Dealing with it
The Canadian Arctic Expedition is not so much remembered for Stefansson’s discoveries. After leaving the Karluk, his small hunting expedition spent four years living off the land and were the first of European descent to discover several islands before returning home in 1918. Canada’s first big foray into the
“I could hear the Victrola in the galley sending out the strains of the Funeral March. Pushing my hood back I bared my head and said, ‘Adios, Karluk.’”
Arctic became one of its greatest tragedies — of the 28 people who set out on the Karluk, 11 died. But the expedition is also remembered for Bartlett’s efforts to save the crew and scientists left behind. What kept everyone from dying was an ability to deal with changing conditions and Bartlett’s profound respect for Inuit knowledge. On Jan. 10, 1914, Bartlett heard a crack and rushed down to the enThe gine room to see water pouring in. The Karluk was finally being crushed. Over their three months trapped in the ice they had been preparing for this. The food, dog teams, ammunition and other stores had all been moved to a house constructed on a large nearby icepan. An Inuit woman had been making new boots and repairing clothes. As the Karluk settled low, Bartlett sat alone, listening to records on a nifty new contrivance called a phonograph, drinking coffee and throwing each album into the ship’s stove at its conclusion. He saved Chopin’s Funeral March for last. “I turned and looked at her as she went down by the head into 38 fathoms of water,” wrote Bartlett. “I could hear the Victrola in the galley sending out the strains of the Funeral March. Pushing my hood back I bared my head and said, ‘Adios, Karluk.’” At first opportunity, Bartlett and an Inuit set off with the dogs across the ice on a treacherous journey to Siberia where they organized a rescue party for those who remained.