Evening Star Newspaper, November 23, 1924, Page 24

- drctic Explorer Takes Route Followed by Nordenshjold. ENCOUNTERS GRIEF ", AT START OF TRIP Dogs Placed as Aides in Ice Excursions Found Dead. BY CAPT. ROALD AMUNDSEN. What 1s the Northeast The Northeast Passage is the water- way from the Atlantic along the coast of Asia through Bering Strait to the Pacific. assage was one of four original big polar problems! Ih: three others being the Northwest Passage and the two poles. The Northeast Passage was dis- eovered by the early Russian naviga- tors and I do not hestitate to say at of all the polar explorers none was braver and more determined than those intrepid seamen The pas- sage was for the first time sailed through In its cntirety by the Swe- ish explorer. Prof. Dr. Adolf Erik Nordenshjold, in the Vega of 1880. The next one was the Russian Capt Wilkitzky in the two icebreakers, Walgatsch and Taimyr, in 1915. I be- came by accident the third one. When I say by accident I mean ft 10 the very letter It was on July ¥xrdo, in Norway. sel. The Maud specially constructel for k. Spe was built of oak-pine and ‘#» ghaped that she would be able to sveid the pressure of the drift ice. ¥ want to emphasize the word avoid, Because you cannot bulld any craft Which can resist the pressure of the fce. Anything. it be as compact as It may, would be crushed. if the ice got Hold of it. The Maud was there- fore bullt In the shape of an egs, cut in half after the long line and she has proved to be almost invulnerable. n Observation Tour. fhe object of the expedition was to follow the Siberfan coast to the east of the New Siberian Islands and 18 that we left had from there force her way into the fee | and drift with it across the polar baein, taking all kind of scientific @bservations. The expedition w. supposed to last about four years. TESSEM, Who lost his iffe ta bringing mall ; home, Already elght davs after we left Nor- Way we were stopped by big hea ice in the Jugor Stralt. It was no use trying to go through. The fce was jammed together. Not a speck of water was to be seen. We lay there | behind a little cape until August 19, when we finally could move on. The 9st real fight e had to put up with V74 the paesage across the Kara Seu This sea has been the grave of wieny a stanch vessel. Keep as close t47the shore as possible when you Gzoss the Kara Sea, says an old word, and it may be right. I think I would ®aye done It If we haj had any ice, but we had none. The Kara $6a was filled to its outmost capacity with old, heavy ice. The only open Water to Le secen was a narrow lane pointing right across it. Tt was al- rgady late, and the nights commenced to get dark. So we took our chance and entered the lane. We were soon enveloped In heavy fog and impene- tzable ice. Now we had no cholce. but 10 stay where we were. The ice moved with the tide—opening and closing, and we forced forward as often as the opening spells permitted us. It was olow work, but we backing and ramming to force our way out into the open water along the Yalmal Peninsula. From here it only took us a short tlme to reach Dickson Islund, in the #Mouth of thes nonths without it, Jenesel River Found Dogs Dead. ‘The Russians have a wireless sta- tion on this island. A landlocked Harbor offers the best refuge, if you gén reach it. Some 50 tons of ofl and a few dogs had been deposited here for us the previous year. The ol we found all right, but the dogs ware dead. However, by kindness of the staff of the wireless station we t & few dogs and left the place on eptember 4. Everything looked prosperous. The sea perfectly clear of ice, the sun &hining and the water 28 smooth as in a lake. Grab the pleasure and hang on to it while it Ingts is my advice to all explorers. ! You know so little. ahead. The next day nothing but ice and| the same hard ramming to force your way through. On September 9 we rounded “Cape Tsjeljuskin, the| nérthernmost point of Asia. I hadj aiways belleved that 1t I could pass this point the Northeast Passage was broken. But I was wrong, as I have Deésn many times in judging the con- ditlons on the ice. After four days af hard work we succeeded In rea £5ig & place which offered a tiny bit of protection. It was a small bay- form on the otherwise right running coast with a couple of small :sjets outside. In the view of harbor he place was impossible, but the two iglets might give us some protection % was September 13, the nights ha Liacome -pitch dark, the fce was close vacked and the storms had set in.| Phe place offered us was by no means $deal, but could we find anything| Letter? The ice which hurried. past; us did not look promising. So we ontered the narrow lane leading in toward the coast between the Islets. jo were fortunate in finding deep ter all the way, and tied up to the yfibroken ice 200 yards from 'the h.. There was no doubt we wére . Winter quartérs. ¢ o firat day an accldent of lous nature happened to.me. Awag standing on the bulwark Inok-' Passage? | The mystery of this | We were 10 men | the | managed by | | ing over the ice, a dog came running {and knocked my feet from under me. T went head foremost down on the lce. My right shoulder hit the ice first. Stars were fiying before my cyes, but I did not faint. I took my left hand and feit my right shoulder. There was no doubt. The bone wan broken | right underneath the shoulder. As | we had no doctor, my arm was tled to my body, and it healed in eight weeks. On November 8 it was declded that ] should part with the sling which had kept my arm up for the last weeks It was a great day for me and 1 decided to take a trip on the lce and inspect all the work done in my ab- sene I was especially interested in a snow wail which the boys had built around the vessel to protect it against the cold. Dog Brings Angry Bear. . It was about half past | morning when I came on deck | Jacob, the only dog we kept on board to watch against bears, came as usmal toward me and presented me with his morning greeting: But uniike every other morning—we had always a little chat asking each other how we had spent the night and so on—ne left me abruptly, ran up the stairs lcading to the gangwny, down this and on to the fce. He disappear- ed immediately Into the misty, frosty morning toward she 1 thought he was probably running | Kennels to nay his {ing call. and T dismissed the thos altogether. T then started to spect the snow wall, | a most eful work, snd certainly would ts end snd {keep the ship snug and warm during {the Winter storms. Suddenly I heard a strange sound which I could not make out, and it forced me to turn around and look. What [ saw was well worth seeing if not exactly de- sirable. Out of the mist came the dog Jacob leading, followed as a good | second by a big bear. Behind her was a little cub of some months. The bear was furlous, and I the object of her fury. Jacob had run on board |and left me to my fate. What wou'd |you have done under those condi- |tions? A broken arm. rough ice. |twilight and a furious bear a few yards from you. No hope of assist- ance, as I knew the cook to be tne {only one up and at that moment | frying hot cakes in the ealley. 1 started to run. and 1 think I mav rightly say T ran_for dear life Bu! {You know an fnvalid is no match for a bear, and the rusult was clear from the start | We reached the gangway at the | same time. A& I turned to run up |1 was knocked down by the bear. { Unfortunately, T fell on the broken |arm. and the pain was indescribable. | However, there was no time for pwin The bear stood over me and I lay face down. I kept still. 1 do mot think I even drew a breath. It could not have lasted many seconds, I sup- pose, although the time seemed long enough to me. 1 expected to be fin- | ished any time. but my time was not | up yet. Jacob, who all this time had |been on board, decided suddenly to | take another trip of inspection, inter- | ested, T suppose, in the littie cub. | This 1dea of Jacob's proved to be my | salvation. As soon as Jaceb passed lus running down the gangway, the ‘umlhpr bear made an enormous jump |out on the ice and left me. I do not need to tell you that no runner, even were he a Finlander, ! would have had a chance to pass me on that gangway. I resched deck in a most deplorable etate. I was tain my arm was broken over and { over again. fn the in- i Battle Ends Both Bears. My caribou dress was torn to pleces |and hung in rags down my back. T jcould feel the blood running. By aWw.I was met by the meteoroiogist, | Dr. Sverdrup, and the cook, Mr. West- {ing. lven the nolse of the frying | hot cakes could not quiet the noise I ! made coming on deck. “Quick, boys, | quick, get your guns and fetch me | that bear!” ~ At the word “bear” they- | both ran into the cabin and returned with their guns. The bear had now come back to the piace where she had left me, and under wild howls | she pounded the snow where I had been and threw it high in the alr. She was furious, no doubt. She had {lost me. I was grateful, seeing the treatment the snow got. 1 knew ‘Ilhnl if 1 lad got the same there would not have been left mincemeat | enough for a decent burial. The boys finished both. mother and daughter. ~ The Winter set in rapidly now and in a few days we lost the sun. It Is i sad to.lose the sight of the sun. Mort i people never stop to reallze what a &ood friend the sun Is. You must be then you would | understand. But the Arctic traveler has a wonderful substitute in the moon. Nowhere shines the moon®so brightly, nowhere Is it more pralsed. | And then you have the most won- derful phenomena of them all—the aurora borealis. People mostly com- bine polar exploration with laziness, but as far as my own expeditions are concerned they are wrong. I never | saw more work and with more good | will than during these trips into the frozen north. No unions, no strikes, no sabotage. Under such conditions ilme passes quickly. Although there | fell .very little snow during W inter, the ship was soon drifted down. Around Christmas we could easily wallk over the bulwarks right on board. Tji» bears took advantage of it. One aight we were all sound asleep when a couple of us—I say with ntantlon a couple because the rest mever woke up for any nolse— were awakened by some strange sounds ovar our heads. We listened a little, and. then there was no doubt—bears! We tried to get up as quickly as possible, but the bear: were quicker. As soon a3 we emerged two big bears jumped over the side and disappeared. This noc- turnal visit had jmuch more serious consequénces . than we ever thought of. ‘When we let our dogs 1oose - in the morning seven of them got on the ‘bears’ ‘track and made straight over the fce/ “Fivé-of them—the best we had—neves. returned. ‘That crip- pled our pulling power and prevented us from doing the work we intended todo. * - Disappoiatment in Plans. Winter passed ‘énd Spring arrived: The Arctic Springs are unforgettable. The first bird arriving' is accepted as 4 greeting from home. Spring 18 the time for sledging and the prepara- tions are many. Our hopes had been to explore. Yar Nicolays Islands, dis- covered by Capt.. Vilehiski, but bav- ing lost the best of our dogs, I tound that - trip- fn- thet “directien wou'd Mamuth Tasks Brought Out, From Siberia. Marathon | AMUNDSEN RELATES STIRRING TALE OF FIRST - VOYAGE THROUGH NORTHEAST PASSAGE \ |be futlle. We had to swallow the | bitter pill and turn to the south to explore the peninsular on the north |coast of which we were lying. The interfor of this peninsular was entire- 1y unknown. Dr. Sverdrup, with his sclentific instruments, was to be | seen” all over the camp and a serfes | of observations of the higher strata {of the air was started by the aid of kites. The fce had remained absolutely tmmovable all through the Winter and Spring and that had been very pleasant and added much to our com- fort. But as the conditions did not change durng the Summer I began to get restless. What would happen to us If the fce dld not break up? This question was exceedingly un- pleasant and repeated itself oftener and oftener during the advance of the season. It was then I decided to send two men home with reports and letters The distance to travel was 500 wiles rrom Grand Harbor to Dick- { son Island. Tessem and Knutsen volunteered for the service and start- ¢d the prepurations at once. They built themselves a little &tone hut where they could stay until Wintes came and the fce became suficlently safe for traveling. which probably would take place In the middle. of October. They gdt five dogs and ali the provistons they needed besldes a complete outfit for Arctic traveling | They w both experienced Arctic | travelers and there should be no 1 for anxiety | The scason ad and on August anced rapldiy now we had the heavies: | snowstorm we experlenced during our stay there. It surely did not lool | bright.” In the middle of August new ice started to form {n the fresh wate: | pools, indicating that Winter was ap- proaching. What should we do to get out in the drift ice? The ice was entirely unbroken from the ship and out to the nearest islet—a distance of 2,000 yards. The only thing we could try was to blow our way out. But by measuring the ice we found that it varied from one to three yards in thickness. The task seemed almost insurmountable. But better try. Now—the same work can be done in many ways, but with an entirely dif- ferent result. So we took an after- noon off and discussed the subject But as we were eight, there were cight different opinions. T chose the one 1 thought best. namely, to make 111 the mines ready and then explode them all at the same time Decide to Minc Tee. We had 1,000 pounds of black pow- der. This we made up into 60 20 pound mines and placed them aqual Letween the ship and the open waier round the Islet, It was hard work, as we had to” bore holes through the heavy ice for each mine. That meant 50 holes. Each mine was then sunk down to about a yard under the lce and exploded as simultaneously as possible, The result was not very much to look at. But I did not expect to see very much, elther. was that the ice should crash from mine hole to mine hole and that the high tide which we expected In a few days should do the rest of the work. The calculation turned out tc be a good one. Un the night of Sep- tember 12, nearly a year after Wo huad been Imprisoned, a broad lead opened.in the way of the mines and we passed out into open water. A last | dip of the flag to our two comrades left behind, a last farewell shout and we parted forever. They both dled on their way to Dickson Island. Tes- sem was found later close to his point of destiration, but Knutsen was never {seen. One may conjecture, but the | real reason we shall never know. A little sack containing reports and photos was found besids the body. He had apparently given up every- thing except these papers left in his care. A fine specimen of a man in- deed. Now began the most fantastic navigation 1 had ever experienced. It seemed as if nothing was real. During the day it was always hasy and difficult to see any distance. Tle nights were long and pltch dark. We were moving. To start with, there was very little open water, but this changed as we proceeded south and east from the Taimur Peninsula. When we crossed outside the: River |Lena it was comparatively open. | The strait between Siberia and the | New Siberian -lslands did not offer any | hindrance, - eitheg, To the east of { these Islands we found an absolutely |‘open’ sea, and the future looked very i bright. We now shaped our course northerly and hoped to be iu the |drift within a short time, But it | was not to be. | " Already next morning we encoun- | tered a whole field of pack ice with- jout a single open lead in it. We | made & thorough reconnaissance.east {and west, but no sign of open water. In order to examine the drift of the pack we tied up to a big cake. It ice - was in rapid drift toward the south—almost with a speed of tw: knots. . Now, the situation was this To the north of us was the whole ocean full of polar ice drifting south- ward with a terrific speed, to the south of us a shallow, inhospitable cdoast without any harbor.’ The dis- tance between ice. and shore not ,many miles, and the nights derk. What should we do? * Start With Dritting Tee. Well, examirie, the, charts carefully to find out the nearest suitsbie spot for a shelter. Cape Shelagski, on the east en ice to Chaun Bay, seemad to be the only place, but that was far off. There was no time. for dis cqussing; the ice ‘was moving piti- lsssly on. So we started. Hard up with the wheel, top speed in the en- gine room and, forward. It was wondetful race. ‘The sea to the south: was shallow and rough ahd dotted vith large-pleces of heavy ice, ‘&8 My hope | did not take long to observe ghat the | Playful Dog’s Greeting Drops Leader With Broken Arm. | | DOWNED AGAIN IN BATTLE WITH BEAR Two Members of Party Lose Lives Trying For Outside. long as daylight lasted it was pleas- ant, but as soon as night set in the pleasant part disappeared. The ship acted as a kind of foot ball roughly handled by powerful players. Although The Maud is extremely could only be fatal. You might have proposed to slacken the speed, but then we were .sure of losing the race. It was a thoroughly disagree- able night. On September 2I we reached Ajon Island, only hundred miles from the point of safe- | ty, but here we saw that we had lost | the race. ~The whole pack ice had | already reached the easternmost part of this island and was now in an casterly drift. Ajon Island offers no refuge whatever on the outside, and the Inside we could not reach. A lit- | tle belt of ice, about a mile broad had hooked on to the island, prob- | ably Kept there by some grounded » . We hnd reallv ne cholce. | stay out in the drift fce would prob- | ably imean to drift all Winter through. To force our nose into this | mile of statlonary ice as far as pos- sible and then hang on was the only thing to do. We went out into the open water as far as aimed at the weakest looking part of the shore ice, and then full speed ahead! The encounter was a hard one They who did not look ahead were thrown off their feet right then and there. We kept going full speed ahead for some hours and suc- ceeded in that way to force in about 50 yards. What a place for the Win- ter! It could hardly have been worse. Fifty yards of conglomerated Arift iece for protection! How we | watched those G0 yards during the | first days! Would they break off and carry us out? Or would they ugment? We were very fortunate. From the day we tled until we left | the place the following Summer we never felt as much ae a shock on the ice. Find Natives Hospitable. Ajon_ was a table-formed island. about 200 feet high, falling abruptly down to the sea, a very narrow beach fringing it. But this narrow beach was covered with driftwood, an Invit- ing sight. Still more Interesting were two native tents on the top of the island. As soon as possible we got In touch with them. These Tsjuktsji, as they call themselves, re. semble very much the Esquimo. But my little knowledge of the Esquimo language proved of no use The ‘wnguages are totaily lifferent We had a very nice meeting witn them, and as they were on the poin* of departing for the Interfor with their reindeer. I proposed to Dr Sverdrup to follow them to the south and study them. So he did and tayed with them for nine months. bringing back the most interesting experiences. During the Winter we had visits of several Russian traders, and time passed quickly. In the Spring we started sled parties again and made several extensive trips along the coast. This coast is easy to travel along, as the natives are Itving there in their tents and can offer you both shelter and meals, if you are not tog particular. Summer was marked by Sverdrup's and the Tsjuktsjl return. Sverdrup had taken a good many scientific ob- servations on this trip and finlshed up now at the station. As wé now had been out for two years, and four of the men wanted to ieave the expedition, I decided to go, down to Nome, In Alaska, dis- miss them there, reprovision the ship and then return to the drift ice. Na- | tive tents are dotted all over the comst from Cape Shelagski and the south. The ice conditions were ex- tremely bad and barely permitted us ! to proceed. In the mjddle of July we | met the first vessel from the other | side, the Polar Bear of Nome, Alaska. | We stayed a few days together, as the fce did not permit us to move. | We were now close down to the place | where the Swedish expedition wa. stopped and forced to Winter 1879-80. The ice was very heavy and densely | packed. Then suddenly one morning, | without any visible reason, the ice started to move, to open and tighten, Provision Cases. and we could start again. Tt was hard on the little Polar Bear and the | last we saw of her she was high and dry on a cake of ice. In the beginning of August we | reached Nome, in Alaska, and ‘the | Northeast Passage was done. Having _previous, from 1903-06, made the Northwest Passage in Gjoa, I could now look back upon the first circumnavigation of the Polar Basin. (Copright In United States, Canads, Great | Britatd aod Norway by Twenty-first Century Press, Inc., 1924. All rights reserved.) i |CATHOLIC PRIESTS HELD | | BY SOVIET IN ODESSA| } “Aceuaed of School for Orphans With Foreign Contributions. By the Aseoctated Press. MOSCOW, November 22.—Accord- ing to a. telegram from Odessa to the semi-official Pravda the authori- tles there have arrested a group of Catholio priests who were conducting a secret school for orphans which | the police allege was supported by | funds supplied by organizations. ‘abroad. The purpose of .the schooi. | according to the police, was to bring| iup the children in the Cathollc faith, | ibut ‘they assert part of the funds were diverted by the priests and spent In high living. In the school were found 34 boys| and girls from 11 to 16 years old, who, the police aver, were forced to live under conditions -of extreme asceticism and privation. . —_— In the plants of Great Britain that are profit sharing atre 323,000 employes, of whom 160,000 par~ ficipate-in the benefits, . 3 Conducting Secret | strong, continuous treatment like that @ about a |@ To | @ possible and | NEW YORK POLICE PROBE DEFERRED BY ALDERMEN Republican Members to Await Ac- tion by Commissioner on Tammany Chiarges. By the Associated Prees. NEW YORK, November 22.—Four of the eight Republicans who con- stitute the board of aldermen today decided not to take court action to compel an investigation of the city's Police Department. Their decision was announced after a conference with Republican party leaders representing all sections of the city. At the close of the con- ference Alderman Wirth gave out the following statpmen “In view of the investigation of conditions in the Police Department, which Commissioner of é A" Deposit Rescrves Nmas Gifts Until Wanted S LG e, A variety of new and dainty designs with 16- jewel adjusted move- ments. Watches Rings Wrist Watches Diamonds %07 G Street N.W. Pearls 14-K White Gold Wrist Watches 519 Ideal Gifts for Everyone Silverware Bracelets. Cigarette Cases D. Al intention | to make, the Republican aldermen have decided to await fits result, hoping that it will be conducted in ®#uch a way as to determine the truth or falsity of the grave charges made by Tammany aldermen. KANSAS CITY, November 22.—The federal grand jury will here next Tuesday to take action in connection with publicity given fin- # come tax returns by newspapers in this district, it was announced last night by United States Attorney Madison. Jury to Act in Tax Case. reconvene Charges of graft and corruption were lodged against the police spe- clal service squad by three Der cratio aldermen at a meeting of the board last Tuesday. On_Thursday the Demoerats refused JRepublican Leader Wirth's request 'that they join thé Republicans in demanding the Investigation, whereupon Wirth annouriced he would petition the Su- prem. Court for an investigation. SRR 5 Because her mother made it Miss. Renee Kelly, who has played Judy in “Daddy Longless” for several seasons, will not abandon the apron she has worn as part of her stage costume,| and although it s in rags she is now using it on a tour in South Afri These beautiful watches make the most acceptable of gifts. Specially priced. Toilet Sets Bar Pins Charms Fraternal Pins her Open a Charge Account | | | i | | L Eyes Examined FREE Headaches "You will find immediate re- lief from headaches, nersous- ] ] ness and other ailments caused by EYESTRAIN by having your eyes examined and glasses fitted by DR. ROSE, Graduate Optometrist and Optician Glasses, $£2.00 onur Glasses Are Positively Guaranteed to Give Satisfac- tion or new Glasses free. Art:fiu 1 Eyes nserted Dr.D. L. Rose Evesight Specialist Associated S With Jewelers and Opticians FISCHER’S w5 Opqn Sflyriay: !Jnti! 9 PM. Prescriptions Filled Promptly DRESS UP JerThan START PAYING IN ksgiving DECEMBER Don’t envy your well dressed neighbor who will wear the newest styles on Thanksgiving Day. Come here without cash and clothe ourself from head to foot. We'll gladly arrange a credit account ¥or you and you can pay a little each week or two as convenient. Special Sale of Plush Coats Including the lat- oot crushed gurments, t:: =y Ay 35% Continuing Our Great ALE of COATS FOR WOMEN AND MISSES Included are the season’s newest coats trimmed in rich furs, lined with the most beautiful silks. ' A Sale of DRESSES “That will outfit many & women or miss with a iful frock for No Where Else Will You Find Such Values . Nor Such Easy Terms of Credit Suits &O’coats FOR MEN OF EVERY TYPE AND AGE Hundreds of Eaglish models, form fitting and ‘conservative styles. Corner 7th and OVER KRESGE'S 5c AND 10c STORE—Up One Your Accommodation, This Store Will Be Open Evenings Till Thanks New shades — also L _handsemely - and Save Mopey ;2 Sts. EYIng. -