The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-08

first news..the world received of the sue
cess of his expedition. She also made
the fastest trip ON record to and from
Franz Josef Land on the second OF her
thres voyages to that far northern land
The Mindward landed the jackson ex-
petition on the coast of Franz Josef Land
on Sept. Z, 1894, and five days later the
ice closed in around her and she was
frozen in for the winter. Jackson's party
lived in two big log houses that were put
I'D on the shore, but the crew OF the
Windward lived on their vessel. Early
in March, 1896. after jackson had set
out on his first Northern sledge journey,
scurvy broke out among the crew, though
the men who lived In houses on. land
were not affected. One sailor died and
was buried on the coast
On July 3rd the Windward began her
southern journey, and at once entered
upon adventures of greatsperil. The Ice
pack eventually proved to be about 800
miles wide and of unusually formidable
character. The foes were much heaped
ND and exceedingly thick and heavy. The
efforts to break through thsm used up
immense quantities of coal and fuel
finally running short. nearly everything
on board that would burn was utilized to
keep the steam up. Even the ship herself
was laid under requisition, and all de-
tachable portions that could be spared
were broken up and burned. for sixty
five days this struggle with the Ice con,
timed. and then at last the Windward
broke out of the pack and open water lay
before her.
But the price paid for this victory over
nature was no light one. The incessant
labor, the continuous exposure. the
rigors of the climate and the lack OF fresh
food told severely on the men. One after
another they became victims TO the at
- until fpwer than
twelve were invaiided. But they behaved
nobly and volunteered for and actually
performed most arduous tasks, when all
the while they were scarcely able to
stand. Yet, perhaps it is this constant
labor which is the best remedy for the
disease. The two men who died sue
cumbed to exposure and climatic ex-
trenes and not to scurvy.
Finally, on Sept. 6. they broke out of
the ice, but, having exhausted their fuel,
and meeting with constant head winds,
shaped their course for Vardo, the near
est port, and arrived there on Sept. 10.
Abundance of good food, with every COM
fort and attention procurable, soon re-
stored the sick to health.
In the next year, 1896, however the
newspapers were calling the vessel the
"lucky little Windward.' On her first
voyage nothing was heard OF her for
fourteen months. On her second voyage,
just six weeks after she was last seen at
sea on her way north, the papers were
printing the news she brought back to
Norway OF the years doings of the Jack
son party. A despatch which jackson
wrote in Franz Josef Land on Aug. 4,
was printed in England just two weeks
later. Last summer she made another
successful voyage, and brought back the
JACK son party: and now the Windward,
specially constructed for ice work. fitted
with the latest Improvements and one of
the staunchest Arctic exploring ships
ever built, is to enter the service of
Anne lean exploration and be one of the
iatruments which Peary will use in car
rylng out his great project.
The gift of the Windward was the Gull
mination of the honors showered upon
Peary throughout his stay in England
aud Scotland. All geographers and Arc
tic exrerts Ind only the highest praise
Tor his achievements, the newspapers were
file with the story of his years OF Arc
tic service and his plans for future explo.
ration, and both scientific and society
circles made him tha linn of the day.