New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-21
Macmillan Aid, Back from
Arctic, Urges New Relief Trip
Dr.. Hunt Had Perilous Jour
ney-Esquimaus Fear
German Invasion

Or. Harrison J. Hunt, surgeon Of the
Croker Land Expedition. arrived in
New York yesterday on Danish
steamer with the first detailed infor-
nation regarding Donald B. MacMil-
Ian and the other members of the ex-
petition, as we'll as his own perilous
journey of 1,40O miles by sledge and
kysk from North Star Bay to Hol-
stenberg.
DR.. Hunt emphasized the necessity
for an immediate expedition, the third,
to attempt to reach the members OF
MacMillan's party. Another year OF
the terrible cold. he said, would result
in fatalities. George H. Sherwood.
acting chairman of the committee in
charge of the Croker Land Expedi-
ton, announced last night that, in &C
cordance with DR.. Hunts recommen-
dations, Captain bob" Bartlett is to
sail in command of the sealer Neptune
TO Etah Immediately.
Story Rivals Fiction
Reticent to discuss the details of his
own trip, DR.. Hunt nevertheless told
enough at the American Museum OF
Natural History last night 20 indicate
that he had passed through expert
ences on his return journey that ri
vailed anything in fiction. Since last
December he has been ION the road"
as he termed it. Leaving North Star
Bay with W. Elmer Ekblaw on the 18th
Of that month. the two men went south
across Melville Bay by dog sledge.
"The ice was treacherous," said Dr..
Hunt. "There was deep snow and the
weather was generally bad. When we
got out on the ice of Melville Bay we
found that the winter had been com
paratively open, and that the ice, which
was three inches in Thickness and very
norous. was continually bending De
meath us. Knud Rasmussen, the Dan
ish explorer, who went part OF the way
with us. as we'll as several old Esqui-
maus. said that the conditions for sledg-
ing were the worst they had ever seen
Although there were many narrow es-
canes, only one sledge was thrown IN
the water, and the Esquimau VINO was
driving it was rescued and the siedge
recovered.
Dogs Starve to Death
"The supplies ran very low toward
the end of our Journey. and five OF the
DOGS died from starvation. Food was
eked out from polar bear and narwnai
meat. which was obtained from Esqui,,
mau caches. At night the party camped
under the lee of icebergs. These masses
being of glacial origin, they are com
poscd of CONCEALED fresh water. Inc
latter part ot the journey was under
taken by myself and a few EsquImaus
only. Ekblaw remaining at South Uper'
navik.
~ went from Egeseminde to Holster
berg. a distance OF sixty miles, by kyak
a small canoelike boat, for it was toe
DANGEROUS TO travel by sledge. From
there | went by steamship 70 the faroe
Islands. from which point / took pas
sage for Copenhagen" .-
DR.. Hunt reported that the steamship
Denmark. which had been sent BY the
committee 10 rescue the members OF the
expedition, was at North Star Bay when
he began his journey south. 1t is i'm
bedded in six feet of ice. Macmillan
Professor +. O. Hovey and Jonathan
Small were at Etah. Their supplies, he
said. will last until about August l, and
the members of the expedition Will
then be dependent upon what walrus
and caribou meat they can obtain az
Ftah. They may also be able to obtain
cider duck eggs. They have very little
coffee. sugar, canned fruits and flour
DR.. Hunt said they may get supplies
from the Denmark by sledging $50 miles
to her.
Relief Ship Needed
az am glad to hear that the commit
tee has made arrangements to send the
Neptune after Macmillan and the 9TH
ers." declared DR.. Hunt. Such help IS
urgently needed. Another year IN the
Arctic would prove great hardship
10 the members of the expedition and
NAV result in fatalities. From the sci.
entifc point Of view the Croker land
expedition. which was sent out under
the Joint AUSPICES of the American Mu-
scum of Natural History, the Anne rican
Geographical Society and the Unlver-
sitv Of Illinois, has obtained excellent
results. Macmillan has gathered an
enormous amount of valuable scienti1c
data. DR.. Hovey, who is probably the
best equipped geologist who has ever
cone into the Arctic, Is in excellent
Health, and has set up a selsmograpn
AT Etah. Captain George B. Conner, the
veteran ice-pilot, is engaged in making
researches in archaeology. He is now
some important work IN the
study Of the remains of the ancient
peoples of the North"
"Did YOU come across any unusual
incidents due to the war;" DR.. Hunt
was asked. .u,. 1;d,,,
oo+ Word of the war until eight months
after il had started. Our next wora
us If the sinking of the Lusitanla,
eleven months after its occurrence. Inc
news was brought by dog sledge from
Upernavik to Etah. The Esquimaus,
were told that certain nation named
Germany had started war on other ma,
tions. For days they lived IN mortar
terror They told us they were afraid
Tho Germans would come up there, and
the Fsouimaus at Cape York are the
neonIe furthest north of any in the
world. II the Germans came, we were
Informed to our amusement, the Esqul-
maus planned to start over the Green
land ice-caps."
DR.. Hunt said that the United states