Evening star., 1925-09-20
OLD TORNCAK'S KINGDOM
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

Old Torngak. evil fiend of the Arctic
| wastes, who sits at the Pole radiating
| malice, and whose breath is said to
extinguish the aurora. again has sue
ceeded in repulsing those who would
| invade his domain. The peoples from
the South in recent years have made
serious inroads into his silent empire
and they have penetrated even to his
very citadel. but he still guards a
secret. guards 1t jealously with all the
resources at his command, and thus
far no one has been able to dislodge
him from his position. Sitting atop
the world, Old Torngak has drawn a
line about vast expanse, and the foot
of man or the keel of ship has never
crossed 1t.
Between Lands End, that barren
point at the mouth of Nansen Sound,
and the Siberian mainland lie 1925
miles. Across this eXpanse Is an un-
known, a void, silent and mocking.
that constitutes Old Torngak's king
dom. From Alaska toward Spitz-
bergen, running past the Pole on the
Asian side, it's distance Is 400 miles.
while crossing in the opposite direc-
ton the distance is / 900 miles. What
is swallowed up In a sea. stranger and
more silent than that upon which the
bark Of the Ancient Mariner sud.
denly burst.
He heard of a new land far to the
north, and rest was not his until he
| saw it, says the Eskimos Their
traditions tell of a tabled land. At
Point Barrow they tell that their fore
fathers many years ago were blown
northward on ice broken up by a
southerly gale and arrived, after any
nights, at hilly country inhabited by
people like themselves. speaking their
language, by whom they were kindly
received. Their stay was long, but
they finally returned one Spring in
which the ice remained without move
ment, and they never went back, for
the way was perilous and long and
they were afraid of Old Torngak
This tradition was first reported by
surgeon attached to the ship Ployer,
exploring the Arctic in 1882. He
talked to the Eskimos along the
Alaskan coast, especially at Point Bar
row, and, heard it from them. The
Plover then set out to verify it, but
was held back by great pressure
ridges and all the other obstacles
which Old Torngak throws in the way
of intruders. An obscure indication of
land to the north, however, was actu-
ally perceived from the masthead of
the ship.
Others Who Saw the Land.
Again. in 1850, Capt. Mcclure. when
off the northern coast of Alaska,
wrote in his journal that, judging
from the character of the ice and
the light. shady tint in the sky"
there must be land to the north Of
him. And in the 70s Capt. John
kienan, in command Of the whaling
bark Stamboul, was startled to see
land to the north. He could not in
vestigate, however, as he was not
prepared with supplies and fuel for
an exploring trip.
The legend persisted and in 1894
there appeared in the National Geo.
graphic Magazine an article by Mar
Gus Baker entitled AN Undiscovered
Island or the Northern Coast Of
Alaska" 1t told Of the tabled con-
tinent that lay in the unknown sea.
saying. 1T Is often told that natives,
wintering between Harrison and
| north in the bright clear days Of
Spring"
Then in 1906 Admiral Peary made
his famous dash to the Pole. He
penetrated Old Torngak's citadel, but
he retreated from the north with his
Imagination fired with something else
he had seen. He was standing at
Cape Thomas Hubbard, most northern
point of Axel Heiberg Land, which
comprises the left bank Of Nansen
Sound. There three peaks rear their
majestic heights and gaze out at the
unknown sea- From the topmost OF
these the famous explorer saw a dis
tant country lying to the northwest.
He first perceived 1t with his naked
eye and then. looking through his
binoculars, he brought It closer.
II saw the snow-clad submits OF
distant land in the northwest above
the ice horizon" he says in his book.
He had previously seen 1t from Cape
] Colgate, on the other side of Nansen
Sound, when standing 1000 feet
above the sea level. He fixed its
location at 100 degrees west and So
degrees north. or about 125 miles
from Cape Thomas Hubbard. and he
named 1t Croker Land. In honor Of
| George Crocker OF the Peary Arctic
] Club.