River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-05-12
RESCUE IN THE 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 Franz-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 Nordenskjold 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.. Nordenskjold 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, 1908. On the fourth of that
month, however, while passing between
two ice fields in Terror bay, it was sud-
denly nipped and held fast A hole was
made in the quarter, through which wa
ter poured in a torrent. The steam
pumps were started, and for more than
month kept the vessel clear of water
while she lay in the ice. Meanwhile all
on board were ready to abandon ship.
AT last, on February L., she went
clear of the ice and headed for land, but
began to fill quickly. Capt Larsen ran
her against an ice-tield, and landed the
men and stores just before the steamer
sank. The party succeeded in reaching
Paulet island, where the crew wintered
with great hardships. One sailor died.
Meanwhile, when the rescuers failed
to arrive, DR.. Norderskjold wintered on
Louis-Phillippe Land, only 60 miles
away.
When the summer OF 1908 went by
without word from the explorer, the
swedish government took alarm and
fitted out a relief expedition. Before ii
could sail, however, the energetic Ar
gentine Republic had commissioned
Capt. 1rizar, of the gunboat Uruguay, to
sail at once for the south sea and find
DR.. Nordenskjold, Accordingly, early
in November-the opening of spring in
those latitudes-Capt. Irizar landed on
Louis-Philippe Land, and had the good
fortune in the course of a short walk tu
meet two of Dr. Nordenskjold's men
who were hunting for penguins for food.
Quickly they led him over the ice
mounds to the camp where Dr. Nor
denskjold and the others were. They
had hardly exchanged greetings, and
the leader was just saying that the Ant
artic had not been seen, when over 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
rescuer.
The reunion was as joyous as it was
dramatic The Argentine lieutenant.
bareheaded, roughly clad, unshorn.
hailed as an old cOmrade and superior
the commander of the Uruguay, and was
delighted that the rescue should have
been achieved by his own government.
The relief of each party on learning that
the others had come through almost un-
harmed may be imagined. Two days
later the rest of the sailors were taken
on board the Uruguay from Paulet
island, and soon from Southern South
America news of their safety was flashed
to the world.
Besides valuable meteorological and
magnetic records, and not as and maps
OF canoe and inland explorations of the
borders Of Louis-PhiIippe and Oscar
Second Lands, DR.. Nordenskjold brings
back fossils which show that those now
frlgld regions were once DoScpsSad of q
beautiful and bounteous vegetation.