Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-12

as severe hardshlps in the Arcuc regions
AS any one alive. He has made two lour-
neys 10 the North. The first was through
King Williams Land, over the route OF
retreat taken by Sir John FranKlin. Col.
elders second voyage was on the memoir
able search for the Jeanette. 1t was
during that search that he Travelled
across Northern Siberia, and for
slxty-nine days was alone In that
icy wilderness, with treacherous
native as his only guide and companion.
NO attempt was made during either OF
these journeys to reach higher latitude
than the objects in view required Since
his return, however, Col. Glider has be-
come convinced that a trip to the North
Pole is practicable, and for year past he
has been preparing to make one. He has
thought out way of his own for reach
ing that far-Way spot, and he has the
! courage to actupOn his own convictions.
In the first place there is no 'expedi-
ton" about his journey. He starts from
| New London, Conn.,, as an ordinary pas
senger on little whaling schooner, the
Era. His only companion Will De Mr..
| William K. Grlflths, a Cornell man who
has spent the eight years since mis- gradu-
alton in travelling over the world. These
two men start alone on journey that has
been fatal to thousands. A whale boat
thirty feet long and five feet beam to carry
build house with at Fort COnger, and
nine thermometers that Will register 100
degrees below zero will make up all their
burden outside of the necessary clothing.
81 am going to make this journey prln-
cipally on sledges," continued Col. Glider,
between the putfs of mis- cigarette. Il
believe that that is the safest and perhaps
the only way to do it. Fort Conger, In
Lady Franklin Bay, which was Lieut..
Y G 81 vi n no poty fre n
point, and 1t Is from there that | expect
to make my dash for the pole. Lieut..
Greedy left enough provisions to last the
small party propose to have two years,
even If we had none or our own. l had
hoped to be able to hire a whaler
to take me directly to Fort
Conger, for it is only a hundred miles
or 50 out of their course. The
promise OF a reward for pick ing me up on
my return would keep them banging
around there when they expected me, and
thus | could probably save year and
more on my journey. The lack OF funds.
| however, has compelled me to change my
| course, and instead of going to Fort Con-
| ger | snail land first at Cumberland Inlet,
! in Batfin's bay, where | shall spend next
| winter. | will secure there all the natives
l want to take along with me, and in the
! spring make the journey TO Fort COnger."
'lOu don't believe in white men for
: Arctic travelingT' | asked.
mot as workers, at any rate" replied
| Col. Glider. My experience IN the Arc
tic has proven the superiority of Esqui-
mauX for travelling. 1t is true that they
are harder to manage at times and want to
eat much Oftener than they ought TO when
ratiOns are scarce, but they can travel
four times as far as white man in day,
| especially If suffering from prIvation.
Then, again, they are naturally more ia
mlllar with the country than men whom
we brought with US could be, and their
knowledge has often been the salvation of
Arctic travellers. 1 shall take several
whole families OF Esquimaux with me, for
the good married men will not leave their
women and children behind them if they
expect to be gone couple OF years.
My plans are all laid as far as Fort
COnger, but what | do after reaching
there will depend in a measure on how |
find things. Ny general idea is to follow
the course taken by Lieut.. Lockwood, of
Greely's expedition. He reached latitude
50 deg. "a min. before he turned back.
That is the highest point that any man
has ever reached aud returned alive to
tell of it. Lockwood left some provisions
there, too, so that | will be able to profit
by his success. | will have another ad-
vantage over him, too, because be had to
depend on white sailors for help While |
shall travel with ESquimaux.
There is an instance OF the absurdity
of the talk one hears of the dangers of the
Attic. Lieut.. Lockwood went further
north than any other man, and he encoun-
tered less hardships above Fort Conger
than he did below It. He could have gone
right on over the few hundred miles be-
tween him and the pole il he had NOT been
under orders to return as soon as half of
his provisions had been exhausted He
found, too, that the broken ice that 80 re-
tards travelling further south disappeared
as he went north, and that travelling by
sleds was comparatively easy. propose
| to do all my travelling above Fort COnger
| on sleds, and l shall leave everything
| else behind me. Several OF the
| lightest kinds of sleds have just
| been finished in this city for me. They
| weigh only about One-half as much as the
ordinary Arctic sleds, and are built on the
| trestle work principle. There is not a bolt
| or nail used in any of them. The parts
! are dashed together instead. A similar
! sled is in use among three tribes in North
! ern Siberia, but | do not think they are
| known elsewhere.
"While do not intend to make scien-
| tific observations, | nevertheless hope
| that my journey Will open the way for
other explorers to follow. Plenty OF them
would like to JOIN in the present trip, but
! have limited it to Nj. Gritfiths and
! myself. 1t is odd, too, that nearly all the
! Jeanette sailors who are alive have ex-
! pressed desire TO 90 with me-"