Salt Lake Telegram | 1924-02-22 | Page 13 | Santa's Nearest Neighbors Dream of Becoming Great World Port

J I SANTAS SANTA'S NEAREST NEIGHBORS DREAM OF BECOMING GREAT WORLD PORT J I 4 w R 7 r f Wi t. t C are til t tI I i I 4 K t tr r t a y ti I 1 b I Y t J u r. r Point Barrow above is the northernmost American settlement far within the tho Arctic circle N NEA EA artists made the picture from a Presbyterian mission mission board photograph adding a sketch of the Shenandoah to show how the great American dirigible will look when she starts on her trip across the north pole Spitzbergen lower left a rugged group of islands perpetually snow covered will be the Shenandoah's objective Map shows pro posed route of tho the airship W WASHINGTON ASHI Feb 22 ByNEA ByEA By ByNEA NEA EA Service Service Point Point Barrow Alaska has Its harbors open to shipping only a few weeks each e ar But It may become a world port of great Importance in the race of nations for a new continent anti and ananew new trade routes over the north pole It Is doubtful If the navy navys navy's s dingi dirigible I hie ble Shenandoah clears from Point Bar Barrow Bairow on its t pol polar flight this t sum sum- II I mer titer But the navy planning board headed by Rear Admiral Moffett urges construction of ot a permanent pc mooring and supply station at Barrow Barrow Barrow Bar Bar- row for use In subsequent aerial trips Difficulties in m shipping supplies and erecting mooring masts may cause the Shenandoah to fly from Nome toward the tho pole rather than from Point Barrow But if it the t planning board has its way materials mate mate- I rials for the permanent equipment equipment may be shipped in August and the work worle completed In time for tor use the next summer Point Barrow 1117 miles from the north pole is Americas America's northernmost northernmost northernmost north north- community It Is at the edge of ot an unexplored arctic area a million square miles in extent The few tew white persons there there there- mainly school teachers traders and missionaries will mIssIonaries will mall mail orders in November 1924 fo for fOil the supplies they will use during the winter and spring of 1925 20 The veteran coast guard cutter Be Bear r pays a brief visit a as soon as ice permits in August bringing in the supplies ordered l last fall ll and possibly y a I teacher e If the water a r remains unfrozen un unfrozen un- un n frozen a few weeks some tiny whalers and fur traders' traders schooners may visit vIsit vIsit-a a big occasion up there But if It the government continues its explorations for undiscovered lands in the tho polar basin lands basin lands of great strategic value to the over-the- pole airplanes from Europe to Asia Point Point Barrow will give American air expeditions a tremendous advantage ad ad- vantage With this point as a re refueling ro- ro fueling base prolonged cruises will willbe willbe be an easy matter Geographic conditions around Point Barrow are ideal for such a abase base but base but the entire population 90 I per cent Eskimos would havo have to be trained to moor the big dirigibles or Uncle Sam would be compelled I to maintain the worlds world's farthest north naval base