LOST ON ICE BARRIER

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 138, 7 March 1929, Page 11

LOST ON ICE BARRIER

FAMOUS DOG VANISHES THE MYSTERY OF CHINOOK In a special wireless message to the “New York Times,” dated Bay of Whales, January 23, Mr. Russell Owen writes: — Somewhere out in the great fields of snow which stretch Interminably across this continent, there is a big brown dog lying, sleeping his last sleep after having given everything that was in him .to his master’s work. / He is Chinook, Arthur-T. Walden’s famous leader, who, after a / life of races and the admiration of those who love dogs, came down here to the bleakest country in the world. . He went off on his twelfth birthday, walked into the white'widerness, and has not returned. We may/never know whether he went off to die as dogs sometimes will, or whether he fell down a crevasse. 1 / / : Chinook Was probably the most intelligent of ‘the lead dogs being driven thirty-two iiiiles' a day over the trail. He led eight of his sons and grandsons, powerful browii dogs like himself, all'halfbred Eskimo'huskies. There are other dogs here just as strong, but they are of different breeds, and Walden’s team is distinctive because of the colour and form of the dogs. Chinook slept in Walden’s tent before the houses- were erected at the base here, and kept watch of his master as Walden cared for him. If the oldtime dog driver walked along a dangerous crevasse near the camp, Chinook would watch Mm silently and anxiously until he returned. ' r On the trail, Chinook trotted ahead or behind, keeping an eye on his children, until his master called to him to get into harness., Had Been Spared When Possible. ‘ Chinook dll hot lead .all: the time, because Wal£eh’ : wished i to save him fatigue' as much as possible because of his’age. But when there was some difficult leadirg :to do or when a little extra' weight, backed by intelligence, was heeded, Old Chinook was put into the team. <: 5. ,: Everyone sympathises with Walden, because the I bond between him and Chinook was so closethat both.were lonesome if the other was not around. With Chinook in tie lead,'Walden could depend ,on his team moving out off the trail! so as t> hold the sled steady and then swiiging back at the proper time.: Chinook seemed to know instinctively what t( do. And when • the bad turned over sometimes, as happms to all the drivers. Walden: could hitch up Chinook, attach: the team tea side of the heavy sled and right it (gain. There are maiy tales told of Chinook’s intelligent, such as the time in a dog race whena man pointed out the route to Walden-is he came along, and Chinook turned .without waiting for word from his.aiver; or the time in Portland, Me., then Walden was driving through a street in the winter arid a traffic policrisan held up his hand, a signal which ifiinook instantly obeyed. Chinook i?said to be a grandson of the lead dogused by Peary on his trip to the Norh Pole, and he was lead dog of theteam which won the first Internationl race in New Hampshire In 1922. /He also led a team up Mount Washington in a blizzard. Muskeag ‘and Quimbo, leaders of teams hee, are sons of Chinook. Walcn Planned Rest for Him. Waldn had been breaking in a new leader .list before Chinook disappeared anc.had planned in a few days to let hisold dog rest for the remainder - of thttime here./. Jajiary 17 was Chinook’s birthday and e followed Walden and the team out ‘. camp toward the ship. He was laggig, and somewhere soon after t lea’pg camp he dropped behind, and ■who Walden looked around he was poliere to be seen. is a bare possibility that he my come back, for dogs have gone n'ay down here for many days and jturned; but Chinook’s age and train;g and his fondness for Walden • lakes this seem unlikely. It is more probable that a deep crevasse or a mound of snow out on the Barrier hides Chinook, and that he died, as Walden said, “with his boots on,” working until he could work

no more and then quietly slipped away alone. Chinook a Privileged Champion. Chinook, the veteran lead dog of the crack team owned by Arthur T. Walden of New Hampshire, was the hero of many a hard-fought sledge race and was rated as a champion by the dog experts of Northern New England and Canada. It is common for Arctic and Antarctic explorers to dispose of their dogs once their mission has been accomplished, but Chinook was taken to Antarctica by his master on an agreement with Commander Byrd that the animal was to be brought back if he sur vived. Two years ago in January, Chinook led Walden’s team to victory in the New England Sled Dog Club Derby when the team established an un official world’s record of 4 hours 1 min ute and 55 seconds for forty ■'miles of racing. In that race Chinook saved his own son, Koltag, one of the team, from being strangled to death. The dogs were resting overnight and in some manner Koltag became involv-ed-in his chain and was being stranded when Chinook swent the blankets off Walden. The latter awoke and released Koltag.