The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-04-23
4 startiag point Tor the sIedge lQdFs

neys inland.
Three Separate Expeditions.
The main object and scope OF the
execution is the exploration Of the
hitherto entirely unknown Antarcnc
regions in the Weddell Sea and tor
this purpose three separate sledge ex'
pedftions have been projected
The first of these VIII proceed
south. following the apparently pre-
cfpftous slope in that direction, en-
deavoring to discover-it its trend as wen
as its eventual connection with the
Queen Maud range OF mountains hrst
seen by Amundsen. IT Is hoped that
another result OF this journey viii be
to ascertain the surface conditions OF
the Ice barrier discovered by the
FiIchner expedition in the highest
districts of the Weddell Sea and also
to determine how far south this Ice
barrier really extends.
The second sledge expedition VIII
go towards Graham Land with the
object of discovering the character OF
the ice barrier and its extension to
the west. This party will attempt TO
push through to the west Antarctic
and IL possible strike the southerly
continuation OF Graham land.
The third sledge party will travel
east and southeast to investigate the
extension of the island fee and Its eie-
yations in the Enderby quadrant
1t is just possible that the explor-
ers may accomplish their work with
in two years but, in case they should
fail, supplies are being taken for a
stay of three years.
DIR. Koenig, the director or the ex-
petition is tail strongly built man
in the prime of his life and physical
condition. He was born at Gratz n
Syria thirty-three years ago and stu
died in, the university there, taking
the degree of Phi. D. After leaving
college he travelled extensively in the
mountainous parts of Central and
knowledge of the ice fields and glac-
iers. In 1910 he went to Greenland
to secure dogs for the Filchner INT
archtic expedition which he accom-
panied as an ice expert. 1t was the
experience gained on this expedition
that led him to organize the present
Austrian Undertaking. He will act
as director and the party will be IN
der the actual command Of an officer
of the Austro-Hungarian navy. There
will be two other ships officers.
The scientific members OF the ex-
petition include two biologists, a
meteorologist, geolog!st, a taxi
dermist and a photographer. The
crew includes a Norwegian ice pilot,
-four sledge experts, carpenter and
sixteen sailors. OF the latter, two
are Norwegians, four Germans and
ten Austrians. Three of them went
with the Filchner expedition.
Only two Of the whole party are
married. The youngest member, a
sailor, is nineteen and the Oldest,
the ice pilot, is fifty-two. They all
are teetotallers and no alcohol Will
he taken on the journey except
very limited quantity for medicinal
purposes. But there will be plenty
of tobacco, over 1,100 pounds, and
an abundant supply of Cigars and
cigarettes.
Distribution of RatIons.
In the distribution OF rations on
the sledging trips, DR.. Koeing pro
poses to adopt new plan. Instead of
carrying the pemmican in large
slabs whicn have to be cut up and
divided among the party, including
the dogs, he is taking small tins
with rations already divided into m
div!dual portions for each days trav-
ell. This will save much time and la
Dor and also the loss incident to
cutting up the pemmtcan in an IN
tensely cold temperature It viii
also greatly tighten the task OF iced
ing the dogs besides ensuing each
get only pemmican on these trips ex-
cept when seals are caught and they
are given the flesh. The empty tins
will be used afterwards for building
the sides of shelter huts. Filed
with snow they furnish excellent ma
terial for such purpose.
In selecting the mSabers. Ct the
expedition DR.. Koenig has insisted
they should be experienced ski-ers
with a knowledge of ice and snow
and crevasses and capable of taking
care of themselves in dangerous
places. He attributes the success OF
the Amundsen expedition to the facl
that the Norwegian sailors we're all
expert ski-ers.
For the sledge journey only dogs
r,iI he used In motor sledges he
has no faith at all since he considers
them absolutely useless in a temper
ature anything under thirty degrees
below zero. The petrol, he says
cannot possibly be kept from freez-
ing and the motors cannot be MADE
to go at all.