The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-05-08


"on the Polar sea-, is book full
of thrilling experiences, interesting In
formation regarding the Arctic and
sandwiched in are sage pieces of ad-
vice on the way to prepare and outfit
for such a trip. According to the Duke
the object of the expedition of the
&9iar Star was to sail as far to the
krth as possible along some coast line
And then to travel on sledges toward
the pole, from the place where the win
ter had been passed. The pole was not
reached By the sledge expedition, led
by Commander Cagni, but he pushed
on to latitude which no man had pre-
viously attained, and proved that with
determination and sturdy men and a
number of well selected dogs the frozen
Arctic ocean can actually be crossed TO
the highest latitude.
Besides attempting to reach the high
est possible latitude. the expedition was
also calculated to take observations on
gravitation and terrestrial magnetism,
and also to enlarge our meteorological
and hydrographical knowledge of the
localities which were TO be visited and
to collect as much information as pos
sible with regard to the flora and fauna
of Franz josef Land
CARE IN oUTFITTING.
Dogs are undeniabiy the most useful
animals for man ia his Polar expedi-
items where sledges must be dragged
over the ice of the Polar sea. They
have this advantage also. that, unlike
horses and reindeer, they readily eat
their fellows. Their weight is small,
and they can be easily carried on light
boats or on ice foes. AS the Danish
government has forbidden the exporta-
ton of dogs from Greenland, it was
decided to bring them from Western
Siberia and an order was given IN
July. 1898, for 120 dogs.
The vessel selected was a whaler a.
bout to. start for the seal fishery. The
Jason as she was called, could carry
$40 tons of cargo. was 131 feet long.
30 feet inches wide, and drew about
Is feet. Her engines were of so. NOM
ina, horse power and gave a speed OF
from s to miles an hour. The ship
had a new boiler and carried a spare
propeller and rudder. Many changes
were required to be made. Stanchions
were placed in the hold. the lower deck,
which is movable in sealer, was firm
ly fixed, the masts were changed and
the vessel was transformed from
bark to a barkentine. AS the object OF
the expedition was to reach that spot
on the surface OF the earth near the
zenith OF which shines star, known to
ali from the man OF learning to the
peasant, what name could have been
more appropriate to the ship than
..SteIla Polare?'' So the Jason became
the Polar Star.
HOW THE FOOD WAS PREPARED.
The expedition consisted of his roy
al highness. the Duke Of the Abruzzl;
Captain Cagni, Lieutenant Querini. Dr..
MolineIIi Captain Evanson. who nav
igated the vessel, three officers, four
Alpine guides and eight sailors The
expedition took with it supplies Tor
four years and preference was given
to those kinds of food which had been
chosen by Nansen for the first expe-
dition of the Fran and Syerdrup had
chosen for the second. AS much vari-
ETY. az possible was aimed at in the
choice of the supplies. SO as to avoid
firing the palate.
Food was divided into cases of fifty
Ave hounds each, containing the same
variety so that the contents would be
accurately known at all times. Plenty
OF furs. coats and wooden garments
were taken. Special attention was Civ
en- to caps. gloves, gauntlets, stockings
and shoes, so that all conditions OF
weather could be met
stoves. tents, sledges. dog harness
and firearms were also literally pro-
vided. and 44e pounds of gun cotton
for blasting the ice We're also taken
Great care was taken in the selection
of the scientific instruments. Four
balloons We're provided of varying
shapes. Two OF them were selected Tor
actual use in the expedition. Ihey
we're packed in crates to allow the ar
10 circulate and we're placed on DECK
along with the apparatus for proouc-
ne hydrogen gas, and a small ooiier.
rkirty-six iron tanks containing ABOUT
.welye tons of si1lphuric acld we're
placed in the center or the deck IN an
.ncIosura lined with lead and provided !
nth . enter so as to prevent the acid ,
rom burning the boards Of the deck
n case of leakage. Six tons of iron {
ilings completed the aeronauticai out
1t.
QUEER THINGS TAKEN ALONG s
The Polar Star left Christiania on
tune ID. 1885, and Arcnangel was reach
ID on June 80. where the dogs We're I
embarked Two rows of cages, one a.
oove the other were built against the
bulwarks of the ship on both SIDES
The first row rested on the deck, the
'ther was one yard above it, and these I
ages were separated by wooden partl-
ions. Four dogs were placed in each I
nd chained to the corners so that they
ould not bite each other. AS the cages !
md their floors were covered with graf