The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-27
BY EVELYN B. BALDWIN,
Commander Baldwin Ziegler Polar Ex-
petition.

downright 1901, by E. B. Baldwin,
Camp Ziegler, Franz Josef Land,
Aug. 23.-At so degrees "a minutes
north latitude and IS degrees 81 min
utes east longitude we have estao-
ushed the first base of operations in
our advance toward the North Pole.
We decided to locate on level beach
off the southwest coast Of Alger Is
land, and a better spot for an Arctic
camp it has not been my good fortune
TO discover. We chose the place only
after giving up every other desirable
locality as unsuitable after comparing
it with this first place of landing. AS
it is, we are so situated as to be thor
oughly protected from winds, storms,
are within easy reach of the best hunt
ing localities in the islands. 1t was
clear to us before stopping at Alger
Island that it was impossible to get a
farther northing. We succeeded IN
getting through the channel which lies
between Alger and McClintock Islands,
being, so far as l am aware, the first
party to get through the ice here. At
the farther end, however, we found the
ice so rotten and untrustworthy that
we could not walk upon it and so thick
and heavy that 1t would be unwise to
attempt to force a passage through it
with the America" We were, there
fore, under the necessity of retracing
our course along the south coast of
Alger Island and up the western chan
mel until we were stopped by the ice.
The exposed position Of this western
slope was enough to condemn loca-
ton here. so we returned to the south
western part of the island and content
ed ourselves as best We might with
attaining successfully this latitude. But
for our dogs it might have been feas
ible to have Unanswered about in the
America" until the close of the sea-
passage to some more northern point
though the result of such a venture
would have been decidedly problemati-
cal. Under the circumstances, however,
the safest course to pursue was to
establish our first station here, first
getting our dogs and equipment into
comfortable shape. Then we would be
free to look about for a means of get
ting farther north in the America"
and, if successful, establish a second
station. To this second station the
dogs and equipment could be moved
over the ice after it had hardened, and
both stations could be maintained by
our expedition as our needs might re-
qu!re.
At no time since our party was as
sembled, or, indeed, since our plans
were completed, has my hope been
brighter than it is at pres
emit We are all united
in the determination to plant the
Av,,1 de, n i
with this thought in mind, as II has
been so constantly for several months,
we have every reason to be hopeful.
We have successfully accomplished the
establishment of our first base above
the eightieth parallel of latitude; the
'Frithjof" and the America" after
being separated a month, have met up
in the polar Ice without mishap; we
have more supplies than we shall need,
800 dogs and party of forty-two men
of marked ability. sterling character
and abundant energy. Every man of
us is in good physical condition. Six
of the dogs died on the voyage up, but
their sickness and death were due to
the excitment of getting them aboard
in Russia and to the terrible heat
which prevailed until we were far out
at sea on our way to Franz Josef Land.
Our northward vayage was accom-
plished without difficulty and almost
without incident until we struck the
ice. A few of the men were seasick
and more than one-fourth of the dogs
were indisposed part of the time. 1t
was necessary for the Siberians, who
had charge of the dogs, to watch the
animals night and day, and whenever
there were heavy seas, most of our
party were kept busy shifting the dogs
about on deck in order that they might
not be washed overheard or injured by
the waves which broke over the rail.
AS there were seventy of these half
wild beasts on the deck above my
cabin, / did not get much sleep on
stormy nights.
AS soon as we reached the ice re-
gions we proceeded slower, watching
carefully for the most open seas, and
frequently stopping when fogs settled
about US. We found it necessary to
shift our cargo about in the hold con-
siderably in order that the bow OF the
vessel might be higher in the water
and able to make her way easier
through the ice. Whenever we sighted
bear or walruses, unless there was
danger Of the ice closing in on us
we stopped the ship and went on ar
impromptu hunt. ] had the good luck
TO bring down several bears with my
gun and also to harpoon number
of walruses. Boatswain Jacobson hao
not skinned a bear for fourteen years
and our good luck in the hunt always
gave him extreme pleasure, because
he had in prospect a long deferred en-
joyment. Every bit of our Arctic game
is saved. The choice pieces OF beal
meat go into our own larder and the
rest is put away for the dogs. The
Arctic sailor thinks there is no better
tonic than bears gall mixed with
little cognac, and, of course, the skins
will give to our winter quarters al
most all the comforts of home.
We caught the first sight of land or
the 14th Of August, and not long after
the shout of our lookout, Land ahead!
rang out to eager ears, the rough, bare
rockland Of Cape Flora doomed up be-
fore us. II was a glad sight to oul
men. We had been almost three
weeks out of sight of land and hac
seen no men outside of those of oul
own party, save for fishing vesse
which we met before we struck the ice
Aside from the fact, however, that we
were coming TO land, we felt particu.
larly pleased because the bit of land
ahead Of us was already famous in the
history Of Arctic exploration. Here il
was that jackson built his winter en-
campment. four houses Of which are
still standing. Leigh Smith and his
comrades spent a winter here in a
mere dugout. hansen and Johanser
ended their adventures here, after
reaching the farthest north, and the
Italian expedition. under the Duke OF
the Abruzzi left some whale boats be-
hind them al this spot. Early the fol-
lowing morning we made a landing
ana harau a search for news az thu