Evening star., 1925-05-31
Comrades Still Have Hope OF
Return in Planes by
Thursday.
FAIR. ARCTIC WEATHER
KEEPING FAITH ALIVE
Aides to Stay at Base Stated IA
Days-Rescue Over Ice Is
Held Impossible.
BY JAMES B. WHARTON.

Special Correspondent OF The star and North
American Newspaper Alliance.
KINGS BAY, Spitzbergen tby radio
from steamer FARM, May 30
Speculation among us on the Farm at
last turns upon the contingency OF
mishap or disaster to the Amundsen
expedition. This does not mean, how
ever, that hope of the return of the
polar explorers in one or even both
of the planes has been discarded.
Our faith in Amundsen's pilots and
the consistent fairness of the weather
keeps that hope alive.
Until the IA days stipulated by
Amundsen for us to wait here for the
party's return by air has expired, we
shall continue TO expect the planes
Meanwhile we must simply fulfill
Amundsens instructions, wait here
through next Thursday and then
steam 20 miles north TO patrol the
ice barrier, the Hobby eastward and
the Farm westward for the subse-
quent four weeks.
No SIedges Available.
Further North we cannot go now.
No one believes there is much chance
weeks have elapsed or Of picking up
the explorers afoot anywhere along
the ice barrier. Yet we must obey
Amundsen's order, as he is perhaps
depending upon his knowledge of our
whereabouts.
ANY attempt to rescue the expedition
over the ice due North, with dogs and
sledges, is impossible. We have no
dogs or equipment. The only available
dogs are three aged malamutes at
Kings Bay, long past their prime. Ii
the planes have been deserted through
catastrophe, and IL the flyers are alive
they are probably already on their
way to Cape Columbia, retracing Pea
rvs North Pole route.
Even afoot the explorers stand fair
chance of salvation. we believe. They
are fortunate in Amundsen's leader
ship, and in the youth and strength OF
the other five. Every one has skis
and all are accustomed to using them
excepting Ellsworth, who acquired
some facility with them at Kings Bay
The party has sledges capable OF car
rying warm clothes, guns and ammu
milton. tents and even pneumatic life
preservers should the party suffer q
sudden crash through ice.
Have Food Supply.
They have food to the extent OF
pounds daily per man, consisting OF
pemmican and concentrated suet
chocolate and matted milk. This would
probably be sufficient to last the party
until they are beyond the polar arc
Then they could live off the land
shooting seals. bears and birds.
The distance from the Pole to Cape
Columbia is approximately 500 miles
Peary covered this distance at a rate
of IL miles a day. Amundsen should
do better, because he is travelling light
and making a one-way trip. In four tc
six weeks he might reach Cape Colum
bia.
There is a food and fuel depot al
Columbia established by Gottfried
Hansen, Danish naval comma nder
From Cape Columbia, according to the
plan outlined by Amundsen before de
parture, he would proceed to Fort
Conger, where there is another depot
Amundsen wintered there in 1900.
II delayed en- route he could Winter
at Conger and then push down to
Etah or Cape Atholl, on the west coast
of Greenland, early in the Spring
There are numerous depots along the
way The members of the expedition
here feel that the only practical effort
at rescue lies in a push with dogs and
sledges up to northwest Greenland
stopping at all the depots known to
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