Three Polar Expeditions, 1913-1916 



AMERICAN, CROCKER LAND EXPEDITION; CANADIAN, STEFANSSON ARCTIC 

 EXPEDITION; BRITISH, SHACKLETON ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 



By HERBERT L. BRIDGMAN 



Secretary of the Peary Arctic Club 



Since the Journal for May has been so greatly delayed, it is possible to include late news of the Crocker 

 Land Expedition. Mr. Maurice C. Tanquary reached New York June 20, by way of Copenhagen, after a 1300- 

 mile sledge journey across Melville Bay and through Danish Greenland. When the relief ship "Cluelt" sent 

 last summer to bring back the expedition to New York failed in its purpose, three members of the expedition, 

 Messrs. .Maurice C. Tanquary, Fitzhugh Green and Jerome Lee Allen, planned to come out by way of Copen- 

 hagen. They left the main party January 20. and began the long journey down the coast of Greenland under 

 the guidance of Mr. Peter Fre.ichen of Thule, North Star Bay. They reached Upernivik February 11, and Umanak 

 March .i. Danish settlenK-nls where lliey were received with great cordiality. At the latter place they were fortu- 

 nate in gaining the friendly s.-rvices of Mr. Knud Balle, high priest of Greenland, who gave his help as guide and 

 interiinMer for the further journey. They reached Egedesminde March 21 where they had planned to join the 

 regular annual mail sledge for Holstensborg. Conditions of travel were so poor, however, it was judged that one 

 of^he parly might get through safely, but not all three. Mr. Tanquary was chosen, Messrs. Green and Allen 

 remaining at Egedesminde to join the next mail party. 



It now comes out that Mr. Green has been requested by cable from the Crocker Land Committee in New 

 York to act as commander of the new relief ship '• Danmark." which has been engaged in south Greenland to bring 

 out the members of the expedition this summer. Therefore he will go back to North Star Bay, where Dr. Hovey 

 or Mr. MacMillan will take command. Thus Mr. Allen is left alone to follow the mail sledge to Holstensborg and 

 take steamer from Copenhagen for New York. 



Throughout the months of difficulty in the Arctic both the Crocker Land Expedition and the relief party have 

 enjoyed the cooperation and support of the Danish people, and especially of the two Danish gentlemen, Mr. Knud 

 Rasmussen and Mr. Peter Freuchen. For the very cordial spirit of this cooperation, and for the very considerable 

 material benefit, the Crocker Land Committee would express profound appreciation.— The Editor. 



THE saying, "Infer anna leges 

 silent," of the oUlen time in 

 Rome, reduces itself in terms of 

 the present to " In the greatest war the 

 world has known, polar expeditions re- 

 ceive scant attention." Three parties, 

 adventurers of science and discovery, iso- 

 lated — two for three years, the other for 

 two — strive in doubt and mystery, and 

 were it not for the shadow which falls 

 from the East the world would be alert 

 to learn the fate of the absent, and if 

 necessary, to succor them. It is perhaps 

 worth while briefly to review and set 

 forth in connected narrative, the facts, 

 meager and fragmentary, which have at 

 intervals become known concerning these 

 expeditions, in order that when their 

 fate shall finally be determined and the 

 results weighed and measured, we may 

 have a fairly accurate idea of the whole 

 story of each from Ijeginning to end. 



In the early summer of 1913 the 

 Crocker Land Expedition under Mr. 



Donald B. MacMillan, supported by the 

 American Museum of Natural History, 

 the American Geographical Society, and 

 the University of Illinois, was gathering 

 its forces on the Atlantic coast — at the 

 same time that Stefansson was making 

 ready at Vancouver for the Canadian 

 advance into the North, and thinly veiled 

 rivalry existed between the two expedi- 

 tions as to which should reach Crocker 

 Land, now known to be non-existent. 

 Leaving the Brooklyn Navy Yard July 2, 

 in the chartered "Diana," MacMillan, 

 leader. Ensign Fitzhugh Green, United 

 States Navy, topographer, Messrs. W. 

 Elmer Ekblaw, geologist, Maurice C. 

 Tanquary, naturalist, and Harrison J. 

 Hunt, surgeon, constituted an efficient, 

 well-balanced and well-equipped party. 

 The expedition struck its first bad luck 

 on the rocks of Red Bay, Labrador, com- 

 pelling delay, transhipment to the 

 "Erik," and arrival at Etah too late to 

 cross Smith Sound. Hard work all win- 



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