Canada Post issued 4 stamps in 1989 in the Exploration series, one of the stamps depict Stefansson on polar ice. In the background of the stamp is the expedition ship KARLUK depict frozen-in the ice.
The Canadian post gives the following info by the stamp:
Even today, the Canadian North can appear remote and forbidding. The last four explores in the Exploration stamp series traversed lands and waters where few now dare to venture. Stefansson, an anthropologist, not only studied the native peoples, but also charted unknown lands. His Arctic explorations between 1906 and 1918 led to the development of the “friendly Arctic” theory which maintained that adopting the native way of life made the Arctic a hospitable place. He found the last undiscovered land in Canada – hitherto unknown islands in the Arctic Archipelago.
Frederick Hagan of Newmarket, Ontario, created these four stamps, the last in the series on the Exploration of Canada. Maps of the voyages of exploration are highlighted and some of the salient features of the expeditions are shown to give a feeling for the harshness of the conditions endured by the explorers.
She was built as a brigantine rigged wooden cargo vessel for the Alaska salmon trade at a yard at Benicia, near San Francisco. Lloyds 1909/1910 gives as builder M.Turner at Benecia.
Launched under the name KARLUK.
Her Canadian registry details are:
Tonnage 321 gross tons, dim. 126 x 27 x 14ft.
Powered by a 150hp steam compound engine.
1884 Completed.
First used as a salmon carrier for the salmon fishing between Alaska and .San Francisco.
1890 Was her owner the Alaska Commercial Company, and that year she was bringing sealskins from Petropavlovsk
1892 Bought by the meat packers firm of Roth, Blum & Company at San Francisco and fitted out as a whaler, for the new found whaling grounds near Herschel Island.
Made her first two whaling voyages under command of Capt. J.A.Wing
Altogether she completed 14 whaling voyages, over-wintering five times.
1898 She came to the rescue of 8 USA frozen-in whalers, near Point Barrow, when she sailed from San Francisco on 16 March under command of Capt. McGregor, with on board supplies for the ice-bound crews. If she ever reached these whalers I could not find.
1907/08 Was she under command of Capt. S.F.Cottle, that year the price of baleen dropped from $7 a pound to just 50 cents, that the voyages thereafter were not so profitable..
Between 1911 and 1913 was she laid up.
1913 Purchased by Vilhjalmur Stefansson for his Canadian Arctic Expedition at San Francisco for $10.000.
She was owned by the Canadian Dominion Government, and after bought she sailed to Victoria B.C., Canada and was refitted at the Esquimalt Naval Dockyard as an expedition ship.
03 June 1913 ( other sources give 17 June) she sailed from Esquimalt under command of Capt Robert Bartlett an experienced Arctic sailor, crew of 12 and a scientific staff of 10. Also were on board a carpenter and a hunter who had spent a long time in the North, 7 Eskimos of which were 4 hunters, one of this hunters took also his wife and 2 young children with him.
The intention was to reach Hershel Island, but after passing the Bearing Strait she ran in ice, and by the middle of August it was doubtful of she would reach Herschel Island.
13 August she stuck fast in the ice, and drifted westward.
20 September the KARLUK fast in the ice off the mouth of the Colville River, Stefansson left the ship with his secretary, 2 scientists, two Eskimo hunters and a large amount supplies and the 12 best sled dogs, to hunt for food. He expected to be away for 10 days, but it would be 5 years before Stefansson returned to civilization.
But it is possible that he never intended to return to the ship.
25 Were left behind on board, some time thereafter a strong easterly wind carried the ice-field together with the KARLUK westward, early October she was off Point Barrow drifting in deeper water. And Capt. Bartlett well aware of the dangers of the pressure of the ice, took precautions to put some supplies on the ice. And equipment was assembled.
Christmas and New Year were celebrated with good cheer.
10 January 1914 at 07.00 p.m. in a position 40 miles north of Wrangel Island, a sound of splitting and crashing came from the engine room, pipes and pumps began to break, and the seams of the ship opened, time to abandon the vessel.
The next day at around 04.00 p.m. the KARLUK was engulfed by the ice, and disappeared for ever.
First she camped on the ice where the Eskimos had built iglo’s, till weather and temperature would be improving
The men on the ice decided to move to Wrangel Island, Russian Siberia, where they would set up camp, a party of 4 men were send ahead to establish a base camp, but during a blizzard they got lost and landed on Herald Island, where their remains were discovered in 1929 by the whaler HERMAN.
An other group want to head for the coast of Alaska and on 5 February 3 scientist and one crew member left with provision for fifty days, till today their remains have never been found.
February 10, 17 survivors set out for Wrangel Island and after a voyage with much hardship arrived on 12 March on the island where she set up camp.
18 March Capt. Bartlett and Katiktovick an Eskimo hunter, one sledge and 7 dogs set out on a 700 mile journey, first she crossed the 110 mile passage across the ice to the mainland of Siberia. Where she arrived on 4 April. Then with the help of Siberian Eskimos she travelled from one igloo to another till she reached civilization in Emma Harbour, where they met the American whaler HERMAN, who took them across the Bearing Sea to St. Michael in Alaska where they arrived on 27 May, from where Bartlett radioed for help for the men on Wrangel Island.
The USA Coast Guard vessel BEAR was ordered to proceed to Wrangel Islands, but it was not before 13 July that she sailed north, with on board Capt. Bartlett.
23 August she left Rodgers Harbour, 27 August Capt. Cochran of the BEAR decided to return to Nome for a new supply of coal. At Nome Capt Bartlett met Mr Swenson of the schooner KING AND WINGE, and heard from him that they were heading for the Siberian Coast for a trading and walrus hunting voyage. I asked him when he would come near Wrangel Island, he would made a call on the island to find out of the men still were there., and he promised me to do so.
04th September the BEAR had finished coaling, but he had to take on board fresh water.
06th The BEAR was off Cape York
08 September when in a position about 75 miles from Wrangel Island, the schooner KING AND WINGE was sighted, and when she came nearer she had on board the survivors of the KARLUK, after taken on board the men, the BEAR sailed to Herald Island to search for the missing crew members, noting was seen, and the BEAR headed back to Nome
Three men of the KARLUK died on the island before the BEAR could pick up the survivors.
Canada 1989 38c sg1322, scott 1236.
Source: Mills List. http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/usque-ad-mare/ ... 0-07_e.htm some other web-sites.
The Polar Passion by Mowatt. Salted Tories by Lloyd C.M. Hare.