Copy of a letter from Vilhjalmur Stefansson to Joseph-Fidèle Bernard, 07 April 1924
Date7 April, 1924
abstractCorrespondence, newspaper articles, and other material related to the ill-fated 1921 expedition to Wrangel Island.
RepositoryRauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College.
Call NumberStefansson Mss-91: Harold Noice Papers, Box 1, Folder 2
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COPY.
In care of
BROADWAY AT 156th STREET
April 7, 1924.
Dear Captain Bernard:
I have recently seen a copy of a letter you
are said to have written to the newspapers with regard to the
Wrangell Island situation. You are evidently under several mis
understandings, which is very unfortunate for both of us. Your
chief trouble has been that you have not sufficiently discounted
the misquotations and misrepresentations of newspapers. When a
letter is written to the papers as in your own case, they some
times print it exactly as you wrote it. But interviews are
frequently made up out of nothing, or else are very badly twisted.
are said to have written to the newspapers with regard to the
Wrangell Island situation. You are evidently under several mis
understandings, which is very unfortunate for both of us. Your
chief trouble has been that you have not sufficiently discounted
the misquotations and misrepresentations of newspapers. When a
letter is written to the papers as in your own case, they some
times print it exactly as you wrote it. But interviews are
frequently made up out of nothing, or else are very badly twisted.
The statement that evidently worried you was
some newspaper report you saw about what I was said to have aaid
about your having sailed too late for Wrangell Island in 1922. I
cannot tell, of course, what form you may have seen the statement
in, but the facts are as follows:
some newspaper report you saw about what I was said to have aaid
about your having sailed too late for Wrangell Island in 1922. I
cannot tell, of course, what form you may have seen the statement
in, but the facts are as follows:
When Noice came back to Seattle from Nome
in September, 1923, he told Mr. Knight and others that you had not
made a bona fide attempt to reach Wrangell Island in 1922. This
worried Mr. Knight greatly and he wrote me a letter showing violent
anger against you, his opinion at that time being that Noice was
telling the truth. I reassured him, however, explaining your long
service in polar waters and my thorough confidence in you that you
would do your best. Mr. Knight was still more reassured when some
months later Mr. Carl Lomen arrived from Nome and told him the same
thing, explaining there was every reason to believe that you used
your best judgment and did your best.
in September, 1923, he told Mr. Knight and others that you had not
made a bona fide attempt to reach Wrangell Island in 1922. This
worried Mr. Knight greatly and he wrote me a letter showing violent
anger against you, his opinion at that time being that Noice was
telling the truth. I reassured him, however, explaining your long
service in polar waters and my thorough confidence in you that you
would do your best. Mr. Knight was still more reassured when some
months later Mr. Carl Lomen arrived from Nome and told him the same
thing, explaining there was every reason to believe that you used
your best judgment and did your best.
As you will remember, the arrangement was that
you were to get twice as much money if you succeeded in reaching
Wrangell Island as if you failed to reach it. Both myself and Mr.
Lomen explained that to Mr. Knight, whereupon he ceased to worry
on that score.
you were to get twice as much money if you succeeded in reaching
Wrangell Island as if you failed to reach it. Both myself and Mr.
Lomen explained that to Mr. Knight, whereupon he ceased to worry
on that score.
You have been misinformed if you think that
the journey of Crawford, Galle and Maurer from Wrangell Island to
wards Siberia was made because they were out of food. The diary of
Lorne Knight shows this to have been untrue and Mr. Knight and all
the relatives now understand that, except the Crawfords. For some
reason, Mr. and Mrs. Crawford still seem to believe Noice's original
story.
the journey of Crawford, Galle and Maurer from Wrangell Island to
wards Siberia was made because they were out of food. The diary of
Lorne Knight shows this to have been untrue and Mr. Knight and all
the relatives now understand that, except the Crawfords. For some
reason, Mr. and Mrs. Crawford still seem to believe Noice's original
story.
-2-
It was true that I hired the Teddy Bear not as a
rescue ship but as a supply ship. This has never been disputed
and never will be. I thought at the time that the boys were in
no danger and we know now that they were not. Of course, if you
had reached the island some of them might have come out with you,
although it is likely that most of them would have stayed. But the
journey from Wrangell Island to Siberia in January, 1923, would have
been made by the three boys at the same date and in the same manner
even if there had been a thousand tons of food on Wrangell Island.
rescue ship but as a supply ship. This has never been disputed
and never will be. I thought at the time that the boys were in
no danger and we know now that they were not. Of course, if you
had reached the island some of them might have come out with you,
although it is likely that most of them would have stayed. But the
journey from Wrangell Island to Siberia in January, 1923, would have
been made by the three boys at the same date and in the same manner
even if there had been a thousand tons of food on Wrangell Island.
I quite understand the misapprehensions you have been
under and have no hard feelings in the matter. Everything you say is
based on a misunderstanding. If we had been talking together you
would have found that we differ on no point. It is entirely unnec
essary for you to point out that I am no great authority on navigat
ion around Wrangell Island. I have never claimed to be.
under and have no hard feelings in the matter. Everything you say is
based on a misunderstanding. If we had been talking together you
would have found that we differ on no point. It is entirely unnec
essary for you to point out that I am no great authority on navigat
ion around Wrangell Island. I have never claimed to be.
It is rather too bad that you should have taken as an
attack upon yourself a statement I made when I was defending you
against charges made by Mr. Noice. When I referred to your late
sailing date, I made it clear that this was no fault of yours but
was due wholly to my difficulty in raising money. When I finally got
the money and sent it to Nome, ,you outfitted your ship and got under
way with remarkable speed. I have always said that and you will find
nothing in any of my writings which is not friendly to yourself and
which does not give you full credit for good intentions, great experi
ence and adequate ability.
attack upon yourself a statement I made when I was defending you
against charges made by Mr. Noice. When I referred to your late
sailing date, I made it clear that this was no fault of yours but
was due wholly to my difficulty in raising money. When I finally got
the money and sent it to Nome, ,you outfitted your ship and got under
way with remarkable speed. I have always said that and you will find
nothing in any of my writings which is not friendly to yourself and
which does not give you full credit for good intentions, great experi
ence and adequate ability.
You will be glad to learn that Mr. Carl Lomen has finally
succeeded in interesting New York capitalists so that they have given
him all the money he heeds and more, for developing his reindeer busi
ness. He was trying to get $290,000. and three men have already given
him $300,000. He also knows where he can get more. This will make his
reindeer business very prosperous. He will leave for Nome by the first
steamer next spring and I am expecting him to make arrangements again
on my behalf for the ship to sail to Wrangell Island. I wrote a week or
more ago asking whether you are open to be chartered. I would like to
discuss this with you before you sail north, although the immediate
arrangements in Nome will probably be in the hands of the Lomen Broth
ers this year as they were two years ago.
succeeded in interesting New York capitalists so that they have given
him all the money he heeds and more, for developing his reindeer busi
ness. He was trying to get $290,000. and three men have already given
him $300,000. He also knows where he can get more. This will make his
reindeer business very prosperous. He will leave for Nome by the first
steamer next spring and I am expecting him to make arrangements again
on my behalf for the ship to sail to Wrangell Island. I wrote a week or
more ago asking whether you are open to be chartered. I would like to
discuss this with you before you sail north, although the immediate
arrangements in Nome will probably be in the hands of the Lomen Broth
ers this year as they were two years ago.
(Signed) V. Stefansson.
Captain Joseph Bernard,
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