Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-11
D. C. MAN LEFT CACHE FOUND
BY RUSSIAN GROUP IN ARCTIC
Evelyn B. Baldwin Recalls
Franz Josef Land Trip
Over rs Years Ago.
Food Depot Saved Explorers
in Icy Region, He Says,
Telling Aftermath.

A WaShingtonian, Evelyn B. Baldwin,
noted Arctic explorer, gazed back across
more than quarter of a century in
retrospect today and recalled the time.
back in 1902, in the Franz Josef Land
Archipelago, when he left depots Of food
and messages for other pioneers of the
frozen North. one of which has just been
discovered by Russians exploring in that
region. News Of the discovery came
from Moscow. saying that members oil
the crew Of the Russian 1cebreaker
Maligin found Baldwin letter. bearing
the date July 2. 1902.
Many OF his caches and messages still
remain In the Northland. the scene OF
his explorations, Mr.. Baldwin said today
at his desk in the historical section OF
the Navy Department.
On Algsr Island, base OF the expedi-
ton, Mr.. Baldwin left the message
found by the Russians He described
in his message just found in bottle,
the position OF q granite cache nearby
wherein he stored food, arms and am
munition.
Ran Short Of Coal.
The veteran explorer. now SO, in July
1902. was attempting to leave the region
We had just enough strength left
to wage a fight to replenish cur coal
supply for our second years work, he
said. I'VE were expecting coal from a
supply steamer, but it failed to put in
an appearance. l was forced to turn
in an order to conserve supplies and
equipment fer the contemplated dash TO
to pole the next year. The supply
steamer WIS duly dispatched but owing
to ice conditions. south of Franz Josef
Land, it was unable to reach us there. :"
Mr. Baldwin knows that his depots
of food already have saved many lives,
| for years ago one of the survivors of
another expedition succored by his
! thoughtfulness. came to Washington to
thank him personally. A depot he
| established at Cape John r. Dillon
| nourished a shipwrecked party after
| the loss of the America, his old ship,
which was taken over by this other
| outfit. Another depot established near
Etheridge Island saved the lives OF two
men Of this second expedition while
they were making a sledge trip.
Left $4,000 Pounds of Food.
| At Kane Lodge. on Greely Island,
/ named by Mr.. Baldwin in honor of his
| fellow explorer, Mai Gen A. w. Greedy
who now lives in Georgetown, his food
| depot saved the lives of other explorers
| He established other caches as far north
! as Crown Prince Rudolph Land, where
some $4,000 pounds of condensed food
| were located. Mr.. Baldwin believes
| they are there to this day, ready TO
aid explorers of the Arctic wastes.
| Many of his messages, he says, tell
| the story of the Baldwin expedition,
| sketching the success of his first year S
work. the establishment OF food depots,
demonstrating the utility of Siberian
/ ponies in Arctic work, securing the first
motion pictures of Arctic scenes ever
obtained in low temperature and the
use of balloons in transmitting mes
ssges, of sufficient importance to dem
onstrate that large craft, such as
dirigibles, could be utilized
The Moscow dispatch said that the
| Maligin reported heavy ice prevented
search for fragments of the dirigible
| Italia. Mr.. Baldwin said today that it
is his opinion that the men who were
carried away with the detached sec
| ton of Gen Mobiles dirigible never
reached Franz Josef Land, but that
| they We're killed following the explo-
! sion of gas which carried them away
| Dropping onto the ice foe, their bodies
would nave been taken beyond recovery,
he believes.