Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-20
DIARY OF ANDREE
BARES STRUGGLE
Heroic Story of Trek on Ice
Taking Them Opposite Dr.
rection Covered in Pages.
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after day, crossing ice crevasses, and
traversing by means of a small canvass
boat deep pools of fresh water which
they found on the ice between them
and their goal Each Of the three men
had their experience with falling into
these pools, but all kept up their spirits,
laughing and joking in the face OF
adversely. Frankel and Strindberg de-
Veloped diarrhea, and both suffered
from bruised feet.
Ice Carried Them Backward.
The irony of that long march did
not at irSt appear, but on August
4 they knew from observations as
to their position that while travelling
east. the ice was drifting westward at
an even greater rate. II was the story
Of the frog in the well, falling back
the distance of three hops for every
single hop upward and out OF ms
dilemma. Their position August 4 wa
about 60 miles west OF their rang
point.
After some consideration they turn
ed here and began a belated journey
toward Seven Islands, of Spitzbergen,
where there were caches OF food and
supplies. Their own food was running
out They were on shortened ratlons
and the outlook was pretty glum. They
killed some polar bears, which Andree
calls wandering meat shops OF the
Arctic" and with each successive XII
the prospects OF the party orlghtened.
There were days when no bears APP
reared and the men went hungry.
Kept Interest as Scientist.
Duri,,o all this travail. Andrees in
terest as a scientist never tagged. Oc-
casionally on the ice hummocKS ne
would pick off Specks OF clay ana pltS
Of moss which the ice had picked up
somewhere in the course of its wander
ing in the Arctic, and he saved some
90 of them, carrying them along when
every ounce must have added con-
siderably to their burden. One Of the
specimens so taken Andree dried by
uniting next to his bare chest. 1t was
his idea that valuable information as
to the ocean drifts might be obtained
from the samples.
AS the party slowly approached the
coast of Spitzbergen they were given
rest periods when from time to time
IL would be necessary to load their cam
vas beat and row for while across
the pools of fresh water or the open
ocean between the ice foes. This they
marches on the ice. Meanwhile they
became much more skillful at obtaining
food. and the diary mentions that
Frankel became adept at preparing a
savory concoction known as blood
pancake" which served them for bread.
Strindberg's speciality was seaweeo.
Drift Changes, Blocking Path.
with arrival in the shallower waters
north of Spitgbergen the drift changed
and Andree realized 1t would be I'M
possible to reach Seven Islands. Be-
tween September u and II the ice on
which they located drifted 100 kilo-
meters in an east-southeaSt direction
and the cold became more and more IN
tense.
Their decision then was to spend the
Winter on a suitable ice float and
they set to work building what they
described as an "cecot" On Septem-
Der II they sighted Hvitvoen, which
they called New Iceland" 1t was the
first land they had seen since July IL.
The next day they killed their first
seal. and the next day three more, and
on September 20 a bear Andree estt-
mated that as a result OF their good
fortune there would be food TO last
until the next April.
They constructed and moved into
home" At this point sudden and ir-
reparable disaster overlook them. The
ice foe on which they had chosen to
live cracked up with thunderous roar
and separated their stores and sup
plies on small blocks of ice They
brought much of it together and looked
toward Hvitvoen.
Andree Hoped for Recovery.
The diary comes to a sudden END just
here with the comment by Andree:
with such companions everything
will go on all right in almost any cir
eumstances."
There is no clue TO the end OF the
men, which of them died first and what
brought on death. There is, in solution
Of this. only the fact OF discovery Of
their remains, Strindberg's and Fran
kel's laid out as If in sort of inter-
ment. and Andree's own body up against
the side of a mountain as II he lay
down there knowing it was where he
would die.
Scientists disagree in their estimates
as to how long the three men lived
on the island before they died. There
is nothing in the diaries of three so
far discovered which gives any details
of their life once they came onto the
island