Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1910-02-03
Tragedies Of the Arctic.

Several hundred miles beyond
the Arctic circle we came to a
most significant Eoint in our up
ward journey, making as it did
the grimness OF the. task before
us. No civilized man could die in
this savage nortlland without
his grave having a deep mean
ing for those who come after
ward; and constantly as we sail
Ell on, these volceless reminders
of heroic bones told their silent
but powerful story.
At the southern limit of Mel
vile bay we passed tue Duck is
lands where is the little grave
yard of the Scotch whalers, who
were the pioneers in forcing the
passage OF Melville bay, and who
died there waiting for the ice to
op"n. These graves date back to
the beginning OF the Nineteenth
century. From this point on the
Arctic highway is marked by the
graves of those who had fallen in
the terrible fight with cold and
hunger. These rude rock piles
bring home to any thoughtful
person the meaning of Arctic ex-
ploration. The men who lie there
were not Il SIS courageous, not less
intelligent, than the members of
my own party; they were simply
more unfortunate.
Let us look along the highway
for moment and consider these
memorials. At North Star Bay
are one or two graves-of men
from the British ship North Star.
which wintered there in 1850.
Out on the Cary is the nameless
grave OF one of the il-lated kals-
t-nlus expedition. Still further
north. at Etah, is the grave of
Spnntag, the astronomer OF Hay
er's expedition, and q little a
bove it that of Ohlson of kana's
party. On the opposite side ale
the unmarked places were six
teen OF Greely's ill.fated party
died. Still further North, on the
right hand OF Greenland site, is
the grave of Hall the American
commander of the Polars pxpedi-
ton. On the western or Grant
land side, are the graves OF two
sailors of the British Arctic eX-
petition in 1876. And right at
the shore OF the central Polar
seas, near Cape Sheridan is the
Dane, Patterson, the interpreter
of the British Arctic expedition
OF 1875. These graves stand as
mute records of former efforts to
win the prize and they give a
slight indication of the number
of brave hut less fortunate men
who have given the last possess
sion of moral life in their pursuit
of the Arctic gold.
Wien ! first saw Sonntaa's
grave ut Etah, carefully replac-
ID the stones around it, as a
tribute to "A brave man. At Cape
Sabine, where Greel.y's party di-
ed, was the first man to step
into the ruins OF the stone hut
after Schley and Emosy took a.
way the survivors years before
the first man, and | stepped into
those ruins in a binding snow
storm late in August and saw
there the menentOes of those un-
OltunateS.
Passing the duck island on the
upward voyage. approaching
Cape York in 1908, and thinking
of the grave there, Commander
Peary concludes, IL little dream
ell that a loved member of my
own party, Prof. Ross G. Mar
vim, who ate at my table a n d
acted as my secretary, was fated
to add his name to this long.
list OF Arctic victims and that
his grave, in uncounted fathoms
Of black water was to be t h e
most northerly grave on t h is
earth.
Dr. Bell's Antisepilc Salve.
Is good for an, thing for which a