Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-12
ARCTIC DANGERS"
Explorers Really Need No Re-
lief tx petitions.
An American Esu!orer DispeIs Some
Popular Illusions.
h,nsoa Cou,.-i o. Falling in With the .'Rso-
tuiny Expedition.

"a great miSconceptinn exists in the
nublic mind concerning the rescue OF
arctic explorers" remarked Walter
Wellnlan Of ashinsion recently.
who IS an excellent authority on polar
matters. -ir. Wellmaif. it will be re
called. has tx isc ,esi lIolaisexp petitions,
once in the North dsfsl.Ana Island OF
the Spitzber.eI Archfps1a so. and once
in Fran, IS Joseaa Land, vherfssh spent
year Is
"This misconceptional." T6dtinued
Mr. Wellman. lis TRADITIONAL: il
comes from tnc early tinr when
Frankiin Was dust somewhere in the
northern pari Of this contineut.' from
rho unfortunate misunderstanding and
moor provision which led to the Gree
lev disaster, and in part 10 Thee forts
which were madeSto md possible sur
yjyors Of the De Eeng seexpedition to
tho Lena Delta. in northerR Siberia.
But arctic explora ton pow IS q differ
ont thing from what it was, when those
disasters occurred. leadihgRstthey did
10 rescuing expeditions thathave made
50 great an impression on ,hee popular
mind. What may properly BE called
modern arctic exploration knows no
such thing as rescuing party; nor is
there any need of a relief expedition.
The Jokes 50 frequently seen in the
newspapers about the necessity Of a
relief expedition following every ex-
ploring party that goes into the
field. have no foundation.
III is true that when the Peary Arc
iic Society of New York sent the Eric
IA Greenland this summer, she was
called a relief ship, but as matter Of
fact, no relief or rescue was needed in
any sense. Peary was thoroughly able
to take care of himself through the
ARRANGEMENTS which he had himself
made before leaving civilization. The
modern explorer before entering the
arctic waste makes arrangements for a
ship or ships to come after him. or to
bring him new supplies at stated times.
These ships are really ferry boat $
which cross the intervening waters at
specified periods To bring back the ex-
plorer if he is ready to come. or To
: carry hi.l the provisions and outfit
which ne has himself ordered, if he de
sires 10 stay longer. No exploring
party has been lost in the arctic re-
gions in twenty years.
AS an illustration of present meth
DDS, Mr. Jackson. the Englishman who
spent three years in Francis Joseph
Land under the direction of Mr..
Harmsworth the London editor, and
who explored the southern part of that
archipelago, had his ship come out
every year TO bring him supplies and
carry back news. The Duke of Alb
ruzzI who spent one winter in Francis
Joseph Land, and whose second in
command Captain Cagni, made the
farthest north, had also made arrange
ments for d ship to come after him the
second summer. This was the arrange
ment in my own expedition TO Fran
els Joseph Land in 1889. 1t should
be. understood that it is only in the
months of July and August and per
haps the early part of September that
ships can navigate the seas which lie
between these northern-most lands
and the ports in civilization. AT all
other seasons the way is blocked by ice
hence il becomes necessary for the eX-
piorer wishing to reach high northern
attitudes, to establish his base of
operations by going up in the later
part of July or in August, and then
either to keep his ship there over the
winter at some risk of having her
crushed in the ice, or to send her back
TO return again the next summer.
If he keeps his ship and she escapes
accident in the winter pressure of ice.
OF course he is master of his own
movements, having a vessel fully sup
Piled with coal under his feet.
AS matter of precaution it often
happens that the explorer who keeps
ms ship in the far North over the
winter, as Peary did with the Wind
ward, and as the Duke of AbruzZi did
with the Stella Polare. arranges to
nave another vessel come out the sue
ceedng summer SO that in case of ac-
cident to the first ship there may still
De means of return; but this is not a
rescue or relief expedition in any sense.
When Mr.. Peary leaves his head
quarters at the Eskimo settlement on
the west coast of Greenland, on about
the 18th parallel. and goes north to
cape Conger, attempting to approach
the pole along the extreme north coast
oi Greenland, it would be desirable to
send out searching party to discover
what had become of him if he should
not IN time return or send back any
word concerning his wherea bouts. But
Mr Peary always does return to his
headquarters without the assistance of
any but the members of the party he
mas taken with him. This, in brief, is
the method pursued by the modern ex-
piorers. The man who leaves his base
vi headquarters and plunges into the
i,o'' hern ice has no other expectation
'hah that he must take care of HIM
sell and make his own way back to the
pace from which he started.
IL is proper to add THAI perhaps the
;aperiehce of DR.. Nansen may possibly bn
~ ~ III qaalihcation to the assertion that
W mas been no instance in twenty
fos Oh an explorer requiring the asss-
E.ce OF others He left his ship the
ram at the S4th parallel northeast Of
iom nncls Joseph Land. and made his ice
bbheS accompanied by Lieutenant Jo-
tnr 10 the S6th parallel and then re
ranae. 10 FRANCIS Joseph Land. No ar
vs. for ship to meet him there
~ ~ mace before he left Norway
II francis Joseph Land and he had homes
Ineseftheiess, he knew that tho Jackson
~ tt1'ihSWorth expedition was so,newherc
he o aarnhs IN with it. Failing i'm that.
UNITED on being able to reach SnitZ-
sbie.h 70 the westward where sealing
,urnaa a. !" pc met every summer AS ii