ARCTIC EXPLORERS' FATE.
FAHJJRE TO FIND GERMAN RARTY..' ' PERffi OF STARVATION. The news or the failure of the Norwegian relief party to.reach' the Schrooder-, Stranz expedition at Spitsbergen has redoubled anxiety aa to'the'fate of the German explorers. lu addition to the Berlin committee, a rescue committee has been formed at Erankfort, under, the presidency of Count Zeppelin, to organise another expedition with all possible speed. Count Zeppelin himself has contributed a considerable sum. The committee makes a general appeal for funds for the new expedition, which will bo under German command, but will sail from Norway aboard a Norwegian ship. . Plonesr Party in Peril.
Tho Schroeder-Stranz expedition was organised in preparation for the groat expedition which, according to present plane, is to endeavour to make the North-East Passage, under the leadership of laeutcnant Schrooder-Stranz,- next June. It is intended to occupy throe, or, perhaps, four years, in tho journey, which would 'j end in the Pacific Ocean. The expedition ! has the support of a number of royal, personages as well as of those high in the scientific and political worlds. Tho Berlin Museum is supplying the scientific equipment, and a staff of prominont scientists will accompany the expedition. The pioneer explorers went north in the ship Herzog Ernst, a two-masted vessel of 61 tons, under the command of Captain Ritachel. Their troubles began, early, and they had to be supplied willjL fresh provisions and drinking water by%n excursion steamer of the Httmburg-A,merika ( line, the Victoria Louiso, which mot the Herzog Ernst at the mid of last August. News By Wireless.
At the beginning of January wireless messages wero rocoived at Chriswania from the Norwegian etatioa.on Spitzbergen, giving a graphic account of tho plight of the German exploreriM It was a story told to: two men of Advent Bay, a point on the eastern shore; of the ice fjord in ■ West Spitssbergen, by Captain Ritschel, who got thera on December 27, after, suffering great hardabip and being separated from has companions. Captain Kitschel said that tho expedition only had provisions for one month at the most, and that-the majority of tho party wore, he feared, in the last stages of scurvy. The expedition had split up into ; several detachments, and bis own cempanions he had been to leave behind,' exhausted with cold and hanger, where they were .probably quite without provisions. The captain stated that,be had eaten his last talloW candle at Cape Thordsen, and thotj pressing on across the ice,; he had twice fallen tKroughv to bo rescued by his dogi.and bad had to leave bis suowi and his revolver behind. When •Captain Ritschel arrived at Advent Bay ! bis clotlies had to be cut,off bis body; and | all his toes, which bad been. frost-bitten, I bad to be amputated. It was then stated I that a' relief expedition was..-to start immediately from Advent Bay, where the Norwegian wiifoless itiation was providing tents and dogs and all that was necessary. The latest telegram records the failure of the relief party, -but other efforts are in progress to get to Wijde Bay, where the survivors of the expedition are sup-. posed:to-be. ■'; ■ ''■'-'::' : :
ARCTIC EXPLORERS' FATE.
New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15269, 5 April 1913, Page 2 (Supplement)
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