ANTARCTIC TRAVEL

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 134, 3 December 1929, Page 11

ANTARCTIC TRAVEL

DOGS BEAT FONIES

"HUSKIES" WITH BYRvO'S MEN

(By Russell Owen. —Copyright by Syd--uey "Sun" and New York "Tiattes.") LITTLE AMERICA, ANTARCTICA, Ist October. No more efficient method of travel over the ice and snow of tl ie Polar regions has been found then i by the use of dog teams, especially" where extended journeyß in moderate weather are undertaken anct depots must be established. Remarkable journeys have been made with dogs, including Peary's \ journeys to the North Pole, Amundsen'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 using ponies 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 Mawson, who this year will explore the coast of Antarctica in the Australian quadrant, used dogs on his former expedition, and Sir Ernest Shackleton also camo to the conclusion after almost reaching the South Pole on a hard journey, during which he lost all his ponieß, that dogs were the best means of transport, and he took them on his second expedition. SLEEP OUT 50 DEGEEES BELOW ZERO. When properly conditioned, dogs will stand a good deal of exposure, although at very low temperatures they become exhausted, as will any other creature, and wear out quickly. The dogs at Little America have slept outdoors in temperatures as low as 50 below zero, and by this time seem to have developed marked resistance to cold.

Their coats have increased in thickness, and even the pads of their feet have become covered more thickly with hair, During the summer 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 of a long line, called the gang line, which is attached to the sledge. One dog travels at the end of the gang line as leader, and it is to him that the drivers yell commands to "Gee," meaning to turn to the right, and "Haw" to turn to the left.

Behind the leader these other dogs are fastened two by two on either side of the gang Hue. Their shoulders fit into a collar from which a lead Hue runs to the gang line in front to keep them from pulling too far out to the side. From either side of the collar traces supported by straps across the back run back to a wooden spreader, over which the ends of- the traces extend, and fasten to a trace line attached behind the dog to the gang Hue. The other dogs are similarly fastened, so that when on the trail'thcy run side by side in pairs, the gang line snapping between them. They pull out from it slightly, as they throw all their weight on the traces. They can in this way haul astonishingly heavy loads; and seven or eight dogs frequently hauled more than a 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 niue dogs in each team will pull more than 1100 pounds, 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 lay down its own depots, the weight will decrease rapidly. The supporting party will establish the depots to the half-way mark, nncl their loads will decrease after the first depot is passed. PEMMICAN FOOD FOB THE ANIMALS. The dogs will be fed on the trail on a pemmican compounded according to a formula develoged by Dr. John E. S.

Malcolm', Professor of Dietetics at Otago University at Dunedin, New Zealand.

The pemmiuan was re-made there in tho plant of Hudson Brothers by volunteer workmen of the plant, who laboured all night after their regular work, and also on tho Sunday before departure, so as to have the dog food ready in time. It has proved successful so far as it has been used. It is packed in cakes which aro frozen, and so keep their shape. There will be five dog teams, each hauling two sledges. The load sledges will be of a rigid double-ended type developed by Arthur Walden. Each of them will have two gee poles, long poles extending upward from the front of the sledge at an angle of about 40 degrees, on which the driver can throw his weight and so turn the sledge and guide it around obstacles. The sledges are fastened together by cross chains, so that the first always follows in tho 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 hang wet gloves, socks, and other articles of clothing to dry. The trailing sledges are of flexible construction, of Norwegian type. Three of them are single-ended Norwegian army sledges, which have | been lightened by cutting the superfluous wood and relashed with rawhide by Bernt Balchen and Sverre Strom.

The two other trailing sledges were made by Balchen and Strom, cut with knives out of ash and hickory. The runners are hickory and the top part is of ash.

These sledges are beautiful examples of a craftsmanship which goes back 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 will 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 on foot beside the gee pole at the head of the front sledge, moving from one aide to the other to guide it as circumstance requires. When the trail 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 800 pounds, will be on the front and 300 on the rear sledge. This distribution of th 9 load increases the factor of safety in going over snow-bridged crevasses. The sledges are long, so as to spread the load over as much surface" as possible. Each of the rigid leading sledges will carry two canvas tanks, as they are 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 to the sledge, so that lashing is reduced to a minimum. Sleeping bags are lashed on top. The rear sledges will carry a single canvas tank, in which other supplies and equipment are carried.

This method of packing 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 hkely, to be lost if a sledge is tipped over or slides over the edge of a crevasse, and has to be hauled to the surface.

.The food and supplies are 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.

t Copyrighted 1928 by 'New York Times" Company and "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" All a' un publlcatlon "served throughout