The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-10-19


ago. after he had planted his flag on
the east coast OF Greenland, at Cape
Bismarck
II am fully convinced that perhaps
never or at least only in very par
4icularly favorable years. can any ship
advance along this coast. The heavy
sea ice. closely joined TO the land Ice,
gives one the impression Of a ram
part built for eternity"
The present year has been one Of
those very particularly favorable
years." If early in July we had been
on the deck Of the exploring ship
Belgica. We should have Witnessed the
unusual spectacle Of open water
stretching far 10 the north along the
eastern shores Of Greenland The
Duke Of ORLEANS had chartered the
Belgica for a cruise in the arctic be-
tween Sptizbergen and Greenland. He
did not expect to go very far north or
10 make great discoveries, though he
hoped that his soundings and other
oceanographic work might add inter-
.estirg facts to our knowledge Of the
Arctic ocean; but the greatest chance
an explorer has had for decade
came to him. and he improved it.
It was the splendid luck Of this
princely traveller that he happened
to be in the right place with a good
ship when the time came to make a
dash for the north. The management
Of the Ziegler arctic enterprise heard
that the duke was going TO cruise In
the Greenland sea and asked him If
he would be kind enough to call at
Shannon island and see If Fiala and
his party might have reached that
spot where supplies had been sent
by Mr. Baldwin. the leader Of the first
Ziegler expedition.
The duke said he would call at
Shannon island. we know now that
he found the Baldwin caches andis-
turbed, for no explorer had been near
them But there was open water to
the northl The Duke OF Orleans did
what any man Of sense would do with
such an opportunity In his grasp. He
got up steam without an hours delay
and set out for the unknown
He crossed its threshold and sailed
in waters where no ship has ever been
before We have, as yet, only a few
details Of his remarkable journey, but
we may rely upon their accuracy.
They we're written BY Lieut.. Bergen
dahl. Swedish officer and member
Of the Dukes expedition. Returning
from the north he had an opportunity
to mail letter in Iceland. and 1t was
received BY Prof. Nathorst. Of Sweden.
a geographer Of the first rank and
brilliant explorer who gave us our
present exact knowledge of the re-
markable Franz Jozef Fiord in East
Greenland.
Prof Nathorst made the letter pub
lie, and it is easy. BY referring to the
accompanying map to see just what
the duke has accomplished.
The map shows Cape Bismarck in
about rs degrees 40 minutes north
latitude Up to this summer It was
the highest point that had been at-
tanned by ship in Greenland waters
and also the northern limit of sledge
journeys along that coast.
Thirty-Aye years ago Capt. Kolde-
wey. with eight men and a heavily
laden sledge, left his winter quarters
on the ship Germania at Sabine
island Amid bathing winds and deep
SHOWS the party plowed their way
northward, suffering bitterly from the
cold. though they tugged very hard
at the siedge ropes When they dis
covered and named Cape Bismarck
their supplies were 50 reduced that
they were forced TO retrace their steps
10 the ship.
This same point is said to have
been reached two years ago BY Capt.
Ole Brandal and his steam sealer
from Norway. The Ice conditions were
not unfavorable there that year. and
it IS believed that he reached the
neighborhood Of Cape Bismarck.
Between Cape Bismack and Inde-
pendence bay. discovered by Peary
on his journey across the inland ice,
still stretched an unknown coast
about 400 miles IN length. II was the
only part Of Gree1land's periphery
that was entirely unknown. It will be
NECESSARY to determine the trend Of
ali this coast before we can accurate
y outline on our maps the greatest
Islands OF the world
The Duke Of Orleans has reduced
the length of the unknown coast line
by 10 miles by steaming that dis
tance to the north Of Cape Bismarck
There are now only about 300 miles
Of shoreline to be surveyed to give
us fairly accurate idea Of the shape
Of the island.
The Belgica party made a rough
survey of the unknown coast from
Cape Bismarck to the parallel OF 7S
degrees 16 minutes north latitude and
gave the name Of Terre de France to
the new shores Of Greenland they had
discovered. They report that Cape
Bismarck Is not a cape, as Koldewer
believed it to be. but is an island.
Il Is not strange that the German
oafIo~ rhnrIF ravo made this mis-