Show hardships and perils on search for north pole hull england aug 22 anthony fiala leader of the polar ex arrived here today on his way to the united states he caro ahead of the terra nova which is ex pecked tomorrow mr alala said to the associated press this has been another in the lone of failures to reach the pole unless the three determined attempts made to reach high latitude should be considered as not having proved altogether futile but although the great question of the pole remains unsolved we have brought back data which should prove of scientific value and have explored aad surveyed the archipelago from crown prince land to cape flora discovering four nw channels and three large islands failing to find an opening in the ice la longitude 38 degrees 67 minutes east latitude 79 degrees 67 minutes north we determined to force a way through at the forty eighth parallel here we were imprisoned for four days finally getting through with the use of gun cotton at the end of august 1903 we reached teplitz bay the north of franz josef land where a base and camp were established the america had a narrow escape on october 22 when she broke adrift finally however being brought back to her anchorage where she was crushed just a month later A shelter was built on shore and members of the expedition were kept busy during the winter preparing the sledge journey and in scientific work which was retarded by severe storms the first sledge party left march 7 1904 but was compelled to return owins to injuries received by several of the men after reaching cape fling ley A second attempt made on march ended likewise the sledges being smashed but when a short distance from land leaving a small party at the base I 1 returned to cape flora ehg trip occupying sixteen days relief falling to arrive in september 1804 I 1 accompanied by william J peters of the united states geological survey and a small party started back to the base which was reached november 22 1904 after a most eventful and dangerous trip ice having to be crossed in dense darkness and the men and dogs falling into holes and crevices and running against walls of ice crossing hooker island two of the men tell into a crevice for a distance of sixty five feet and were wedged between walls of ice their rescue was attended with the greatest difficulty one being so injured that he had to be lashed to the sledge with the exception of a norwegian fireman who had died we found all the party at the bay in good health and preparations were again made tor another sledge trip to the northward the weather delayed the party until march 16 1903 on this day the party left the base which we named gape abruzzi for the ice pack to the north crossing a glacier cast of cape rath we forced a way to the northward but our progress was slow the ice being rough and the men having to first cut away and then to assist the teams over rough road high temperature pera ture and togs also helped to delay our progress for two days and three nights we were in a temperature of 34 degrees below zero and the ice was constantly cracking under the tents under these conditions and with the pressing need for the sending of supplies to the party at cape flora together with my poverty in dogs t decided to return the conditions on the southward trip were worse than on the northward one but a fortunate drop in the temperature allowed us to cross a network of open lanes and we reached cape brazzl april ast 1st mr porter third in command of the expedition was sent south to explore the archipelago while the rest of the party worked at the moving of stores south of cape making provision in case we should be compelled to spend a third winter in the arctic in the meantime the work continued without interruption ter on july news came of the arrival of the relief expedition and we made a trip of more than twenty miles ca rotten ice to join the terra nova |