The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1901-01-26
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Men Who Placed Their Mark Near
est the Pole.
PerIIous Feat Accomplished by the
Duke of the Abruzxi and His
Party-PRrticulars of the
Exposition.

Cagni have furnished the data for an
official report on their polar expedi-
tion which appears in the ltalia
Alilitare e Marina The earlier stages
of their experiences have already been
told. What is new and interesting
dates from February after their win
ter on Rudolf land 200 yards from the
shore. where the ice in the bay had
crushed in one Of the sides of the
Stella Polare and let in the water.
The story has already been told OF an
excursion about Christmas time, when
the duke and Cagni fell into crew
asse. The duke lost two fingers by
frost bite and the doctor forbade him
to undertake the command of the ex-
pedition over the ice toward the pole.
Capt. Cagni started, however, on Feb
ruary 20, but the intense cold and
consequent difficulty with the proyi-
sions compelled him to return almost
Immediately On March II the expe-
dition started again. 1t consisted OF
ten officers and men, with numerous
dogs and some sledges and kayaks,
says an eastern exchange.
After nine days march, during
which 43H miles were made, Cagni,
finding the provisions running short,
sent back Lieut.. Querini with two
men. These three have not been
heard of since. On March 81, when
the sledge expedition had passed the
eighty-third parallel, DR.. Cavalli-Mo-
linelli was sent back with two men.
They, with two sledges and 16 dogs,
arrived safely at the main camp on
April "a, having taken four days
longer to return than to go. Cagni, in
the meantime, continued his journey
with three of the Italian Alpine
guides Canepa, Petigax and Fenouil-
let. Cagni worked on an equality
with his companions and at night
they all shared the one sleeping sack
of reindeer skin. They had the advan-
tage now Of having the sun always
with them. The ice softened and
their way became easier. They ate
their provisions as long as they lasted
and then commenced to kill the dogs
for food in order to live, or rather in
order to attain their object. They
were able to increase their speed to
nine and half miles per day and at
last they reached Nansen's farthest
north, Sc degrees IA minutes. After
a long and careful observation TO
make sure of this they passed beyond,
and on April 20, 1900, they touched
Sc degrees 33 minutes n at about Sc
degrees f., when they decided to turn
back. No land was in sight, nothing
but ice in state of thaw. Peter
mann's land. which Payer believed he
saw. did not exist where he stated,
otherwise Cagni would have seen it
early in his journey. The same is
said of King Oscar land, which would
otherwise have been seen on the re-
turn march.
Toward the end of May the four adj
venturers found themselves at the
eighty parallel, but the condi-
tion of the ice had compelled them
to keep too far to the west On une
they made Harley and Ommaney
islands, having passed Rudolf island
without observing it. They now made
the best of their way east, then north
east. and finally reached the main
camp in good health on June 23 with
two sledges and seven remaining
dogs.
The Stella Polare still remained
above the ice and Capt. Cagni sue
ceeded in repairing her sufficiently for
the return voyage, which commenced
on August Is. 1t was highly improb-
able that the vessel would have with
stood another winter in the ice.
Two years provisions were left at the
camp in the forlorn hope thai the
three missing men might still return.
On August IL the Stella Polare was
blocked by the ice in the British chan
mel and remained there 13 days. but
on August 30. the thirteenth day. she
reached Jackson's station at Cape
Flora. Six days later she was at
Hammerfest. having run great dam
ger of destruction by icebergs when
30 miles from the European mainland.
On September il the duke and Cagni
arrived at Christiania, and on Septem-
Der IA they were in Turin.