Northland (1937) -- Discussion: Questions, Comments and Coordination

[Randi]

NARA URL	JPG Link	Location	Sector
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7284537	January February March April May June	Non Arctic Non Arctic Non Arctic Non Arctic To Arctic Arctic	- - - - P P
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7284538	July August September October November December	Arctic Arctic Arctic From Arctic Non Arctic Non Arctic	P P P P - -

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On the weather page, please enter: date, locations, distances, courses, and all the weather data in the columns outlined in red in the spreadsheet.
It is not necessary to record Sea Conditions or Swells from.
However, ice mentioned in the weather grid should be transcribed using the magenta Sea columns.

On the events page please enter: ice, location information, and sailing information.
Aurorae and volcanic activity should also be reported.
Other events are optional.

One person can do both weather and events (Stream 1), but the system also allows one person to do the weather page (Stream 1) and a second person to do the events page (Stream 3).
Unlike in OW3, where three transcriptions were required for each page, we are doing only one transcription per page.

Every transcriber needs to enter the date.
The date is used to organize the pages.
(If one transcriber does events and weather and they are in the same image, the date is only entered once.)

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OW web site: Northland

Direct links:

• Spreadsheet
• Tracker
• File Upload
• Transcription Status
• Voyage Plots

[Randi]

Error on page https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/7284537/content/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-026/585454-noaa/159a/northland/b1727/26-159a-northland-b1727_100.jpg display (date 1937-03-23.)

Same problem with page 130

https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/7284537/content/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-026/585454-noaa/159a/northland/b1727/26-159a-northland-b1727_130.jpg

Here is another one for Kevin.
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/7284537/content/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-026/585454-noaa/159a/northland/b1727/26-159a-northland-b1727_163.jpg is a duplicate of 162. (Tuesday 11 May)

There is now no data for Wed 12 May which should have been 163. Page 164 is the 13th.

July 13

Advised S.S. Stranger as to status of visit to Siberia, reply in effect to Northland message having been received as follows: " State department advised by Russian embassy that soviet government not agreeable to any foreign vessel entering outlying soviet territory without prior permission." Stranger cancelled visit as the result of this.

On July 5, Northland tried to visit Naukan, Siberia. The C.O. went ashore to ask permission, but there was no Soviet official there, so permission to land was denied. I'm not sure if this is the reason for the message from the State Department. The Northland did stop at Natepelmer and Uelen a couple of days later.

21 August

Near 70 3N 163 10W

On trying, for the second time, to get to Barrow, we meet the very famous Russian Icebreaker Krassin. This Wikipedia article makes fascinating reading. What a history this vessel had, and she almost became a USCG ship!

8:30am Sighted unknown vessel heading 0T
8:35am cc 20T to identify vessel. Vessel apparently headed SW.
8:48am cc 44T
9:03am cc 348T to identify vessel and investigate erratic maneuvering.
9:08am cc 264T
9:15am cc 280T
9:23am cc 10T
9:27am cc 340T
9:35am Close aboard; Identified vessel as Russian Ice-breaker KRASSIN. Apparently settled down to constant course and speed and in no difficulty. *
9:38am set course 50T for Icy Cape.

*Further entry to 8am-merid watch. KRASSIN had her planes on board and a heavy deck load and it was evident from condition that neither planes, gas or stores had been landed at Barrow although she had worked to a point 8 miles west of Barrow, being stopped by the pack. Reports indicated she worked herself clear of ice on evening of 21st Aug.

Lots of course changes! ::) Faithfully transcribed by Stuart.

[Randi]

I was able to find a brief explanation of what the Northland was doing with the oceanographic stations in 1937.

This is a description of papers by Arnold Morton in the collection at the Alaska State Library.

Nearing graduation from the University of Washington, Mr. Morton sailed with other scientists on the 1937 Arctic cruise of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter NORTHLAND. The papers describe his responsibilities as an oceanographer testing temperature and chemical characteristics of water at oceanographic stations in the Arctic. His letters and diary describe the cruise and-impressions of various locales which include in part, the Inside Passage, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Golovnin Bay, King Island, Little Diomede, St. Lawrence Island and Arctic villages.

The NORTHLAND was under the command of F.A. Zeusler, who also served as a U.S. commissioner for the Nome District handling various court matters. Medical personnel from the ship treated people in the villages and Mr. Morton describes operations and care provided. Also on board the vessel was Father Bernard Hubbard, destined for King Island, and the noted anthropologist, Dr. Ales Hrdlicka. The newspaper clippings describe the work of these men in Alaska.

https://alaska.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/631

It sounds like his papers would be fun to read, but unfortunately it appears they reside in a box at the Alaska State Library.

I was also able to find a very brief description of the oceanographic stations. They were recording water temperature and salinity down to as near the bottom as possible. I thought if they were recording air temperature and pressure the data might be of interest if it could be located, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

The voyage for 1937 has been completed, and you can see it here.

Especially GIANT kudos for Stuart who had to deal with over 250 Oceanographic Stations, course changes, start and stops, and ice so bad not even the most powerful icebreaker in the world, the Russian Icebreaker Krassin, could make it into Barrow.

It was like every part of the voyage north of Unalaska was like travelling through the Inside Passage. ::)