DOGS BEAT PONIES

Waipawa Mail, Volume LI, Issue 38, 13 December 1929, Page 1 (Supplement)

DOGS BEAT PONIES

! BYRD’S HARDY HUSKIES RESISTING EXTREME COLD. L* • -LE AMERICA, Antarctica, Oct. I. No more efficient method of travel aver the ice and snow of the Polar regions has been found than by the use of dog teams, especially where ex:ende I journeys in moderate weather an* undertaken and depots must bo established. Remarkable journeys have been made with dogs, including Peary’s journeys to the North Pole, Amundson's to the South Pole, and the long trip by Rasmussen across Arctic America. It is generally conceded now that the English methods of man-hauling or us ing pomes on long journeys were wrong, and that much of the suffering and tragedy of these heroic episodes might have been avoided if dogs had been used. As a matter of fact, Sir Douglas Aiawson, who this year will explore the coast of Antarctica in the Australian quadrant, used dogs on his former expedition, and Sir Ernest ShnckJeton also came to the conclusion after almost reaching the South Polo on a hard journey, during which he lost all his ponies, that dogs were the best, means of transport, and he took them on his second expedition. Fifty Degrees Below Zero. When properly conditioned, dogs will stand a good deal of exposure, although at very low temperatures they become exhausted, as will any ol hoi creature, ami wear out quickly. The dogs at Little America have slept outdoors in temperatures as low as 5!) below zero, and by this time seem to have developed marked resistance to

Their coats have increased in thickness, and even the pads of their feet have become covered more thickly with hair. During the sumcr journeys, of course, severe temperatures will seldom, if ever, be encountered And as for the work, the dogs, when in good condition seem to enjoy it There are several ways of harnessing dogs, but the method used here is the Alaskan gang hitch. They are harnessed in pairs on either side oT a long line, called the gang line, which is attached to the s'edge. One dog travels at the end of the gang line ns leafier, and it is to him that the drivers yell commands to “Gee,” meaning to turn f o th<* right, and “Haw’ I 'to turn to the left. Behind the leader these other dogs are fastened by two on either side of tin* gang line. Their shoulders fit into a collar from which a lead lino runs to the gang lino in front to keep their, from polling too far out to the side. From either side of the collar traces supported by straps across the back run to a wooden spreader, over which the ends of the traces extend, and fas ten to a trace line attached behind tin. fio<c to the gang line. The other dogs are similarly fastened, so that when on the trail they run side bv side in pairs, the gang line snapping between them. They pull out from i: slight Iv. as they throw all their weight on the traces They can in this wav haul astonish !v heavy loads; and seven or eight dogs frequently hauled more than f, ton last year while freighting from the ship to the base. That, of course, is too much for the trail, and when the

geological party starts out nine dogs in each team will pull more than 1100 Mounds, divided between two sledges, fastened one behind the other The loads will become lighter as the party progresses, and after the half-way mark is passed and the geological party begins to lav down its own depots, the weight will decrease rapidly. The supporting party will establish tin* depots to the half-wav mark, and their loads will decrease after the first depot is passed. Food For The Animals. The dogs will be fed on the trail on a peminican compound according 1o a formula developed by Dr John E S. Malcolm, Professor of Dietics at Otago University New Zealand. The peminican was re-made then* in the plant of Hudson Brothers by volunteer workmen of the plant who laboured all night after their regular work, and also on the Sunday before departure so as to have the dog food ready in time It has proved successful «o far as it has been used It is packml in cakes and so keep their shape. There will lie five dog teams, each hauling two sledges. The load sledges will be of a rigid double-edged tvpo developed by Arthur Walden. Each of them will have two gee poles, long poles extending upward from tin* front of the sledge at an angle of about 40 degrees on which the drive can throw his weight and s 0 turn the sledge and guide it. around obstacles. The sledges arc fastened together by cross chains, so that the first always follows in the path of the second. Gee poles were used long ago in Alaska, but have never been used before in the Antarctic. They serve also during the march as supports on which to hand wet gloves, socks, and other articles of clothing to dry. The railing sledges are of flexible construction, of Norwegian tvpo. Three op them are single-ended Norwegian army sledges, which have Imon lightened by cutting the superfluous Avood and relashed with raw-liide by Burnt Balehen and Sverve Strom. The two other trailing sledges v-ere made by Balehen and Strom, out with knives out of ash and hickory. The minors are hickory and ho top part i of ash.

These sledges are beautiful ex:*.i. les of a eraltmanship which goes bac’ to the early days of the Norsemen. They weigh about 56 pounds, and will carry

more than half a ton each and are so 'flexible that they Avill bend and twist without breaking in going over rough surface. They are lashed with rawhide. Food Packed In Canvas Tanks. The driver runs on skis or oruyoot beside the gee pole at the head er the front sledge, moving from one side to the other to guide it as circumstance requires. When the rail is smooth and the dogs are running easily, the driver can lean on the gee pole and coast along on his skis, relieving himself of much of the fatigue of keeping up with the team. The loads are distributed between the two sledges so that the heaviest load,of about 80U pounds, will be on the froiY' and 300 on the rear sledge. This bution of the load increases the 'factor of safety in going over snowbridged crevasses. The sledges are long, so as to spread the load over as much surface as possible. Each of the rigid leading sledges \vih carry two canvas tanks, as they arc called, two boxes made of canvas/ in which will be packed securely the dog and man food. The dog food is in cakes and the man food in packages, so that the forward tanks will be trim rectangular boxes. The tanks are secured on the bottom t<> the sledge, so that lashing is reduced to a minimum, Bleeping bags are lashed ou l oil The rear sledges will carry a single canvas tank in which other supplies and equipment are carried This method of packing supplies makes a neat and secure load, and one which can be opened easily and lashed quickly in making and breaking camp. The tanks also keep out snow and make the load so compact that nothing is likely to be lost if a sledge is tipped over or slides over the edge of a crevasse, ami has to be hauled to the • tir-

Thc food and supplies arc also distributed among the five sledge teams in such a way that the loss of a sledge would not cause the loss of most of the food, as has happened with disastrous results. ________