New-York tribune., 1916-02-17
Rasmussen Sure MacMil-
Ian Relief Expedition
Will Escape Perils.
EXPLORER GETS NEWS
FROM THE CLUETT
In Letter from London He AS
sures Museum Officials of
Crews Safety.

Fears FOR the safety Of the Mac
MILAN relief expedition. arising be-
cause of the unusually severe winter
In the Far North, were sllayed yester-
day when the authorities Of the Ameri-
can Museum Of Natural History re-
ceived letter from Knud Rasmussen,
the Danish explorer, dated London.
January 2S.
while there IS reason 10 fear,
writes Rasmussen, that the relief ship
George B. Cluett. may be crushed In
the ice, there need be no fears for the
crew, for II they run short Of provi-
sions It will be quite easy TO send
sledges to Upernavis for more
DR.. Edmund O. Hovey. of the Museum
OF Natural History. has charge of the
relief expedition. The Cluett, Gren-
fell Mission schooner. left New York
on June 8, last year. with large
supply Of food for the members of the
Crocker Land expedition, headed by
Donald B. Macmillan. one of Admiral
Peary's North Pole men. No word has
been received from Mr. Macmillan since
fall, but at that time the main ex-
peditior was located in comfortable
quarters az Etah. Northern Greenland,
awaiting the arrival of the relief ship
10 bring them home. The early COM
ing of winter prevented the Cluett from
reaching the party.
The Crocker Land Expedition sailed
from New York on the whaling ship
Diana on July 2. 1918, under the au-
spices of the American Museum of Nat
ural History and the American Geo
graphical Society. in cooperation with
the University of Illinois. Its object
was to settle the question Of the eX
istence OF "a vast continent supposed
10 lie in the Arctic Ocean between the
North American Continen- and the
Pole. II was named Crocker Land in
1906 by Admiral Peary, who thought
he discerned its snowclad mountains
from Cape Thomas Hubbard, 125 miles
to the south.
Late In November. 1914, word came
TO the museum from the explorers that
Crocker Land did not exist The land
seen from the cape proved TO be only
an icefeld mirage.
RsSmussen's ship. which brought the
news from Greenland, is the Kap York.
The Danish explorer writes;
Captain Petersen of the Kap York
WAS in connection with the Cluett and
Dr. Hovey for about two hours. The
Kap York was then without screw
shaft, and the Cluett could only 60
half-hour at time.
Or. Hovey did not send mail. in my
captains opinion, because ne did not
think the Kap York would arrive first.
The ports were already full Of new
ice. and Dr. Hovey did not dare to 20
into port from fear Of being icebound
for the winter. Therefore the Cluett
had TO wait in Wolstenholme Sound
for my motor boat to return with the
members of the expedition.
Captain Pedersen's opinion was that
II the motor boat did not return very
soon TO Wolstenholme Sound It would
be impossible for the Cluett TO get
home. Mr.. Freuchen (the manager Of
my station has my orders 10 help the
expedition TO the best of his ability,
but he is not provided for q large
number of persons. Should they run
short of provisions it will be quite
easy to send sledges 30 Upernivik for
more. can assure you they will get
a good welcome from the Danes sta
/ toned there"