Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-01-30
A RACE FOR FOOD
It Was Slow and Painful and Over
Arctic Ice Fields.
PLIGHT OF TWO EXPLORERS.
Their Fight Against Death by Starva :
ton and the Visions That Were Con
iured Up by the Torture Of the Mad
dening Panes OF Hunger

jured Up by the Torture OF the Mad
denins Panes Of Hunger.
The terrible phantom that haupts
every traveller III the desert is the pos
sbiity that he will not find water
The arctic explorer rarely suffers from
thirst. but another danger equally
terrible and menacing, is always on bis
trail-starvation.
In Lost In the Arctic" Captain
| Ejnar Mikkesen. the explorer who
after having been given up for dead
for over two years. was picked up In
east Greenland by sailing vessel
gives Il graphic account Of his race
against hunger. Their siedge dogs
dead. their outfits abandoned, every
morsel of food long since .devoured
the only hope of Mikkelsen and his
companion was to reach II Kilometer
Naesset. where. on the fall trip they
had left few tins Of food.
Every two hours we make short
halt. but the rest is spoiled by the
thought of the uncomfortable quarter
Of an hour that awaits us when we
start and try to get our stiffened mus
cleS into working order again. Our
feet especially are very painful; the
ankles are swollen and horribly tender.
THE pangs of hunger increase every
minute For my own part. | can
think of nothing but food At first my
thoughts dwell upon all sorts of dishes,
IN TO hAYl
selves upon sandwiches-Da Danish sand
Viches In particular my fancy turns
upon the food that ! have seen given
away L. beg-ars. and | grow furious
ut the thought of the contempt with
which these gentry often regard such
gifts
"Gradually the thought takes posses
sion of me that | am walking in the
streets OF Copenhagen. eagerly on the
lookout for sandwiches. Suddenly
spy what am seeking. little white
object lying to the right of me | turn
to pick it up. but as ! stop my foot
strikes against a stone. The shock
brings me back TO stern reality.
take in my belt and stagger on again.
"lyersen is in no better case l notice
that he frequently stops and peers
through the fieldglass at something on
ahead then be lets the glass fall again,
with Il shake of the head. Once or
twice ask what he is looking at, but
the answer is always the same-he
thought he had discovered q case OF
provisions. but it turned out to be
rock.
According TO our reckoning, we
ought to reach II Kilometer Naesset
By about 6 in the evening. We keep a
sharp lookout for the point and sight
something about O'Clock that looks
like it, Once more. however, we are
doomed to disappointment 1t is not
the point.
I'VE pass many old camping places.
relics of the Denmark expedition; but,
although we search long and carefully
among the old tins for any remains of
food we find nothing In the gather
ing darkness every point we approach
seems to us the one we seek. Encour-
aged by the thought of food, we re-
double our efforts. But when we get
close enough to see that it Is not the
point our pickering flame of energy
lies down. and we stagger sullenly
along with bowed heads.
We have no longer any idea Of our
wherea bouts and it is indescribably
nncanny 10 see time after time the
same beadland with the two small hill
locks at IT'S foot. the ghost Of II Kilo-
meter Naesset. About 10 O'Clock. half
mad with hunger and exhaustion. we
give ii up and. creeping as close to-
gether as possible. try to sleep. But
the pain in lversen's leg is so great
, that be cannot sleep. and he IS half out
Of his mind He wakes me at mid
night ana hegs me TO 90 on
1T is bitterly cold, and the wind has
shifted SO that it is blowing in our
faces. Staggering unsteadily and feel
ing our way with our sticks. off we go
into the darkness.
"Finaliy. after another long march.
we sight a point that resembles II
Kilometer Naesset. and this time it is
no trick of the imagination. The race
is won. for at the point we find fuel
and tins OF soup and peas"