The sun. [volume], October 18, 1914, FOURTH SECTION PICTORIAL MAGAZINE, Image 37

About The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916

Image provided by: The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation

                
I ill,
'I EIGHT PAGES Wjfc t MAGAZINE
I NEW YORK, SUNDAY, ' BW M. ifill III
APTHniTD 10 lllfwm dBfJfJkYuW Copyright, 1914, by the III
UU i U13M, 115, AZy JW2S&C MnMiw ami
V 1914 fLtC' PuMfiMng 430cat'on.
RESCUING THE
KARLUK'S SURVIVORS
Assisting survivors on board the Bear. Bert McConnell, formerly with Stefansson, on board
King and Winge during rescue, relating story of rescue to Lieut. Dempwolf. Capt. Cochran in
fur coat.
Capt. Robert A.Bartlett's Remarkable Trip From Icebound
Wrangell Island to Gain Aid for His Comrades and How
the Survivors Were Saved by the King and Winge
n 11 vi en av. ni:.Mi'voi,r,
Unit in Mil I I niter! Male ltceiiur
I iiIIit t In.
0 ' 1 1!12. while the
- i s-.iips iovpiiiip cutter
x .1, anchor at Point
Mika. .in athletic
"r ' 1 f.i.iiy I. ill nml with
v 1 .inif m board anil
1 1 .-f- to Nome, Alaska
'i Ins of Mip Bear up
fntn V Stefuni-son, ex
v n bonnl for passage to
t'f ng no other moans of
On '
1
-
With !
a it i
t '
Otlirr
ir
if
1 IWi
tor
w
IT
I c 1 1
t
d
10
f I! '
1
1 "r
I'
ll -
f 'cVt
t
t
Ik
f
'iap to converse Ions
m 10 learn that he was
ipfi-.or intelligence, havlns
11 ilarv.inl anil several
Mi Hp was completely
in- work ot exploration
.ihk.t and t lie land of
t "i thereto, It was noocs
11 to mush (walk) nearly
fifm Coronation Oulf, Vic
n as to mnkp connections
lr wraid, Ilia companion.
Iin Ipft behind to loot;
nf 11 . both had collpcteil In
' rp country.
' p Heir Stofnnsi-nn related
' f'iind 11 rai-p of Eskimos
lent fiom and unknown
' " races near Coronation
' 1 that somo o the
id 1'ght hair and blue
n '11 that they believed
- a largo trb" of llene.
'1.111'p to tlv westward of
who would kill Iheni on
e I'tilire tilbn never ven
' f 'i'ti their ow'i c iiimry.
r.vnl of the He'ir at Nome
"fid soon learned nf
-Min'M tiav and c-
I 'In- race of Ksklnics he
.ie diiblieil the blond
' than a year Stcfans
n Nome with the nucleus
- vpeditlou, the steam-
Mn-r 1 'I'd anil outfitted by
1; "Vcrnment. He was 11c
a number nf scientific
'1 in the exploring world
K u liik. wnsTnmmunded
Cipt. Hubert A. Hartlett,
li IV ry on most nf his '
' b of the north pole and
h i i of the Hoosievelt wlii'li
nreeeded 111 lenchllH" the
Wide at Nome Stofati.isnn
.'Hi 1 1 n ts the expedition and
fir the Canadian Oovern
' 1 -mall gasolene schooners,
1 Alaska mill North Star,
i' injunction with the main
purtlc.i on board Iheni
w.ih mapping coast lines,
mil topographic work
II suivey of the lands In
1 hi 111, 1.
' 1 v iia seai-on of 1913 was
" on ships, no matter how
I'lnptiiiK In navigate the
1 e p,n k on account of un
favorable winds remained clop to the
Alaskan shores from ley Cape to I'oint
Harrow and well to the eastward as far
as Herschel Island. The Kdrluk and the
other vessels of the expedition man
ned! to reach Point Harrow and so to
the eastward for a ihort distance only,
1'PliiK continually harassed by heavy
Arctic Ice. The smaller vessels of the x
ppdltlon, boliiK of llshtor draught, were
able to keep close to shore and seek
shelter In the numerous lapoons to be
found on the north coast of Alaska.
The Karluk, however, keepinK in
shore off the ice as much as possi
ble, continually not tiKround, m Capt.
Hartlett, belnir anxious to cot Stefans
son and the Karluk to Herschel Island,
kept off shore In deeper water. No bet
ter progress was made because of the
northerly and northwesterly wlnili.
While the Karluk was caught in the
ice off Colllnson I'oint Mr. Stefansson,
nccompanled by his secretary, Hon M.
McConnell; Wllklns, moving picture
man. and several native Eskimos, went
ashore over the Ice for a caribou hunt.
While they were on this hunting trip
a strong southeast gale sprang up on
October 1913, and the Karluk, with
all lhne remaining on board, was
caught In the heavy Ice ami carried
helplessly out to sea with It.
Stefansson and Ills companion
worked their way along the coast to the
westward to I'oint Harrow and sent out
news of the disaster by the first winter
mall over the trail. Ships caught In
the Ice In this part of the world are
seldom heard from, and It was thought
by many that Capt. Hartlett and his
men never would be heard of again.
Helng experienced In Arctic work Capt.
P.nrtlott took every precaution to pre
v -n- the Karluk from being crushed and
l:ent his shipmates In fairly good spirits
by lettlni? them know there was a pos
sible chance of their being released
from the pnek in the spring.
Tim first part of the drift of the Kar
luk wis to the westward by Point Har
row. When off Point Harrow the ves
sel drifted off to northward and west
ward nt a considerable rate and Ultimo
on board saw the possibility of Hip Kar
Ink drifting ncross the north pole. In
about latitude 7.1 degrees north the drift
of the Karluk changed to the south
ward and westward, but In a neneral
way always to the westward, .lannarv
in, 19H, observation!! fihnwrd the Kar
luk to be about sixty miles to the north
ward of AVrangell Island, and sure
enough It could be seen when the
weather was clear.
Without warning a slight pressure
of the park crushed In the port side nf
the Karluk at the water line An ex
amination was hurriedly made and It
was found that the damage was beyond
lepalr and that the ship was slowly
sinking. Pumps were manned, but
without nvnll. Capt. Harllett decided
that he and his men must leave the
ship, and accordingly all stores, cloth-
-f vm "'sk ii' w
. , S; , . - ri 1 " served the magnetic variation. W. I..
ing and supplies suitable for uledge
Journey were taken out of the ship and
placed on the ice some distance on and
a cump fsta'.lUhed named Shipwreck
Camp. On January 11, 1014. the Karluk
was almost filled with water, and
toward evening she sank with colors
flying, going down bow first, then right
ing and disappearing below the Ice floe
on even keel, sinking In about thirty
fathoms of water.
During the drift of the Karluk the
scientists of the expedition on board
passed the time by engaging In their
various professions whonever possible.
James Murray took many observations
of celestial bodies with a transit Instru
ment set up on the Ice near the sh'p.
He also observed numerous occulta
tlons of polar stars, only to be had in
high latitudes, and at various times ob-
Robert A. Bartlctt.
American schooner King and Winge with Karluk crew aboat u.
served the magnetic variation.
MacKlnlay. meteorologist, was
engaged lu observing wind, weather and
Arctic currents, exemplllled by the drift
of Hie Karluk. He In satlslled that had
llu' Karluk not been crushed the drift
courn' of the vessel would have Joined
on to that of Nansen's ship rram near
llennett Island.
Capt. Hartlett, no doubt thinking of
possible disaster to his ship, kept his
crew busily engaged In overhauling
camping outllts, sledges and so forth. A
native Eskimo, Kuriilliik. and his wife
were kept busily employed in making
skin clothing. Every endeavor was
maile on ('apt. Hartlett's part to pre
vent the pack from crushing his ship.
The Ice surrounding the ship's, hull
was cut and chopped nimns'i dMly so as
to make a oui'ilmi ami tnun prevent the
pressure of Hip pack Irnni finishing the
hull. All of these efforts were withou'
avail, and the Karluk sank as above
stated on January 11, 1911.
After the ship had gone down Capt
Hartlett Informed Die scientists and the
members of his crew that they would
camp whera they were for a week or so,
so as to make preparations and ar
rangements for the Journey over the Ice.
to Wrangell Island with a view of
transposing sultkiont supplies to keep
Iheni alive at least until summer, when
the sea would proliably open up neir
the Island, and inasmuch as whalers
occasionally touched at Wrangell. there
was a good chance of their being
rescued. Dr. Forbes A. MacKay, sur
geon of the Karluk. grew very im
patient within a day or so and Insisted
that a start should u made at once.
He was informed by Capt. Hartlett Hut
the start would mil be made to Wran
gell Island until ah the provisions hud
been li'l.ijnl to tin' Island ImpuWctit
to reach land. Iir MarKaj pcrsiiad-d
James Murray, who wa ,i comp.jn'nii
Willi h I m on the last Shac'doto;! Ant
arctic expedition: Henri llouotit. an
anthropoliiglst from Paris, and Morris,
seaman, in make the txrr. wita mm.
anil 'fru'iift it sledur 'n... abtntl -of.'v
d.i'.c.. ;-",;-it".i they Mt-i, ofi ;W tr.
Islajid. "
Dr. MacKay's party was seen several
days Inter bj one of Capl Hirtlett's
telay parties making poor progress over
the lie. as Dr. MacKny Insisted on
doing what is oftliiues done in Hie Ant
arctic, that Is, pulling sledge bv hand
ms'.;i! '.ii da a way
carryini; dog
roiifmurif on Mccnui Tnsc