The Van Buren press., 1901-01-05
NEAREST THE POLE.
Men who Penetrated FartheN
North and Some OF Their
Experiences.

The duke of the Abruzzi and Capt
Capni have furnished the data lor an
official report on their polar eNPeui.
tion which appears in the l'aiia
Nilitare q Marina. The earlier stages
of their experiences have already peeh
told. What is new and interesting
dates from February after their VIII
fer on Rudolf land, 200 yards from the
shore where the ice in the bay hau
crushed in one of the sides OF ING
Stella Polare and let in the water
The story has already been told OF an
excursion about Christmas time' Wheh
the duke and Cagni fell into crew
asse. The duke lost two hngers ny
frost bite and the doctor forbade MIN
to undertake the command OF the eN-
pediton over the ice toward the pole'
Capt. Cagni started, however, on rep
ruarv 20. but the intense cold ana
consequent difficulty with the provi-
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,
saws 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
, ~, Mach Va n N
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 &c, 1900, they touched
Sc degrees 33 minutes \. at about 81
degrees e., when they decided to turn
back. No land was in sight, nothing
but ice in a state of thaw. Peter
mann's land, which Payer believed he
saw, did not exist where he stated
otherwise Cagni would have seen II
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 ad
venturers found themselves at the
eighty-second parallel, but the condi
ton of the ice had compelled then
to keep too far to the west. On Int
S they made Harley and Ommaney
islands, having passed Rudolf islant
without observing II. They now made
the best of their way east, then north
east and finally reached the main
camp in good health on June 23 will
two sledges and seven remaining
dogs.
The Stella POlare still remained
above the ice and Capt Cagni sue
ceeded in repairing her sufficiently fo
the return voyage, which commenced
on August 10. II was highly improb
able that the vessel would have with
stood another winter In the zee
Two years provisions were left at th'
camp in the forlorn hope that ih'
three missing men might still return
On August II the Stella Polare wa
blocked by the ice in the British cha
mel and remained there 10 days, btu
on August 30, the thirteenth day, ST.,
reached Jackson's station at Cap
Flora. Six days later she was u
Ilammerfest, haying run great dan
ger OF destruction by icebergs whei
30 miles from the European mainland
On September II the duke and Cagn
arrived at Christlanla, and on Septem
| h., tbnV ,ynrn In fInrip