Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-24
MAP SHOWING THE ROUTE TO BE FOLLOWiD
'rtunate or persistent it has marked the
init of progress to the nortnward.
The Polar HALFWAY station


nit of progress to the nortnward.
The Polar HALFWAY station.
Doubtless many people will be surprised
| to learn that in less than a week we ex-
pect to steam in our staunch little ice
working seaIer from civilization. to this
high northern latitude. Barring accident
We shall make the voyage in four days
Tromsoe, which has the Atlantic cable and
d, a tri-weekly mail to the south, is very near
ly in latitude 10. Danes Island lacks but
a few miles of the S0th parallel. The lat
ter is, therefore the halfway house to
the pole-ten degrees or 700 statute miles
from civilization, and exactly the same dis
lance from that northern termination OF
the axis of our earth known the north
pole.
This western coast of Spitzbergen is every
year accessible to steam or sailing vessels
early in the season. 1t is the only point in
the circum-polar region which affords this
tremendous advantage. By the SpitZbergen
route We shall, unless extraordinary cOndi.
lions present themselves, reach without
effort or loss of time, without the necessity
OF previous wintering in the arctic region
with our vitality unimpairei and our men
and equipment fresh and strong, the same
latitude at which Greedy wintered. as far
north as De Long went almost as near to
the pole as Hall penetrated, hundreds of
miles farther north than Franklin or any
of the early explorers progressed, and with
ever achleVed by man. In other words, our
journey proper begins at SpitZbergen, sub
stantially at the latitude in which other
efforts have come to an end.
Our business is not a Spitzbergen. That
is only our halfway house. our point of
departure, our stepping stone to the inner
polar region. Though an uninhabited land
of wonderful scenery, of romantic and
tragic history, of rare sport with ice bear,
Walrus. reindeer, seal. foxes and BIRDS We
shall not tarry on its shores longer than
few days in which to land our stores and
establish a headquarters station in a COM
Portable house already standing there.
Leaving a couple of trusty men in charge
of our station, and with a safe harbor near
by for our steamer. We push on.
Crossing the Desert of Ice.
Whittier? And over what sort of a road?
Straight to the north, toward the pole to-
ward the ice-locked secret of the unknown
region, over and through the dreadful pack
ice of the Arctic ocean. The edge OF the
ice pack or the frozen surface Of the sea
will be found between latitude 80 and 81.
The farther north it is the better we shall
be pleased, tor our steamer, lifted for ice
working, commanded by a broIaed and
fearless master, to whom the danger of
ice navigation is an old story, quickly car
ries us to the margin of the ice and dcpos-
its us, with our boats, sledges, dogs and
accouterments, upon it's surface. Our
steamer is not to enter the ice. 1t is not
ing king of the north, which has vanquish-
ed craft innumerable and which stands
like a stone wall, barring all progress by
means of ships into his domin!ons. The
ship which carries us is not to he placed in
any danger at all-at least not in more dan
ger than is incident to navigation of the
ocean in any part of the world. Its duty
is to advantage by the opening caused by
the gulf stream, by the lee shore Of SDitz-
bergen, to run us early and speedily to the
frontier of the inaccessible region and then
turn back to the headquarters which we
have established at the land near by to
serve during the remainder of he sum-
mer as dispatch boat to and from Nor
way and in the autumn to pick us Up and
return us to civilization and home.
Between the 10th and the 18th day of
May we expect to be placed upon the mar
gin of the ice. There will be sad hearts in
our party no doubt when the shin turns
her prov to the south and we are left alone
IN the desert of ice. But there will he no
time for vain regrets. At this moment orr
active work begins; now commences that
campaign which is to carry us to victory
or defeat. Here and now we start on that
dash for the pole which promises SO much
and may result in so little Through the
months of May. June. July August end a
part OF September this ice pack is to be
our home. We leave the land at our Iva ok
and strike out boldly across the sea In
something more than 100 days we propose
to go as far north we can go ,iiseo,-ar
What we can discover and return TO our
headquarters. How far we shall GO "a
what we shall find there no one has much
OF an idea. Better than guessing about il
is to wait for the sequel
Far From Land, Within ''The Pack
While we make no predictions. we know
what the facts are. We have by no ,,,eors
moderated the difficulties which lie before
We know that the pack is anytbinc
but an easy road to travel We know if is
rough and uneven; that where the lIof and
have
storms of the preceding autumn AMI WIN
ter an almost irresistible force has cruro-
bled their margins upheaved them into
what is known as hummOcks We know
that as the season advances and the nov, or
of the sun, always in the heavens becomes
stronger and more effective leads or Onay,
ings form in the ice, narrow, sinuOus canals
will be found at frequent intervals in our
march and the surface of the foes will le
come more or less covered with slush and
water. We know that We shall he troubled
much by deep snow, which in a few Ceks'
under the suns rays. will become soft and
difficult to traverse. We do not forget that
down through this region sweeps the only
considerable outlet of the Arctic seattle
great current which Dr. Nansen in time
hopes to reach, the current which flows be-
tween Spitzbergen and Greenland round
Cape Farewell. down past Labrador until
it is finally mingled with the waters of the
gulf stream off the banks of NewfoII1 IIanJ
II is this current which carries from the
very inner regions of the far north which
we hope to penetrate the ice fields ami
bergs encountered by our Irausatlantic
steamships.
The English Record May BE Beaten.
We do not forget. either that this CIR
rent defeated the effort which Sir Edward
Parry made in this direction and. by means
similar TO ours. far back as 1927, in time
carrying his men to the south as fast IS
they could travel to the north so that their
progress was that which horse makes
upon the endless belt of the old-fashioned