The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1913-05-09
LOST PLORERS.
Pathos and Tragedy Fill the
Pages Of Their Diaries.
SOME FAMOUS LAST RECORDS.

The Journals Of Captain Scott, De
Long. Livingstone, Franklin and 9th
ers Are Mute Testimonials Of Their
Heroic Sacrifices For Science.
peculiar and pathetic interest at
faches to the last records Of lost ex-
plorers dying alone and unaided amid
Icy wildernesses or in the steaming
depths OF tropical Jungles.
The diary kept by the gallant Cap
tain Scott teens with tragic touches,
but 1t also has its beautiful and its
heroic side. No more splendid instance
Of magnificent self sacrifice has been
recorded than the action Of the dis
abled Captain Oates in seeking volun-
tary death In the blizzard SO as not to
be burden on his surviving compan-
IONS
The. world is richer in the possession
Of facts such as these. which is why
the last diaries Of men dying in similar
circumstances have always been ar
IDENTIFY sought and carefully treasured.
1t was. for example, IN order to try
to recover the papers belonging to
the lost arctic explorer Mylius Erich
sen that Captain Mikkelsen recently
spent two awful years among the Icy
solitudes of northeast Greenland. He
failed In bis quest, and he and his
solitary companion came near to losing
Z their own lives.
These journals of poor Erickson, If
they are ever found. win doubtless tell
similarly stirring story to that left
behind by Scott. Until then there is
only one record that closely parallels
It and that Is the diary left by the
american. De Long. who, with other
survivors, from the arctic exploring
ship Jeanette. persisted amid the fro
zen wastes of northeastern Siberia I'm
the winter Of 1881
De Longs diary. which was recoy-
cred and has been published. might
almost be duplicate in parts Of that
kept BY poor Scott.
Only In DE Longs case the tragedy
was even more appalling than in
SCOTS. for his party consisted of no
fewer than thirteen men, and these all
died from starvation and exposure.
{ Inc last enIry reads as 10lioWs: "One
hundred and fortieth day-Boyd and
Gortz died during the night. Mr.. Col
ms dying.
The gallant De Long was then left
with but one companion, Dr. Amber,
the medical officer To fNe expefIition.
Tor the deaths OF the other men had
peen previously recorded. ana doubt
less the two last OF the survivors died
that day or the next At all events.
tne Journal ended abruptly ar TINS
point.
BY rar the most dreadful tragedy or
arctic exploration was tho loss OF the
FRANKLIN expedition. when the III fated
ofiicers and men OF the two explor-
ing ships. Erebus and Terror. 100
IN all, persisted. Curicusly enough,
though many relics OF the III fated
commander Sir John Franklin were
recovered BY search parties and are
now preserved IN the museum attach
ed to the Greenwich hospital. none of
$3.50 1850 49, - PSAS~4AAA 1sNpSAS WCAS
ever found.
One single written record OF the lost
expedition remains to US. 1t is In the
form or sheet torn from small
pocket diary. and these are the words
# contains: April 25, 1648.--Terror
ana Nrebus were abandoned Sir John
Franklin died on June IL 1S47. and
the total loss by deaths up to this date
nine officers and fifteen men.
Inis precious scrap or paper was DIS
covered ~ cairnI on King Williams
island IN the wear 1893 There was no
signature. but the handwriting was
afterward identified as that OF Cap
taln Fatz@ames, one OF SirS Jonns Of
ncers.
IN tne tragic history OF exploration
NO pr1efer record tnan TINS exists OF
olsaster SO appainng N lrs MAGNITUDE.