DEATH OF AN ARCTIC EXPLORER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 48, 20 November 1907, Page 7

DEATH OF AN ARCTIC EXPLORER.

. SIR F. L. M'CLINTOCK. ORIGINATOR-' OF SI-EDGE-TIIAVEL. BY TBMUKArH-rVIIKSS. ASSOCIATION—COPTIUGHT. ■ London, November 18. Obituary: Admiral Sir i'Y L._ M'Clintock, age.il oighty-oight years. Sir Francis; Leopold M'Clintock, Arctic explorer, the discoverer of the fate of Sir Join) Franklin, wns. born' at'Dundalk in 1819. It was H'Clintack who developed and put in practice Uio'system of Arctic slritiße-li-nvelliiip: with dogs and men, which has-since achieved such grand results, and which, after, half a century, is only,now. being challenged, perlinps fntilolr, by Commander Slnckloton's motor-rar and Manc'hurian .ponies, .and'.by ..If. Androe's twice-foiled balloon. M'Clintook served liis apprenticeship to the ico under"tliat voternn explorer, Sir Jas. Ross. , He prepared his slodgc expeditions with "infinite forethought and consummate skill." and in the 'fifties wo find him away from his sliiii for 105 days ( a previously unheard of 'period) sledgiuß over 1.128 miles. M'Clintock'entered the Navy at tlie ago of twelve, and'spent some, fifteen or sixteen years on foreign service. The first-experience of Arctic t.ravol was Rained on IT.M.S. Enterprise, in an expedition despatched by the Admiralty in 1848, at the time when the greatest anxiety, was entertained concerning the fate of Sir John Franklin's expedition. In ISSO he served with a similar expedition, on H.M.S. Assistance, nnd in the summer of that year saw, at Cape K'iley, some traces of tho lost explorers. In the following spring ho made a'sledge journey of 7GO miles, nnd reached tho most westerly point then explored in tho In his roturn, in 1851, ho was promoted to the rank of commander, and in 1852 returned to the Arctic in command of . tho H.M.S. Intrepid, one of the five vessels in that year to continue the search for Franklin. This time ho was away for two years, in the course of which ho distinguished himself by another long sledge journey of exploration, nnd by tho discovery nntl l'csouo of a body of explorers who. under Captain M'Clure, had been missing for threr years. In 1R57, having"n'e'iv roacTipd: the rank of captain, he took command of the soaroli expedition oqnipped by Lady Franklin, and. in tho ship Fox, succeeded 'n discovering on the shore of King "William land n record of tho death of Sir John Franklin and tho fate of hie men and ships. For his eervioes in this connection, ho was knighted in 1859, and received the Freedom of the City of_ London, as well as marks of honour from various universities. Prom'lßsl)'to , 1865 ho was on foreign service, and from 1885 to ISRS wns commodore at Jamoica.i, .From 18R8 to IS7I (when he was promoted to' Rear-Admirnl) ho was n. nnvnl aidn-de-canip to Qunen Victoria; from 1872 to 1877 Admiral Superintendent of Portsmouth dockyard, , after which, reaching tho rank of Vice-Adniircil, ho sorvod as Gonimandor-in-Chief of the North American nnd West Indian station from 1879 to 18S2. In ISB4 ho retired us full admiral, and becrtmo an elder broHier of the Trinity Honso. In 18S7 ho was awarded a special pension ''fot'his sorvicos. and was created n K.C.n. in Ififll. Ho published, in 1859, his narrative of his search for Sir John Franklin, raider the title of "'Die Voyage of the Fox."