Captain Amundsen and
His Wonderful Voyage
[Apologies are due the enterprising Dawson News both for appropriating the fruits of
its energy and for not presenting them intact, for the following short story, made up from
that paper, gives but a faint idea of the interest of the entire uccount.]
The project ot finding a passage by
sea around the northern extremity of
the North American continent seems to
have been lirst thought of by Sir Hum
phrey Gilbert, a distinguished natural
philosopher and physician during the
reign of Queen Elizabeth. He died in
1566, leaving the world a number of
works on terrestrial magnetism and elec
tricity. From that time the project has
held the interest of learned and adven
turous men, and very many expeditions
have set out in hope of accomplishing it.
Of these the ill-fated one headed by Sir
John Franklin, which left England May
19, 1845, probably excited the widest in
terest of any within the memory of men
now living. Franklin sailed through
Lancaster Sound and then south, cross
ing Barrow Straits, coasting down the
channel now called Franklin Channel or
Peel Sound, where in latitude 70 deg.
north and longitude 98 deg. west his ship
was beset with ice in September, 1840,
and he died June 11, 1847. The survi
vors abandoned the vessel a few miles
south of this jKiint and jierished in an
attempt to reach the American main
land.
An expedition under McClure left
England in 1850 to search for the Frank
lin party, and to this expedition belongs
the honor of having finally set at rest all
doubt as to the existence of a northwest
But to Captain Amundsen belongs the
honor of being the first man that has
made the northwest passage with his
ship and crew, which he did without the
loss of life or damage to the ship.
During his stay at Kagle the renowned
discoverer was inundated with tele
grams offering large sums fur a detailed
account of his voyage and investigations,
but refused to profit in any way. His
official report, wired to Nansen at Chris
tiana, was hung up outside for $800
accumulated tolls. His full official re
port is reserved for his king and the
society and citizens who outfitted him
for the trip. The detailed rvjiort is done
up in a soldered brass cylinder, and has
lieen forwarded to Nansen. Cylinder
and pa[*w weigh twenty-one pounds.
Amundsen visited the tomb of some
of the franklin party, found and buried
by former explorciV The tomb is ijuite
prominent, ami will remain a landmark
for many years
An odd proceeding was the captain
entering his vessel with the customs
officer at Kagle. the first customs officer
he lias met since leaving Christiana in
BUI.
When he landed at Kagle he was ut
terly astounded to learn that lie had a
new king, and in« pored eagerly who
"this king Haakon that you sia-ak of"
ia, lie said:
"I have received no news of the out
side world of any <lewription since June
17. But, till Vogt 1st »f this year, when
the tijott met the American whalers up
in Ike Arvtir, ami they kindly keeled ue
up with ike latest hooks ami paper*
(key had
'*1 rampe<l two year* practically on
tilt- magnetic north pole, taking observa
tions night and day. My two years
demonstrate extreme fluctuations and
variations. The swift swinging of the
needle made my ship’s compass utterly
useless to me from the northern part of
Peel Sound until I reached the western
end of Simpson Strait. I established an
observation station on King William’s
Land at a point in latitude f>8 deg. ill)
min. north and 00 deg. west of Green
wich. This I believe to he within ninety
miles of the true north j«>le. That dis
tance in the two years we often trav
ersed, taking observations everywhere.
From the sum of these observations 1
think the actual polo will be computed
where 1 have located it ”
The coldest weather experienced was
at his observation station at Todd
Island. March, 1004, his instruments
registered 70deg. below zero, Fahrenheit.
Throughout bis great journey Captain
Amundsen made diligent inquiries of the
natives for tidings of the lost Andre.
Nothing was gleaned in any way relating
to that daring man’s fate. Branches of
Esquimo people were met with who bad
never seen a white man, and who had
but the faintest traditions of there being
such on the earth.
The Gjoa is a stanch little vessel, 78
feet long, 20 feet beam and drawing 0
feet of water. 8he was specially fitted
for threading tortuous inland passages
by being equipped with a propeller,
driven by an oil motor, to be used as an
auxiliary. In the open sea the auxiliary
power is little used. She carries a crew
of seven men. Part of the stores were
jettisoned on account of shallow water.
Captain Amundsen was importuned
to visit Lawson, but declined because he
was impatient to return to his ship, lie
will carry back needed medicines and a
few nicknacks for the ice-bound whalers.
NOVITNO NO GOOD
FROM SHOWING MADE
Hope That Something May Be Found
in the Region Higher Up
the River.
"Alakiiia, Chat. Dugan, Jack Kilter
ami Hermann Keek have arrived from
the Novitno,” tay* the Tanana Yukon
IVw of Jau. t>. “They do not tpeak
encouragingly of tlie country and rr|>ort
no pay in tight. A good ninny hole*
have )>een Minik to tiedrock, fait with no
rettiltt. They detcrila* the creek* at
great aide ntoooe pattnrex. hut *nv the
iliac over* r* fuive acted in good faith, lie
lievmg that they loot a g<»d thing, and
tliat notwly ha» )<een tune lulten Ilian
fhemcctvct, aa they tent out-ale for
frivii.it in come in, and it>* rind nothing
to reward their time ami trouble Ala* ■
hama tayt that the country further up
the No*itn*. may yet thogr up tome*
thing, hut that to tar it la entirely a
matter of prorpet ting tjutte a number
of men are there a lib otttAlt, m> that al
any time «r may el peel to hear of a
InnnnrjrB^TrjrsTrBTrinnnnrjrBTri
FREIGHTING j
AND PACKING!
-fi..9JLflJLfiJLfi_flfl__fiJLfi._flflflflJLfl_fi 5 !
HEETER’S PACK TRAIN
Leaves fop Glen Every 6 Days.
Freighting and packing to and from all the
creeks. Good teams. Good service.
Q9QQOOOOOOQOOOOOODOOOODOOOOOO
more successful outcome.”
Jim Larson, who arrived in Rampart
not very long ago, is of a different opin
ion regarding the origin of the Novitno
stampede. He believes it was gotten up
by parties with goods to sell at Novi
kakit. “However,” he says, “it would
he no surprise if something worth while
should l>e found higher up the Novitno.
It would not he the first time a fake
stampede has led to important discov
eries. Having their outfits there, many
will go on up and continue to prospect
all winter,”
Mr. Iatrsop says the first work was
done in a most unpromising place. It
is nothing hut an old lake bed, filled in
and now devoid of water. Sixty feet
down old heaver dams were encountered.
Very light colors of gold were found in
the sediment, but on bedrock, 100 feet
beneath the surface, there was nothing.
The men on the Novitno, Mr. Larson
says, are a fine lot of fellows. They are
workers, and there is no hanging back
to see if the other fellow finds anything.
JIMMY CLIMIE
TELLS OF TRAVELS
Tasted His Friends’ Fatted Calf
Before Crossing the Ocean
To Eat His Own.
The many friends of James Climie,
whose address for the present winter is
12 Dean street, Kilmarnock, Scotland,
will take pleasure in reading the follow
ing extracts from a letter from him to
Thomas Adams, of Rampart. The letter
was written at sea, on hoard the .-team
ship Astoria, Oct. 6:
“We had a nice trip out [from Ram
part), making Seattle in sixteen days;
hut we were unfortunate in having to
leave Jim Dalton behind in Skagwav.
He took a cold on the way, w hich settled
on his lungs and he had to go to the
hospital.
John Jack, Mrs. Lindsay and children
and I went to the Portland fair and
spent a very interesting day. Would
have liked to stay there a little longer,
hut we could not spare the time. From
there we went to San Francisco amt saw
Mrs. Lindsay home. Here we only
staid a day and left for New York, stop
ping at salt Iaikc City. I*enver, t'hicago
and Philadelphia. We staid three days
in the last named place and had a line
time. John Juck has a lot of friends
there, and they were overjoyed to se •
hint. From Philadelphia we went to
New York and the fatted calf was kdled
for the return of Mr. Jack. Ilis people
are very proud of him, and to say that
they were overjoyed to see him is |mt
tmg it light. I slant in this place a
week ami then went to I-**-ton and vis
ited Jim Cummings, my old puitnrr,
ami lust a high old tune. He is going
lawk t«> Rampart with me in the spring.
From Itostoii I went tswk to New V>rk
ami sailed on this hat for home, wbwh
I expect to see tomorrow wight. Tile
weather has not lawn •itute as gisal aa U
might have keen, the ship has been
RECEPTION
...SALOON...
S. E. HEETER, BOB SCHABER,
Proprietor Manager
Wines, Liquors and
GOOD Cigars....
....Billiard and Pool Rooms
Barber Chair in the House. \
A. B. NOTICE.
Kepnhir meetilips of the Arctic Hrother
hood I.oilpe are held at their hull on the
aerond anti fourth Ttlesda.va of each month at
N o cloek p. m.
"'ll. .SIPARY. G. A. KKTTERKR.
Arctic Recorder. Arctic Chief
It
RICHT”
written
on tie
-of the Yukon Va lley
News aiul mailed home would
gratify relatives and fi lends
Postage, sealed, only 2 cents.
“Down in Dixie”
BY
Fort Gibbon Comedy Co.
POST HALL.
Fort Gibbon, Jan. 23, 1906
rolling arouml ever nine? we started, amt
inaile it very unpleasant h*r every one.
“Tonight e will see a |»laee that you
w<aihl like to see, Tom—tin* Irish roust.
We la ml }m«senger* at Mobile, L<>m|oi.«
• hrrv, ami from there ‘Home, sweet
home.* .....
“Am having a Hue time Lots of niee
girl* on the hoat—Irish an«l Scotch, big
itml little; *o you eutt imagine the time
I am having."
Billy Mann's Father.
YY.ilLi W.illu Wiwh Inn 'll. \V M.
M.inn. ul \h*»ki», i« M-it.na hi. IrU-mi,
krwliun Oiliriitwrif Mr M.ttn Inm
m>t l«t» inVY.lhi Y\ k<i thirl, -mm
Inin .ml my, hr llml* Ihr city duuitnl
.lu»*>t h.vm.1 (M'lymlii* *mr. hi. hnl
.mil.