The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1904-05-13
RESCUE IN TIE ANTARCTIC.
Dramatic Meeting of Noted Explorers
Among the Icy Hills of the
South Polar Circle.

AS dramatic as the famous meeting of
DR.. Nansen and Mr.. Jackson on the ice
of tranz-JOsef Land in the summer Of
1896 was that of Capt. Larsen, of the
Swedish steamer Antarctic, DR.. Otto
Nordenskjold, the Swedish explorer,
and Capt. ~Irizar, of the Argentine gun
boat Uruguay, among the icy hills Of
Louls-Philippe Land last November.
The N~ordenskjold vessel Antarctic,
which left Sweden in October, 1901, and
had taken on board a lietenant of the
Argentine navy at Buenos Ayres, had
landed DR.. N~ordenskjold and his party
at Snow Hill, Louis-Philippe Land, in
January, 1902, with provisions for two
years. The steamer had then gone to
the vicinity OF Falkland islands for an
extended cruise.
According to the plan agreed upon,
says Youths Companion, the Antarctic
was TO return for the exploring party in
January, 1903. On the fourth of that
month, however, while passing between
two ice fields in Terror bay, it was sud-
denly nlpped and held fast. A hole was
made in the quarter, through which wa
ter poured in a torrent. The steam
pumps We're started, and for more than
a month kept the vessel clear of water
"hlle she lay in the ice. Meanwhile all
on board were ready to abandon ship.
At last, on February y, she went
clear OF the ice and headed for land. but
began to fill quickly. Capt. Larsen ran
her against an ice-field, and landed the
men and stores just before the steamer
sank. The party succeeded in reaching
Faulet island, where the crew wintered
with great hardships. One sailor died.
Meanwhile, when the rescuers failed
TO arrive, DR.. Nordenskjold wintered on
Louls-Phillippe Land, only go miles
away.
When the summer of 1903 went by
without a word from the explorer, the
o"edlsh government took alarm and
nt'ed out a relief expedition. Before it
could sail, however, the energetic Ar
genuine Republic had commissioned
capt. lrizar, of the gunboat Uruguay. to
sail at once for the south sea and find
Ut. Nordenskjold. Accordingly, early
IN November-the opening of spring in
those latltudes-Capt. Irizar landed on
Louls-Philippe Land, and had the good
fortune in the course of a short walk to
meet two of DR.. Nordenskjold's men
VINO were hunting for penguins for food.
quickly they led him over the ice
mound to the camp where DR.. Nor
denskJold and the others were. They
had hardly avoh,-ooJ ..-
the leader was just saying that the Ant
artlc had not been seen, when over a hill
on the other side came Capt. Larsen,
the Argentine lieutenant, and five of his
sailors, who crossed on the ice from Pau
let island, seeking their leader or some
-escuer.
Inc was as joyous as it was
dramatic. The Argentine lieutenant,
b~areheaded, roughly clad, unshorn,
hailed as an old comrade n superior
the commander of the Uruguay, and was
delighted that the rescue should have
been achieved by his own government.
n relief of each party on learning that
the others had come through almost I'M
harmed may be imagined. Two DAYS
later the rest of the sailors were aiken
On BOARD the Uruguay from Paulet
island, and o O from Southern South
America news of their safety was flashed
to the world.
Besides valuable meteorological and
magnetic records, and notes and maps
OF and inland explorations of the
borders OF Louis-Philippe and Oscar
second Lands, DR.. N%ordenskiold brings
back fossils which show that those now
Ilslo regions were once possessed of a
beautiful and bounteous vegetation.