Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-02-17
WILL DRIFT FOUR YEARS.
Expects Ice Pack TO Garry Ship and
Party From Alaska TO Greenland !"
That Tlms-Te Start Next ssptsm'
bsr-Many Casks e es Taken.


let nature shape his course by run
ming his ship into the drift ice, per-
hitting it to become part Of the ice
i pack, and then to drift with the Arctic
currents until he has accomplished hia
purpose OF, discovering the pole. Bald
| win estimates that the drift will last
four years and that Its slowness will
permit him and bis associates to make
many exploration trips on sledges on
both sides Of the course.
BY that means he feels sure much
viii be added to the present scientific
and geographical information in rela-
ton to the arctic regions. Efforts
will be made to keep the public In
America and Europe in touch with bis
progress by sending Up balloons carry
ing bulletins, says the New York Press.
That plan was pursued on the Zieglel
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 will not
be made before next September.
The Baldwin party will leave the
Pacific coast in steamship. which
will 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
dmbers from the Oregon or Alaskan
forests. and also thousands of strong
casks, which Will be filed with oil,
clothes. food. emergency supplies and
other things needed for the long voy:
age. There also will be portable
houses, sledEes, small but, strong
boats. forty or fifty dogs and three OF
four Siberian horses. The horses will
be used the first year Of the drift or
until provender runs out, and then
they VIII be killed and eaten. = Y T. j,
The exploring party will consist OF
about twenty-four persons, including
probably two American navy officers.
who already have expressed eagreness
to 60 on the expedition. Not more.
than two or three Eskimos will be.
taken along. because they VIII be Of lit
tie use on an expedition conducted foi
purely scientific purposes. Z Baldwin
says he does not expect to ind land al
the pole. He will not be surprised,
however. to ind 1t to the east Of that
point. ~.. -, -.
7 1.-The initial point of the drift will be
to the northwest of Point Barrow,
Alaska" he said. There we will make
East 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 Hoes
and then leave us In charge Of the
main steamship. We will proceed at
once to form a settlement upon the
floating ice island. These Ice foes are
from eight to thirty feet thick and In
size MS large as Central park or even
Manhattan Island. They are close to-
gether, and the edges continually rub.
thus forming the ice pack, E 81, \.
He said the reason for scattering
thousands Of logs and casks on the Ice
doe Is that II the doe should split they
can be recovered easily from the wa,
ter Even II a Jew should be lost
thousands will remain to supply the
needs Of the explorers. ~ : ...ss Or
Asked how fast he thought the drift
would be. after his ship had become
part Of the Ice Zoe. be said:
1 Eve 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}smonth--and in a course
parallel to the course OF the Jeannette
Of De Longs sxAedition and Of the
Fran of Nan-s1s expedition. b Our
course, however, win be directly
across: the Arctic ice pack instead OF
across the margin. az was the case
with De Long And hansen" st54
/ "How long do you think that drift
will last?" Baldwin was asked. e.
A we are to drift midstream-;
that Il, through the neld of unobstfuct.
"a drift Of the pack. where the Ice
moves more swiftly than It does near
the. coast lioes-we probably will con
sumo about four years II the actual
drift. We will hare drifted over the
northern curvature Of the earth. leav.
ing the pole about midway in the line
Of drift. We will 60 right over ths
pole. !" 4 !. T. e Ell. -.
Baldwin said the hull Of his shin
viii be shaped to avoid the danger Of
being nipped by the Ice II the doe
should break to pieces and thar ths |
discharge Of the supplies on the ics
win make her ride high. Asked II he |
thought such long drift would break
down the minds and bodies.of him and |
his companions. the explorer said ii