Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-01

the expedition to an unfortunate end,
to the north of Franz Josef Land, Mr.
Baldwin pointed out.
Mr.. Baldwin was second in command
Of the Wellman expedition to Franz
Josef Land in 1899, which resulted
in the discovery and exploration of
Graham Bell Land and numerous other
uncharted islands and coast lines OF
the archipelago He was the organizer
and commander of the Baldwin Ziegler
expedition, backed financially by Will
liam Ziegler, New York business man
which went in 1902 from Franz josef
Land. where he continued the eXplora-
ton of the archipelago and built large
depotS. at which were deposited equip
ment for a final dash to the pole.
Sends First Airmail.
During the first years work of this
expedition, Mr.. Baldwin asserted, the
dispatch of the first airmail' was &C
complished. The explorer declared that
his suggestion of the mooring mast to
the Navy grew out of an idea conceived
while engaged in Arctic work and he
was planning the use of aircraft as
early as 1907. Mr.. Baldwin said that
he got his idea of aircraft, not from
the Wright brothers, but from the early
English explorer, Sir John Franklin
whose expedition carried gas bag, de-
signed to transmit messages, through
being inflated with heated air.
Mr.. Baldwin, on his own expedition
put this thought into practical use, he
said, by dispatching Is balloons, in
flated with hydrogen gas, manufacturer
on the spot of his headquarters II
Franz Josef Land. in 1902. These bal
looms were sent bearing messages, IN
IL d. D@rly hIYnN u-Ninh
dropped at intervals on the pack ice
to the northward of Franz Jose
Land. These were borne southwark
into the open waters of the North At
lantic. where many were picked up BY
sealing vessels and by them delivered
to United States consuls in Norway
VINO in turn forwarded them to the
State Department here.
These constitute the first airmail In
the world" in the belief of Mr. Bald
win.
Ponies Assist Dogs.
On the Baldwin-Ziegler expedition
too, he added the priceless value OF the
Siberian pony as a helpmate to the
dogs in Sledge work was demonstrated
This, he said, led Capt Scott anC
Comdr. Ernest Shackleton to use then
the following year in their Antarctic
work. There were more than 400 dogs
in the Baldwin Ziegler expedition, Mr.
Baldwin recalled, and the man who
gathered dogs for him purchased loo
in Siberia for SCOTS use at the same
time. Scott, with Shackleton the Sec
ond in command. sailed from the same
port as Mr.. Baldwin did-Dundee
Scotland.
The English expedition was going
into the Antarctic, establishing head
quarters OH the west coast OF Ross Bay
ton the opposite side from the latel
expeditions of Amundsen and Byrd
The BritonS advanced their work
southwark bv the use of dogs alone
Mr.. BaldWin'S fellow-eXplorerS moi
thinking highly of the use of ponies a.
that time.
1t so happened, Mr. Baldwin pointed
out, that Shackleton, having some diff
ferences with Scott, severed his con-
nection with the expedition and re-
turned to England by way of the
| United States.
ShackletOn Won Over.
Again, Mr.. Baldwin met Shackleton
in New York, upon his return from
| Franz Josef Land. He had demon
strated the serviceability of Siberian
ponies in Arctic work and also the use
of the motion picture machine as 6
means of illustration. Shackleton was
converted to the use of both.
| ThereupOn, Shackleton Immediately
set about organizing an expedition fol
| the South Pole, taking with him ponies
| and movie outfit. On that trip, Mr.
Baldwin said the public may recall
! Shackleton came within Ill miles OF
attaining the South Pole, which Comdr
| Byrd has now seen. Shackleton woulC
have seen 1t, too, Mr.. Baldwin said
had he taken with him two or three
more ponies. He had lost some of the
ponies, however. soon after arrival al
his headquarters, as the expedition haC
neglected to equip itself with sufficient