Evening star., 1932-09-27

Y Y Is sole companion dog, world
famous naturalist for IL years
has been in retreat in the back
woods near Clinton, Md, and
none Of his neighbors, near or
far. have guessed his real identity.
Strange letters and parcels, bearing
colorful foreign stamps, have come 10
the man from time to time. Strange
visitors. too, now and again have asked
their way to his hidden cabin In the
forest. and occasionally the man him
self has emerged from his solitude 10
tourney to washington. But mostly
he has lived unnoticed by the people OF
Prince Georges County.
His name is Theodor Holm. Born at
Copenhagen, Denmark, February 8,
1854, he was educated at the university
of his native city. Botany and zoology
attracted him as boy, and graduating
at 26 he decided to make these sciences
the business of his Life. His great op-
portunity came at last when he noticed
in a book store window a pamphlet
about a proposed expedition to the
North Pole. He bought the booklet
and after reading. only a few pages
hurried to the Office Of the explorer
Lieut.. A. P. Hovgaard Of the Danish
Navy, to beg permission to join his
company. Hovgaard accepted his ap-
plication. He was on board the Dym-
pima when she sailed in July, 1882.
Expedition Success.
The expedition was complete sue
cess so far as Holms work was con-
cerned. For Hovgaard and others it
was a partial failure. The ship was
| caught in the ice in the Arctic ocean,
of Nova Zemb,a and drifted for IA
months, the helpless prey Of the ele-
ments. Holm used the opportunity to
study the marine life of the frozen zone.
Employing a trawlnet. he dragged up
| from the black depths of the ocean
! literally hundreds of different species OF
ea-living creatures. These he studied
with meticulous care. minutely de-
scribed and arranged for preservation.
Then with a genius which he says was
born in him and not acquired through
any instruction, he drew the portraits
! of the more important specimens. He
still has the originals of these drawings
They are so delicate and intricate In
detail that magnifying glass is needed
for their inspection.
Holm found In the Kara Sea, as the
Dymphna drifted, the curious ophia-
cantha, the only phosphorescent fish OF
| the ArCI1C ocean, oed CuCoih0Cio, SSe.
| worms, sea spiders, shrimps, polyps and
| corals were abundant in number and In
variation All were classified and re-
corded. Day and night the work went
on. But the end was inevitable.
This drawing" Holm explains. mdi.
eating a sketch in an unfinished condi-
tior, never was completed. was busy
with it when the floor Of the cabir
suddenly began to rise and crack. Thai
was a sign that the ship was breaking
up under the pressure Of the ice. AL
hands had to turn out to save pro-
visions and instruments before TIT
wreck sank"
Party Rescued.
The party was rescued and returned
to Denmark. Holms treasures vert
placed on exhibition in Copenhagen
King Christian TX expressed to th'
young scientist the appreciation OF tn
nation.
The following year Holm was sent ou
to West Greenland as government bot
anist and zoologist. He returned t
the same territory in 1885 and 1886
He brought back an enormous collec
ton of botanical and geological speci
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