DOGS BEAT PONIES

Hokitika Guardian, 28 November 1929, Page 2

DOGS BEAT PONIES

HARDY “HUSKIES” WITH BYRD’S

MEN. r *C, SLEEP — LITTIfff’AMERICA, Antarctica, _ t Ist October. Ho more efficient method df travel over the ice .and. snow of the Polar regions has *been found'tlian by the lse of dog teams, especially where extended journeys in moderate weather are undertaken and depots must be established.

Remarkaf)?d|foumeys 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.

Ft is generally conceded now that the English [methods of man-hauling or using ponies ,on long journeys were wrong, anduthat much of the suffering and tragedy of these heroic episodes might have been avoided if dogs had been usedi'-T

As a mlatter of fact, Sir Douglas Mawson, who stliis year will explore the coast 'of Antarctica in tbs Australian quadrant, used dogs ou his former eXpddition, and Sir Ernest Shackletoh also came to ihe conclusion after almost reaching the South Pole on a hard‘journey, duriqg which he lost all his ponies 1 ,' that dogs were the best means of transport, and he took them on his second expedition.

SLEEP OUT 50. DEGREES BELOW

ZERO.

When properly conditioned, dogs will / stand a good deal of exposure, although' at very low temperatures they become i 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 becdfhe covered more thickly with hair. , During the summer jojiiv neys, of cohrse, severe temperatures will if ever, be encountered. And as fof '.the work, the dogs, when V iri' good ’condition sderrt 1 to enjoy it. ; There! are’ieverdl-ways of harness-

ing dogs, f but, . the method used herb ;' is th : e Alaskan gang hitch. They are ' harnessed ,in pairs .on either side •of a long line, called the' gang line, 1 which, is' a,t'i;ached to the sledge. One ' dog' Wve)s:;at; the end' of tlib gang .line as. leader,, and it is to, him that ! .the drivers ..yell commands to' “Gee,” , meaning' to turn to the right, and “ Daw ” to, turn to the left. Dehind the leader these other dogs are fastened two by two on either side of the gqug hue.- Their shoulders fit into a collar from which a lead line runs, to theugang line in front to keep them froinj pulling too far out to the side. ii'.'r. :> ' ’ .

. From eitjier side of the collar traces supported by straps across the bqok

run back to a wooden spreader, over which the. .ends-,,0f .the traces extend, and fasten to a trace line attache J behind thg-jcjog.-tq the gang-line. ' ; ; i ' ’‘ The other dogs are similarly fasten-

so -when on the trail they run side fey side in pairs, the gang line snapping between them. They pull out from it .-slightly, as they throw all tfeeir 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 I rail, and when the geological party starts out nine dogs in each team will pull more than 1100 pounds, divided between two sledge-, fastened one behind tlm other.. The loads will become lighter as r.ti« party progresses, and after the hallway mark- is passed and the geological party begins to . lay down its own depots 1 , the weight will decrease rapidly. The supporting party will establish the depots to the half-way mark, and their loads will decrease after the first depot is parsed.

PEMMIGAN FOOD FOR THE j f ■■ ANIMALS.

The dogsOvill be fed on the trail on a pemmican compounded according to a formula developed by Dr. John E. S Malcolm, Professor of Dietetics Vat Otago University at Dunedin, New Zealand.

The pemmican was re-made there 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 so far as it' has' been used. It is packed in cakes whiefe are frozen, and so keep their shape. There will be five dog teams, each hauling two sledges. 'The load sledges will be of jjjL rigid .'’double-ended type developed fey Arthur Walden, Each of them ’hill 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 b;s cross chains, that the second always follows in the path of the first. Gee poles were used long ago 1n Alaska, never been used before in the Antarctic. They serve also during the march as supports on which to hang wet clothes, 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 raw hide 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 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 bbside the gee pole at the head of tire front sledge, moving from one side to the other to guide it as circumstance requires. When the trail is smooth and the dogs are running easily, the drivqr 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 BQO pounds, will be, on the (front and 300 on the rear sledge, This distribution 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 will carry two canvas tanks, as they are called, two boxes made of canvas *n 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 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, 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/ if the food, as has happened with disastrous results; 1 i