POLAR EXPEDITION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13859, 23 March 1907, Page 9

POLAR EXPEDITION.

A SCHOONER. FROZEN UP. Pr«ss Association—By • Telegraph—Copyright. NEW YORK, March 21. The schooner Duchess nf Bedford, belonging to Mr Einar Mikkclscn's AngjoAmerican polar expedition, is frozen up 200 miles off Port Barrow, Alaska. Preparations are being completed 'to explore the unknown country to the north. Tho indications are that there is one largo island near the mainland. The Anglo-American expedition, led by Mr Einar Nikkelsen, started for two or three years' work in J lie Arctic regions on May 20, 1906. Adverse conditions hindered progress, ihe vessel only reaching Por! liarrow 011 August IS. There-are several other expeditions at work in tho Arctic regions at the present time. The life of an explorer who seeks to push his way to (lie North or South Pole is beset with many dangers and difficulties. Tho members of tho Belgian Antarctic exploration party had to cut a canal through the ico to liberate their ship, ihe Belgica—from an imprisonment of 11£ months. The ship was tinnly fixed at about PCOOft from tho shore line. The ico between her and the edge was sft, Illicit in its feeblest places, and 25ft in the thickest. Tho explorers had hoped that, the summer heat would release them, but, 'the summer months passed, and the ship was as much a prisoner as ever. On board was 11, great, quantity of tonite, an explosive of tho gunpowder ulass. said to be more powerful than dynamite. An attempt- was made to blast the ice away to form a channel, but tho low temperature. had so allectcil it that it simply burst without exploding. At last, when Iho situation was getting desperate, a determined and successful attempt was made to saw out a canal. O(fieere and men—l 6in all—set to work with eaws, axes, and shovels, and by working in three shifts of eight hours each they were successful in freeing their ship.