Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-02-15
ERIcHsEN's TRY FOR POLE.
Duke of Orleans Will Pay the Ex-
penses.

Duke of Orleans Will Pay the Ex-
penses.
The Duke Of Orleans has just an
nounced that he will send the explor-
ing vessel Belgica to the east coast Of
Greenland this summer to render all
possible service to the Danish explor-
err Mylius Erichsen, who left Copen-
hagen in June last to undertake the
exploration Of all the unknown
stretches of the eastern shore of the
great island.
There are now three Arctic eXpedi-
tions in the field, but Erichsen's en-
terprise is attracting most attention,
because of the qualities Of its leader
and the remarkable care with which
the expedition was organized. If
Erichsen succeeds he will complete
the outlining of the Greenland coast
and then we shall know the exact
shape of the island and be able to
compute it's area. There Is no doubt
that Greenland Is the largest island in
the world, unless 1t is found later that
the largest land mass in the Antarc-
tic is only Of insular instead of conti-
mental extent.
But Ericshen proposes to do much
more work than the lapping Of the
unknown shores of Greenland. II
all has gone we'll with him he will
start a small sledge party about
March / for the North Pole.
His plan Is to send the men who
are spending the present winter at
his most northern station, on a jour-
ney directly north over the sea Ice.
II the party does not reach the pole
itself he hopes that it will, at least,
attain very high northing.
In view of the new information
which Peary brought home 1t is
doubtful If Erichsen's idea of using
the East Greenland coast as the base
for a journey to the pole Is a good
one. Peary's experience last spring
seems to show that the drift move
ment north of Greenland is to the
east.
In this case an expedition starting
for the Pole from East Greenland
would be likely to drift a long dis
tance to the east, which would great
ly increase the difficulty of returning
to its land base or any other land.
Peary's present plan seems to offer
the logical route poleward in the part
of the Arctic ocean north of America.
He proposes to start north from far
west on the Grant land coast, so that
in his journey to and from the Pole
the drift will not be likely to carry
him east of the north coast of Green
land.
In it's organization Erichsen's ex-
pedition is the most remarkable that
has gone to the Arctic. OF the twen-
ty-six men in his party all are men
of scientific training excepting two
mechanics, the stoker, the steward,
three sailors and three native Green
landers. The engineer is also a car
tographer and meteorologist.
AS far as possible all places in the
expedition were filed with men of
scientific attainment, Erichsen him.
self is an ethnologist The first Of
ficer is in charge of the map making.
The ship captain is a photographer
and so are the three steersmen. Then
there are five other men on the scien-
tific staff who have nothing to do
with the ship, but are in charge OF
various branches Of geographical
science.
Seven Of the staff are competent to
make accurate surveys and lay them
down on first class charts. Certainly
no other polar expedition was ever
so we'll supplied with photographic
talent and Erichsen specially planned
for this as his expedition will be di-
vided into groups Of workers each OF
them will have a photographer for
the correct mapping Of its results.
The work which Erichsen will try
to do includes the mapping Of the un-
known coast of northeast Greenland,
more than 800 miles in extent, the
crossing Of North Greenland In order
to map Peary Channel, which Is sup
posed to separate the mainland from
the archipelago north Of 1t, a sledge
Journey to or toward the North Pole,
the study Of those parts Of the east
coast further south which have not
vet been sufficiently we'll surveyed
for the purposes OF good mapping
and the crossing of Greenland on the
inland ice in the latitude Of Franz
Josef Fiord for the purpose Of max
ing a scientific study of all the phe-
nomena of the ice cap.
A more scientific expedition was
never sent to the Arctic and Erich
sen commands confidence as man
worthy to lead the undertaking he
planned. He has already lived with
the Esquimaux between Cape York
and Cape Alexander for ten months,
has sledged across the Island of Dis
co, has visited the inland ice in two
places, and knows the whole west
coast of Greenland. No more impOr-
tant work remains to be done In the
Arctic than the exploration Of East
Greenland, now in hand.-New York
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