New-York tribune., 1917-07-24
Macmillan Now Mapping
Unknown Parts of Elles-
mere Island
l,100 Miles by Sledge
Museum Curator, Now at
Thorshavn, Tells of Home
ward Journey
Nv Or. EDMUND OTIS HOvEY

by Dr. EDMUND OTIS HOVEf
Curator of Geology, American Museum
of Natural History. and leader OF
the Crocker Land Relief Expedi-
tom
Thorshavn, July 22.--The Croker
Land Expedition party, consisting Of
Macmillan, Conner, Small and myself
passed the winter comfortably at Etah.
Macmillan made important additions to
his chronological work. and had a seis-
mograph in commission from October
20 onward, but got no earthquake rec
ords, except one heavy shock on the
afternoon of March IL.
Macmillan was to start on March rs
with three Esquimsux and four dogs
sledges 70 map unknown portions OF
the southeast coast OF Ellesmere Land
and make studies as far as Lancaster
Sound, returning to Etsh early in June.
Conner was 90 exosvate ancient refuse
heaps ffteeL miles northeast of Etah
this summer. supplementing the valu-
able archaeological collection made near
North Star Bay last summer.
left Etsh for the south by dog
sledge on the gath of March. leaving all
we'll | spent four days on the relief
vessel Denmark, which was frozen In
near North Star Bay. Ship and crew
were all right, with plenty of food and
coal enough for journey TO Etah and
South Greenland The captain expect
ed to break out Of the ice late in July
and leave Etah with the Crocker Land
Expedition men and property early In
August.
Knud Rasmussen, with two assist
ants, Wulf and Koch. besides several
Esuuimaux, was to leave North Star
Bay on the 9th of April on an ex-
ploratory and botanical and geological
trip in the vicinity Of Fort Conger and
Peary Land. returning across the ice
pack at the end of August and coming
out by schooner from Cape York in
September.
Twenty Days Crossing Melville Bay
left Cape York on April with
three Sledges and consumed twenty
days crossing Melville Bay. had 4
supporting sledge TO Buhman's Island,
and from Cape Sedon to lasiusak the
weather was mostly good, but the deep
snow and slush on the ice made trav-
elling difficult. reached Upernavlk on
May and left on the 9th by sea ice
around Sanderson's Hope.
There were unusual weather condi-
tions in Danish Greenland last winter,
which was open with little ice. The
spring was late and cold with strong
sea ice and much snow.
went down to Disko Bay and found
Ekblaw well. He is staying at South
aytL k,,N l. A. GaAk
in July TO await the Crocker Land Ex-
pedition relief ship. He was TO make
comparative geological. botanical and
ornithologieal studies this summer a
100 Miles Safely Covered q
| was DELAYED a week at South Uper-V
navik on account Of fresh snow, but
had excellent sledging sea ice all the
way across Umsnak Fjord aud crossed
Vaigat in an open rowboat on May -.
My sledge Journey of l,lOO miles
was accomplished in sixty-six days
without serious accident, although
some miles of thin black ice were
traversed between Melville Bay and
Umansk Fjord, and both sledges broke
through rotten ice between Mudder
Bay and Disko. I arrived at Godhsven
on May 29, and sailed for Denmark on
LHt mans LStut on Juiy iVs
Dr. Hovey led two expeditions into
the Arctic for the relief Of Donald B.
MacMillan's party, which left New
New York in 1918, and was cut Of by
the ice after penetrating to Cope
Thomas Hubbard and establishing lie
fact that the vast continent sighted
by Peary in 1905 did not exist at tie
longitude and latitude named and sp-
peared to have been kind of ST.
Brendan's Isle.
With the aid Of such members Of
the relief parties as reached them
members Of the original expedition
continued their work, now evidently
considered TO be as complete as condi-
tions permit, and they and DR.. Hovey
and his companions have now either
made their way back TO civilization or
are confident Of doing so In the near
future. DR.. Hovey's dispatch is writ
ten from the Farce Islands, which he
reached by Danish steamer after a
sledge journey OF sixty-six days.