NORTH EASTERN PASSAGE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 20 February 1913, Page 5

NORTH EASTERN PASSAGE

PLIGHT OF GERMAN EXPLORERS. ANOTHER RELIeITexPEI>ITION. i Frkss Association. Cc*yuight.) (Rec Feb. 20, 9.4 oa.m. ) Captain Isachseii, a Norwegian, commands the expedition tc.relieve Schroder-Stranz. Reindeer instead, ol dogs will be used. It will be three weeks, before the ship reaches Spitzbeigert. (The German Press published on Jan 7th wireless messages, received «t. iiSnia from the Norwegian station on Stoitzbei-en, which, gave n, graphic account of the plight of the .<>rnian exX" n who started for Spitsbergen last August This expedition was organised mßeparation for the great expedition whi?h, according to present plans »to endeavour to make the^Noi-th-East _ pas sage under the leadership of L Schroder-Stranz in June of this yeaK The explorers went north in the ship Herzog Ernst, a two-master of 61 tons, under the command of Captain -Rachel, and the last- news of them hitherto was , brought home by an excursion steamer of the Hamburg-Amenka Line, tne Victoria Louise, which met the vessel a* the end of August. tmd WW ™ with fresh provisions and di-injcmg, w a ter The latest news consists of a stoiy told to two men of Advent Bay a point on th e eastern shore of the icefjoidin West Spitzbergen -by Captain Ritsehel who tot therein December 27 after.suffering great hardship and being separated from bis cdnpamons . Ca *Js? Ritschel said that the expedition only had provisions for- one month at the most, and that most of the party were, he feared, in the last stag*, of scurvy The expedition had.split up into several <V-ta,cltments, his; own companions he had been compelled to leave behind exhausted with cold and hunger on Bay. where thev were :P roba . now quite without provisions He had Yn*n his last fallow candje at Cape Thordsen, and, pressinsr on across the ice fiord, he had twice fallen through the ice to he rescued only by his dog, and had had to leave his snow shoes and,his .revolver behind. When .Captain Ritschel arrived at Advent Bay his clothes had to he cut off his body, and all lus toes had' to be amputated. • The eables. this week us that the previous relief expedition had J failed to relieve'the explorers.)