The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-08-15


then to go TO Spitzbergen via Franz
Josef Land, where We felt certain 20 ind
ship. We had twenty-eight dogs, two
eledges and two kayaks for possible open
waters The dog food was calculated
for thirty days and our provisions Tor
100 days We found the ice in the be-
ginning tolerably good travelling and
so made good distance and the Ice ola
not appear drifting much. On March
% we were at So degrees. 10 minutes
north Although the dogs were less
| enduring than we had hoped. still they
were tolerabiy good. The Ice now be-
came rougher and the drift contrary.
| Don March %, We had only reached -
degrees, 10 minutes north and on March
20, SIS degrees. 80 minutes.
1--WE were now evidently drifting fast
toward the south. Our progress was
very slow. 1t was fattguing TO work
our way and carry our sledges over the
high hummocks constantly being quit
up by the foes grinding against eacn
other. The ice was in strong movement
and the ice pressure was heard In an
directions. "a
a,on Anrsl we were at IS degrees, so
minutes north. constantly hoping 40
meet smoother ice. On April we
reached Sc degrees. minutes north pu .,
the ice became rougher until, on April
;, ca, So had that l considered IL I'M
wise to continue our march in a north
erly direction.
I'VE were then at Sc degrees. IA min
utes north. We then made an excursion
on skis further northward in order TO
examine as to the possibility OF fur
Their advance. But We could see noth-
ing but ice of the same description,
hummock on hummock TO the horizon,
hooking like a sea OF frozen breakers.
We had had low temperature and dur
| ing nearly three weeks IL was IN the
ueighborhood Of 40 degrees below zero.
| On April /, II rose to degrees below
zero but soon sank again to 81. Wnen
| a wind was blowing in this temperature
NE did not feel comfortable in other
than wooden clothing. The minimum
| temperature in March was 4S and the
NAHUM was "a; in April the minimum
was 3S and the maximum 20 degrees
1--WE saw no sign of land in any direc-
ton. In fact. the foe OF ice seemed 20
move so freely before the wind that
there could not have been anything to
stop it for a long distance or We were
now drifting rapidly northward.
ION April S. we began our march to-
WdrQ fTdnZ JOSEF LdilI- oh ApIi l.
our watches ran down. owing TO the un-
usual length OF the days march. After
that date, We were uncertain as to our
longitude but hoped that our dead reck-
oning was fairly correct. AS we came
south We met many cracks which great
ly retarded our progress. The provfs-
ions were rapidly decreasing. The dogs
were killed one after the other TO feed
the rest.
In June the cracks became very bad
and the snow was in exceedingly bad
| condition for travelling. The dogs and
| the ski and sledge runners broke
through the superficial crust and sank
deep in the wet snow. Only a few dogs
| were now left and progress was next 10
| impossible. But unfortunately we had
| no line OF retreat The dogs rations. as
well as our own, were reduced TO a
minimum and we made the best way
we could ahead We expected daily to
find land in sight but we looked In vain.
On May 81, We Were in 81 degrees, q
| minutes north and on June 4, In 81 de-
grees, Is minutes north. but on June Is
we had been drifted TO the northwest 10
81 degrees. &c minutes north. No land
was 10 be seen, although. according to
Payers map. We had expected to meet
with Petermsnn Land at s. degrees
north. These discrepancies beca ne
more and more puzzIng as time went
on.
"On June p Is 81 : a. la eaJt a
bear and e. nj "A deal seal aud as the
snow became constantly worse. ne de-
terTnlned 70 wait. We ro@r I'D 9 -ly-, ~
OF seal meat until it melted away. We
also shot three bears. We had only two
a fs1F ra4f fsH AZ
on meat.
on July y. We continued our journey
over tOlerabiy good snow. on July "a.
when about 81 degrees north. We sighted
unknown land al last but The ice was
everywhere broken into small foes. the
water between being filed with crushed
ice In which the uss 81 the kxaks Vas
impossible. We therefore had TO make
our way by balancing from one ice
piece - another and We did not reach
land until August s. a 81 .3s nort1 and
about 80 degrees east longitude.
This p-oves1 10 D. entirely Escaped
Islands. In Eyaks ne made our way
westward IN open water along these
Islands and on August y. Re dixcov-
cred land extending from southeast 20
northwest The country became more
and more pazzling as I could end 30
agreement win Payers map ! then
thought we we're - sssrzi; Id. east OF
Austria sound but r tbs was corTecs.
We were now travelling straight ac-o~s
Wilzoox Land and Dove Glacier. with
out seeing zay laDd nea- us.
"On Auguss -. We reached a $40, n
81 .ls noren and = eas; evidently vel
suited 20 ziB'eTing and a. II was uo~
too tate sor the voyage - sps,zs,erxeu.
-
pare for winter We shot l,esr- sna
walrus@s and built TIE nut % stones.
earth AMI NOS. making the roof Of
Ezlrus hide tied down with -rue ard
covered with Snow. We used TIE bsgs-
Der for cooking. Light and heat TIE
bear meat ard the binbber w--e our
only foo3 for ten months TIE bar
SKINS formed oar beds ard Sleeping
bags. TIE winter. however passec zreiI
and ne were both IN perSsSrt health
spring came zith z1nshiue ard wsrn
much open getsT 20 the south 1est. We
hoped % aavs At essy voyage 20 Slstz-
bergen over the H. 81 80 and - ns,~a
Szfsr We zere obitge6 e manual
tuTe rev clothes from Dszrkets and
nes< sleeping haz - bar zkins. Our
provisions were nosS bar THsz; su9
b.ghsae~
On Nay II - were sf isst really -
sEarz We cane % cpen SafeT q
MAY =. n ~ 'Ss ncTTa. bat ~erS - ar =
81 - SsorrsS rnrsl Juse aslas
-ou-ss q II dsx---s 49, fc8a1 aad IL
tending westward ard eDea Sstrr ~'aira
res-1 II Mszt-ne-ThzHs-sl asOssE 90 r.ff1
cozss But ~ preferred - frsF-s .
ne -suihUz-ss over the ~ fnressa
broad SQUAD
we cane en- June Il - tie soats