New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-28

IN the dusk OF Arctic twilight. which
will soon become the sunless night OF
IL Arctic winter. seven sturdy young
Americans are working like beavers that
they may be ready TO battle with the long
period when the sun never shines.
Aided by a dozen or more picked men OF
the tribe OF Innuts-little brown men or
the Arctic-Donald b. Macmillan and his
half dozen companions are building their
winter quarters at Etah, lnglefield Lana
on the west coast of Greenland. For the
next three years they will be in Arctic
regions, and if all goes well they Will re-
turn in 1916. bearing such a trophy as
none has gathered since Columbus re-
turned TO Spain-the discovery OF new
continent. This little band Of daring Souls
has gone forth to battle with cold ana
hunger and unknown dangers TO be the
first TO land on and explore Croker Land
which was first seen by Rear Admiral
Peary from the clifftops of Cape Thomas
Hubbard. the northernmost extremity oil
Axel Heiberg Land.
II YOU will take down your atlas and
look at the section lying approximately
between the North Pole and the 10Th para!-
lei and from the 1G5th to the l75th merid-
ian you will see that it is uncharted. On
the newest maps there is showing OF
land between the 18th and 10th meridlans
at 70 degrees north, and another lying on
the sd parallel, from the Tooth to the lOoth
meridian. The first of these. which is
about $50 miles due north Of the Canning
River. Alaska, is known as Keenan, Land.
A VAST CONTINENT.
The second is Croker Land, reported by
Peary in 1906 Scientists who have studied
the matter I'm all its aspects believe that
Croker Land and Keenan, Land, neither or
which has been visited by white men, are
snatches Of the coast Of a vast continent
archipelago, at least-that covers the I'M
charted territory, and that has been called
Croker Land. II is to reach this land and
to explore II that Macmillan is TO ap-
proach It from the east, while Stefans-
sons expedition is on its way from the
south.
So much for the prime object OF the
Macmillan expedition. Equipped to meet
and surmount every possible obstacle that
could be foreseen. the expedition left New
York IN the sealing steamer Diana on
July Q After a stop in Boston and an
other in Sydney, the ship started for Bat
tie Aarbor Labrador. and 1t had almost
reached there when the ship went ashore
al Barge Point, on the southern coast of
Labrador. in the Strait of Belle Isle, north
of Newfoundland.
This accident compelled the ship to re-
turn 70 ST. Johns, Newfoundland, where
the expedition was transferred to the
Erik, a larger ship, and on August the
second start was made. The Erik returned
from the north on September 10, bringing
with her a tale Of battle with the ele-
ments and with Arctic conditions which
compelled many and important changes
10 be made in the programme which Mac
MILAN had mapped out before ne started
SO much hard luck" in fact is seldom
met by exploring parties. Reports re-
ceived by Macmillan at Battle Harbor
advised that Baffin Bay and Smith Sound.
10 the north, were unusually free OF Ice
so that the meeting of huge fields tlled
with enormous bergs, against both OF
which the steamer was absolutely help-
less. was a severe blow.