New-York tribune., 1913-12-25
Wireless Christmas Mes
sage in 1,6OO-Mile Leap to
Macmillan at Etah.
CHEER FROM HOME
TO THE EXPLORER
DR.. Hovey, Director of Crocker
Land Expedition, However
Does Not Look for Answer.

Through the Arctic regions last
night unless the aurora -boreais inter-
fered. a wireless message from the
SPONSORS of the Crocker Land eHpedl-
tion sped TO its leader Donald b. Mac
MILAN. and his companions, at Etah'
Greenland, / 600 miles away. IL
was a Christmas message from the
American Museum of Natural Hlstory'
the American Geographical Society ana
the University of Illinois, and was
signed by DR.. Edmund O. Hovey, OF the
museum. director of the expedition.
II was looked on as n good gamble
that il would reach its source, ana
though the wireless outfit Of the party
is expected to have caught IT, IT Is not
powerful enough to send an answer
which is tantalizing TO those who want
10 know about the expedition.
The message TO Macmillan sent on
Tuesday night TO G. J. Desbarats' Dep
utv Minister Of the Naval Service at
Ottawa, and then to be forwarded 10
the wireless station for its leap OF l'ooo
miles to Etah, reads:
"Heartiest greetings and best wishes
from Museum, Geographical society
and University Of Illinois. and from
family and personal friends OF your
self and all your party. We are we'll
and are confident Of your success IN
spite of all difficulties, though no WORD
from YOU has come through yet.
"E. O. HOVEY."
eve were encouraged by the reports
Of Roy Andrews, a Museum explorer
said Professor Henry Fairfield osborn
nresident Of the Museum, "to send
wireless message 10 the expedition, be-
cause Mr.. Andrews, who was on the
Adventures in the Arctic last sum-
mer. was enabled 10 get even baseball
scores by wireless. while not being able
70 send any long distance messages.
We hone the message will reach its
destination
Mr. Osborn then disclosed for the
first time the contents Of the Christ
mas box which he turned over to Mac
MILAN the day the party sailed from
this city.
"It contained a full course Christmas
dinner" he added "and was TO be
opened on Christmas Eve
His enumeration Of the contents was
as follows: Cocktails. mock turtle
soup. roast turkey (canned), Indian
green corn. cranberry sauce, English
plum pudding and several bottles Of
champagne.
There was also brandy TO set the
pudding on fire" ne said, Christmas
candles to light the room, cigars and
coffee. and Christmas cards for each
man
But that is by no means the extent
Of the Christmas luxuries Of the eX-
pedtion, for to each man were pre-
sented several boxes, not TO be opened
until Christmas. Letters from wives
and sweethearts were also included.
Dr. Hovey said yesterday at the mu-
scum that several Christmas cards had
come 10 be forwarded Immediately"
but there was no way Of doing so.
We believe the wireless outfit at
Etah is unable 10 get into communi-
cation" he explained but il will be
able to take the message sent to It..
The Canadian government has ar
ranged. however, TO stand by every
Tuesday evening from 10 10 II p. m.
for signals from Etah. In January,
when a station is established at Port
Nelson, il will be possible then, am
sure, for the Etah station to get in
tn,trh ,rrtth ~