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Show f OUAHDIANS OF THE POLE. Joy Giants That Baffle Efforts of Dan. Ing Explorers. How near tho North Polo has man gone? Tho record stands: Frldtjof Nanson, 272 mlW; tho Duko of Ab-ruzzl, Ab-ruzzl, 250 miles; ilVtlcrt B. Peary, 343 miles. 7x Nearly 300 years ago, in 1C07, Hend-rik Hend-rik Hudson, tho discoverer of Hudson river and Hudson bay, approached to within G20 miles of tho pole. In a word, tho history of polar exploration ex-ploration is tho history of an advanco from 80 latitude to 80.23 north to latitude lati-tude 8G.33 north. Peary, who has Just announced his Intention to start on another exploration, explo-ration, first saw the Arctic in tho summer of 1880. Ho went no farther north than Dlsko hay, on tho wost coast of Greenland, latitude 70 north. Ho started north again In 1891, and in July, 1892, ponotratcd as far as Indo-pondenco Indo-pondenco bay and Peary channel, which Ho about on tho S3d parallol. For tho third time, he started out in 1898, and. in AprJI, 1902, ho turnod back at latltudo 8417. What stopped him? What stopped tho Duko of AbruzzI? What stopped Nanson? What may stop Peary whon ho dashes north again? In a word, what may stop any man trying to reach tho polo? Ico sharp valleys and steep hills of lce ico with almost human energy lco bears, as ono of tho adventurers has described them, which lean and utter hoarse cries and givo hugs from which there can be no release Ico fiends, as Nansen once spoke of them, that aro always growling and threatening, threat-ening, and that creep in upon you at night to crush you, and that lay snares to trap tho man who relaxes his vigilance ono mtnuto of Uio twenty-four hours. |