Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-02
DR.. HORN DESCRIBES REMOVAL
OF ANDREE EXPEDITION BODIES
Tin Can Led to Discovery of Dark Mound
Which Ordinarily Would Pass Unnoticed.
Heavy Ice Impeded Careful Digging.

of course, rendered difficult the digging
up of fragile articles or pieces of cloth.
| The camp had been very much plum
dered by bears. They certainly had de-
stroyed many objects of value. Many
articles also were probably borne away
by the wind and are now. lying buried
under the snow some distance away.
The camp lsy beside a big mound of
snow and it is very possible that under
this many of the expeditions belong
ings can still be found. While we were
there, however it would have taken too
much work to remove all the snow and
ice.
On a visit later in the year possibly
so much of the ice would be melted
that the work would be easier.
Camp Visible From Beach.
AS it may be gathered from what
/ have recounted, the camp was not
very far from the beach and was Wis
ible from there. Ordinarily, one
wouldn't pay much attention to a dark
mound in the distance.
1t was only after our attention had
been called to a tin can on the beach
that we began to look around and
caught sight of the camp. No cairn or
hut had been put up, and if the snow
had been only a few feet higher the
without a trace.
This Summer there has been very
little snow in those regions. There Is
reason to believe that the camp during
many Summers has been quite buried
under snow.
Even if one had examined the land
very carefully he might we'll have
walked right over the camp without
seeing anything.
Movements Are RecOunted.
AS it was, it looked as though the
boat had been drawn up from the
beach. And as the camp lay in the
eastern part of this naked island, there
is reason to believe that the members
of the expedition came to White Island
on its north side and from there went
down along the east coast until they
came to bare clear land.
After a heavy march over the zee
from SO degrees north, they certainly
could not have had very much strength
left. They probably died of exhaustion,
especially since at the time OF the year
when they came to the island, some
time in September, it can be pretty colo
there.
The reason why they did not go to-
ward Northeast Land (the nortnern-
most part of the Spitzbergen group from
which Andree set OUT, which WOULD
perhaps have been just as short as the
trip to White Island, might have heen
because they were continually forced
eastward by open water and many open
ings in the Ice.
When thin ice began to form at the
beginning of August they would not
have been able to go out in their mis-
cradle canvas boat for fear OF ripping
its covering.
Ia irI,E - IA
Islands tall white peak, they rust have
been filled with new courage and, by
summoning all their strength, sought
land
We can imagine their Joy when they
came to the island and finally felt f1rm
ground under foot instead of the terri
flying driving ice they had been encoun-
tering.
Fought CourageOusIy.
But they were never to come any far
Their than this. Exhaustion and cold
took them. They surely fought and
strove, courageous and brave to the very
last, as true sons OF the land that
mothers them.
For us whose fate it Is to find and
bring home one of the great pioneers OF
polar exploration, it has been an coca
sion of pomp and impressiveness that
will never be erased from our memory.
On the 18th of August we left White
Island and set our course eastward to-
ward Victoria Island. White Islands
peak was visible for long time and
again and again our eyes returned to
the bleak land which for 80 years hid
Andree and his companions from the
waiting world.
When we were on Victoria Island we
could still, from its highest Joint, see
White Island. It was as though the
island would not let us go, but rose ma
jestically and grimly In spite Of the fact
that we had taken from it one of the
greatest secrets of the polar region.
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