The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1908-11-27


bor-Aany Casks 20 10 TaIsn.
Erelyn Briggs Baldwin. the arctic
explorer who led the unsuccessful
zissiar expedition IN search Of the
north pole. q few nights ago revealed
his plans for smother dash northward
whereby be not only hopes to reach
the pole. but actually 10 cross over It
by traversinE course from northwest
Of Point Barrow, Alaska, TO q point
between Spitzbergen and the east
coast OF Greenland. IL 10 his plan to
Jet nature shape bis course by run
ming his ship into the drift ice. per-
hitting Il 70 become part OF the ice
pack, and then to drift with the Arctic
currents until he has accomplished his
purpose Of discovering the pole. Bald
win estimates that the drift will last
four years and that its slowness wiz
permit him and his associates to make
many exploration trips on sledgss on
both sides Of the course.
BY that means he feels sure much
win be added 10 the present scientific
and geographical information In rela-
ton to the arctic regions. Efforts
win be made TO keep the public In
America and Europe In touch with bis
progress by sending mp balloons carry
ing bulletins, says the New York Press.
That plan was pursued on the zieglsr
expedition. and several OF the bulletins.
which were incased In cork buoys,
were found on land or at sea. The
start on this new expedition win not
be made before NEXT September.
The Baldwin party win leave the
Pacihc coast In n steamship. which
win be the main ship Of the expedi-
ton. There also will be two or more
supply steamships, which are to be
employed In transporting many heavy
timbers from the Oregon or Alaskan
forests, and also thousands OF strong
casks, which viii be nlled with OIL
clothes. food. emergency supplies and
other things needed for the long voy-
age. There also VIII be portable
houses. sledgss, small but strong
boats. forty or fifty dogs and three or
four Siberian horses. The horses viii
BE used the frst year of the drift or
until provender runs out. and then
they viii be killed and eaten.
The exploring party viii consist Of
about twenty-four persons, including
probably two American navy officers,
who already have expressed eagernsss
10 60 on the expedition. Not more
than two or three Eskimos win be
taken along. because they will be Of lit
tie use on an expedition conducted for
purely scientific purposes. Baldwin
says he does not expect to ind land at
the pole. He will not be surprised,
however. to ind Il to the east Of that
point
THE initial point of the drift will be
to the northwest Of Point Barrow,
Alaska" he said. There we will make
fast to one of the large Ice foes at the
southern edge OF the Ice pack. The
supply steamships will discharge their
supplies on the surface Of the ice foes
and then leave Us In charge Of the
main steamship. We will proceed at
once TO form a settlement upon the
from eight 70 thirty feet thick and In
size as large as Central park or even
Manhattan Island. They are close to-
gether, and the edges continually rub.
thus forming the ice pack"
He said the reason for scattering
thousands Of logs and casks on the Ice
zoe il that II the noe should split they
can be recovered easily from the wa
ter. Even II q few should be lost
thousands will remain to supply the
needs OF the explorers.
Asked how fast he thought the drift
would be after his ship had become
part Of the ice Zoe, he said:
I'VE will be forced along at an aver
age rate OF two miles each twenty
four hours-that Is to say, one degree
Of latitude a month-and In a course
parallel to the course Of the Jeanette
Of De Longs expedition and Of the
Fran OF Nansen's expedition. Our
course, however, will be directly
across the Arctic ice pack instead Of
across the margin. as was the case
with De Long and Nansen."
How long do you think that drift
win last7" Baldwin was asked.
"As we are 10 drift midstream-
that Il, through the field OF unobstruct-
ed drift OF the pack, where the ice
moves more swiftly than It does near
the coast llnes-we probably will con-
sumo about four years in the actual
drift. We will have drifted over the
northern curvature OF the earth. leav-
Ing the pole about midway In the line
OF drift. We WIN 60 right over the
pole"
Baldwin said the hull OF his ship