OCR Text |
Show STEFANSSON IS I REPORTED SAFE Ottawa, Dec. 27. Vllhjalmur Ste-fanson, Ste-fanson, the Arctic explorer, last heard from In a letter received in March, 191 C, has arrived with his party at Fort Yukon, according to word received by the naval department. depart-ment. Stefansou, head of the Canadian Arctic expedition has been In tho far north since 1013, and lately there has been some anxiety as to IiIh safety. The expedition was divided Into the northern nnd southern divisions, Stefanson, in charge of the northern, set out to explore unknown parts of Beauforttsea and hearch for new land. Hits yarty started on the gov-trnmemt gov-trnmemt sttfaiuer Knrluh. Near Voftat 4 Barrow the vessel was Ice boundand carried eastward to Thetis Island. Stefanson with a small party began be-gan afoot for tho mainland. During their absence the Karluk was crushed crush-ed by tho Ice and sunk, eight mem-bers mem-bers of tho party losing their lives in an attempt to reach Herald Island. Is-land. Nine men made their escape. Despite this disaster, Stefanson continued his work In the far north, making arrangements to journey on foot over the ice to unknown parts of Beaufort sea. After oxtenslve exploration ex-ploration he returned to l'rlnce Patrick Pat-rick Island In 1915. but with Kellet as his base he went on with his researches re-searches within the Arctic circle thru 1916, being Joined In May of that year by a party on tho Polar Bear at Cape James Murry. Fort Yukon, where Stefanson Is reported to have arrived. Is a trading trad-ing post and station of Alaska on the Arctic circles and on tho great bend of the Yukon river in about longitude 145 degrees 20 minutes west. Stofanson's Arctic Journey was not a pole seeking expedition. His purpose pur-pose was to seek now land and to make geological, botanical and biological bio-logical surveys of the Canadian Arctic Arc-tic shores and to study Arctic Ocean conditions. The fact that Stefanson arrived at Fort Yukon, which Is In Alaska on the Yukon rlrver about ten miles In-sldo In-sldo the Arctic circles, Indicates he 'did not complete his Intended east-.ward east-.ward trip through tho northeast passage pas-sage from Melville Island, where It , Is thought he spent tho winter of 1 191C-17. |