The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-04-24
LOST IN THE
ANTARCTIC ICE
DR.. CharGot'S Year of Peril on
Board the Pourquoi
Pas.
ESCAPED BY A MIRACLE
HIS LETTER TO THE ACADEMY
OF SCIENCE.

Paris, April 2S.-Dr Charcot, the lead
er of the French Antarctic expedition on
board the Pourquoi Pas, has communi-
Gated an interesting and important let
ter TO the Academy OF Sciences which
gives a graphic account OF the manner
in which the expeditions original pro-
gram was carried out
The Pourquoi Pas reached the South
American Antarctic region on December
y. 1908 After exploring the Southern
Shetlands south OF Cape Horn, he turned
west and reached Wandel Island, Janu-
airy l, 1903. DR.. Charcot accompanied by
three others, set out in q launch to find
better anchorage, and discovered a har-
Dor on Petermann Island. After bringing
the Pourquoi Pas around to the spot. DR..
Charcot. with two companions, started
on accommodating trip, taking neither
1000 nor change OF clothes. intending to
return the same day.
Ice blocked their path and snow fell and
cut them off for three days. On the
fourth day, half dead with cold and hun
ger, they resolved to make q last at
tempt to reach the ship and at length
heard the siren Of the POurquoi Pas
screaming through the fog. Then the YES
sci ran on a reef, smashing her bows,
and had to be unloaded, this involving in
cessant toll for three days and nights.
From Petermann Island the expedition
headed south along the coast, completing
the map made by previous French ex-
petition.
A large bay was found and named Ma
tina BAY Adelaide island was measured
and found 10 be 20 miles long instead of
as previously charted. South of AIDE
laide island a great gulf was discovered
in a region never before seen or explored.
The vessel entered and moored 70 the
pack ice. Here the expedition was involved
for four days in continual struggle with
vast masses of ice. which every moment
threatened to crush the ship.
DR.. Charcot says it IS a miracle the
vessel escaped. An iceberg collapsed be-
side it, and only quick turn of the helm
saved the ship, In spite Of incessant peril
from the ice 40 miles of coast was chart
ed. After two attempts passage was
made to Alexander L Land, which was
charted, but, to DR.. Charcot's despair, the
land was guarded by one sheer ice-Cliff,
with neither shelter nor anchorage.
"One cannot imagine what the icebergs
and pack ice are like in this region" he
says. There was nothing for it but to
return to Petermann island. Winter quar-
tiers were installed as comfortably as pos
sible, numerous observatOrieS being estab-
nshed, furnished with electric light. Dur
ing the autumn long excursions were fire.
quently made. The winter; although rel
atively mild. was one long and formidable
northwest blast. The sun was not seen
for five days together, and the pack ice
Shlfted perpetualiy. Inc party suffered
severely from scurvy, DR.. Charcot being
himself a victim. An important discovery
was made Of a chain of new lands south
and west of Alexander / Land in unlike
ly surroundings, but pack ice prevented
the expedition from nearing them.
Peter l island was reached, and after
this the icebergS became innumerable,
more than 5000 being met in less than a
week. Thick fog prevented the watch
from seeing more than twenty yards
ahead, the wind gusts blew necessarily.
Nevertheless 126 longitude west was
reached, but the coal being exhausted and
several of the party being alarmingly i'll
from scurvy the PourquOi Pas returned
north, ten days later entering the Strait
of Magellan.