New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-05
Seaplanes Will Solve Arctic
Mysteries, Says Macmillan
Will Do Sixty DAYS Sled Work in Ten Hours Asserts Ex-
porer Here After Four Years in Norh-Brings Back
Eggs Relics and Birds-Find Kane and Peary Records

A vision of new and mighty fields
70 conquer shone from the narrowed
eyes Of Donald b. Macmillan, who re-
turned to New York yesterday after
four years leadership of the Croker
Land Expedition, as he prophesied that
seaplanes would solve the mysteries Of
the frozen North.
81 think We are the last expedition
to use dog sleds,' said Mr.. Macmillan,
He was talking at the American Mu-
scum of Natural History.
Bronzed by Arctic winds and thinned
to whipcord by constant hardship, Mr..
Macmillan is back in civilization to
show the scientists of che American
Museum. the American Geographical
Society and the University of Illinois
what he has discovered in the polar
regions, and 20 deny the existance of
Croker Land.
Brings Back Big Collection
Waiting in a special car at Weehaw-
ken are 400 boxes of rare skins. ex-
ceedingly rare eggs, minerals, birds,
relics, records and other articles gath
cred in forty-eieht months of difficult
work. Only three or four months Of
each year were available to the expedi-
ton, since daylight and the Arctic sum-
mers fill only that period. Mr.. Mac
MILAN said explorers must remain nine
months practically idle to accomplish
twelve months work.
But, with seaplanes," he said. Eve
can do between breakfast and dinner
the things that now take sixty-four
days with dogs. The use Of seaplane
in one summer can result in finding
what took us four years to discover"
Mr. Macmillan added that sesplanes
would probably be more desirable than
airplanes, since in the summer the ice
fields are covered with pools of water.
Ii the ice was clear, airplanes might
prove adaptable. He does not think
balloons will be successful, since they
must depend on the winds.
How last can aeroplanes travel now
adqys ?" Mr.. Macmillan asked his ques-
TONERS.
lie opened his eyes wide with aston
ishment when he learned for the first
time that the latest army machines can
do from 1875 20 $50 miles an hour.
"That's the answer TO Polar work"
he announced. and he looked out the
window as if he expected to see line
of airplanes operating up Central
Park West.
Mr.. Macmillan reached the American
Museum shortly after o'clock, COM
ing directly from train at the Grand
Central Terminal. After visiting vari
Gus officers and experts OF the museum,
he posed on the lawn for the photo
eraphers. A movie man staged a
greeting" scene for motion picture
weekly.
At the word Of the camera man Mr..
Macmillan shook hands heartily with
Dr.. Edmund Otis Hovey, who headed
n relief expedition sent TO Mr.. Mac
MILAN at the outskirts OF the mythical
Crocker Land. 1t was a reunion for
the two men. DR.. Hovey was marooned
in the North, and he reached New York
ten days ago, on the day when Mr.. Mac
.
Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Finds Long Lost Records
zone Of the really important results
OF the expedition from popular view
pint" said Mr.. Macmillan, was the
discovery of records that in some cases
dated back siXty-four years.
In 1858, when DR.. Elisha Kent Kane
made the second American expedition
into the North, his party reached Lit
tleton Island, achieving a worlds rec
ord for "farthest north" That island
was in sight of our headquarters at
Etah DR.. Kane had no American flag
when he reached the island, so ne tore
the lining from his cap and tied it to
a ramrod.
al found that lining, under an old
iron pot. Il had lain there for more
than six decades. DR.. Kane had no
pencil with him, so. with a bullet he
traced the letters 30. X" They are
still visible.
Twenty miles from Etah | found
another record of DR.. Kane's expedi-
ton. II appears the lack of pencil
was a hardship, so DR.. Kane used a
knife TO cut message in paper. |