the safety and suitability for polar exploration of the method of living on the country, for Storkersen reports that after soven months without other provisions than those secured by ' the rifle, his party landed all safe." Tho other four members of the party were Gustav Masik, Lorno Knight, Martin Kilian, and G. G. Gumar." *

An Interview, In the course of an interview Stefansson said that there were three outstanding facts from the landing- of tho ice explorers. Firstly that tho generally accepted theory among polar, explorers and geographers that an ocean ourrent flowing westward parallel to the coasts of Alaska and Siberia existed is disoreditiid; seoondty, that the so-caUed Keanan's Land, which is marked on all modern polar charts somewhere in the region of 7i degrees north latitude and 140 degrees west longitude is non-existent; and, thirdly, that it is a final demonstration of the soundness of Mr. Stefansson's olaim that food supplies from the outside may be dispensed with in Aict'ic expeditionary work, a constant source of food always being available, in the form of seal awl polar bear meat.' 'It has long been held among Arctic explorers, including myself," s,aid Mr: Stefansson, "that an ocean current flowed westward paiallel to the northern coastline. I based the belief on tre course of the Karluk, which, after becoming fast.in tho ice north of Alaska, : floated westward in a straight lino to a point north of AVrangel Island and there sank.

"Storkersen started to float on pacK ice about the middle of April, 1918, but instead of going in a westwardly direction for any sustained period, floated north-west, then north-east, and generally in an indeterminate fashion, in an area within the lines 74 and 73 north, and HO and 150 west. This disproves the western ourrent theory and shows that there is no definite current at all. Storkersen has also sounded a vast unexplored region and his. work will be a big geographical achievement. It proves that Keanan's Land does not exist. The projected .coast lino of this land supposed lb have, been seen Borne SO years ago by a whaler named Keanan is on most up-to-date' charts. .

"Itis also a final demonstration," said Mr. Stefansson, "of the feasibility of my theory that provisions need not be takou, or at least depended upon for food. /.There are always bears and peak Storkersen. used seal blubber for fuel and seal and polar bear meat for food. Up till recently it was thought to be suicidal to attempt any prolonged expedition in Arctic regions without months' supplies of food. Storkersen existed solely on seal and bear meat and water. Lastly;" said Mr. Stefansson in conclusion, "the party' has penetrated. 150 miles further north 1 than.anyone else has done in that part of the ocean." s