Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-09-02
FIALA'S POLAR TRIP
Arctic Explorer Returns From
the Far North.
DECLARES POLE CAN BE REACHED
Suggests Two Schemes, One Provid.
ing For Relay Expeditions, the
other For Drift Vessel Able
to Batter Ice FIoes.

~ @'sNNA - hC~Ss
NEW YORK, Aug. 31.-Anthony Fl
ala, the Brooklyn man who headed the
Ziegler arctic exploration expedition
and who has been in the north since
July, 1903, returned home on the White
Star liner Oceanic Fiala confessed
the failure of the $1,000,000 expedition
to attain the coveted prize, but gener
ously predicted a greater measure of
success for his rival, Lieutenant Com
mander Peary. He also unfolded two
new schemes by which he believes that
the pole may be found.
''An explorer has very slight chance
of reaching the pole" he said, unless
he has very large party, composed
of men who are willing to remain in
the arctic regions for at least five
years, or, better Still, ten.
THE result of my' own attempt has
convinced me that the pole may be
reached in one or two ways. The first
is that a ship be sent out every year
The object of the first two ships should
be merely to train the members of the
expeditions to endure the rigors of the
climate and accustom them to hunt
game and to live on the meat foods
that the arctic furnishes. Without q
party thoroughly trained in this way
the search is doomed to failure.
''These ships should be used as sup
ply and relief stations. If the one
which shall have reached farthest north
is destroyed the party can fall back
to the next by the sledges In this
way the explorers would have thor
oughly equipped stations at certain dis
tances apart The caches of the Duke
of Abruzzi are in line with this idea.
but ships would better serve the pur-
pose.
MY other plan is more unique II
is to build a drift vessel, of course
steel, capable of resisting any pressure
by the ice. 1t should be powerful
enough to break its way through any
thing. This with explosives to aid it
and favorable drift by the arctic ice,
might very probably land party near
enough to make the dash to the pole
sure of success.
'Of all the expeditions that have
ever started for the pole, from what |
near, that of Commander Peary seems
to have the best chance He should.
| think, go farther north than any man
has yet gone.
II do not know whether or not | shall
again seek the pole. l do not know
whether or not young Ziegler intends
to complete his fathers plans or not.
If the needed money is forthcoming
doubtless l shall be ready to try
again."
The Fiala expedition sailed from
Norway into the north in June, 1908. |
Two months later word reached civ |
ilization that the ship had passed be-
yond the lines of communication, and
from that time nothing was heard of
Mr.. Fiala or his companions until they
were found on July 80 last by the re
lief expedition sent after them in com
mand of w. S. Champ.
Mr.. Fiala had lost his ship. but he |
had established a good camp and was
in shape to spend another winter had
not the relief expedition picked him
up. In his two years of fighting the
difficulties of the arctic he had lost
only one man, seaman, and this |
mans death was from causes that |
would have ended him at his own home |
in Norway.