THE SCHROEDER EXPEDITION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 33, 13 June 1913, Page 5

THE SCHROEDER EXPEDITION.

PRIVATIONS IN THE ARCTIC. ißv Electric Telegraph—Copyright] [Lnixed Press Association.] Christiana, June 12. The survivors of the SchroederStranz expedition state that friction was rife from the outset. When the ship was frozen up in Spitsbergen the German members left the Norwegians aboard and pushed towards Moasel Bay. They soon broke into two parties, and Drs. Dettmers and Moesal apparently perished. The others, under Ritscher, were obliged to leave Terr Rava with Dr. Ruediger, who was frostbitten. The remainder went to Advent Bay for medical aid. They were delayed by terrible blizzards. Finally Eberhardt, Rotvold and Stenersen refused to continue, and determined to return to the ship.

Ritscher, with one dog, struggled on to Advent Bay. Ho lived on a handful. of barley daily for a week, and then had nothing. He arrived crawling on his hands and knees. Reudiger and Rave waited for seven weeks, having one meal daily of mildewed oats and salt meat. Their last shirt was used for bandages. They were forced to make a final effort to reach the ship. Ruediger’s foot was frozen and crumbling bit by bit. Rave constructed a mechanical hoot with a wood ski and fragments of leather and cloth, enabling Ruediger to totter along. Rave mad© a cake from the scraping of barrels of rotten flour and decayed meat.

After amputating the forepart of Ruediger’s left foot and part of his fingers Rave dragged -him to the ship.

Eherhardt, Stenersen and Rotvold met with terrible weather crossing Bijde Bay to Salmon Lake. Eherhardt complained of pains in his head, and said: “I cannot move.” Stenersen replied, “You must do all you can. It’s not far now.” They had no sleeping hags, and the three kept together for an hour. When Rotvold and Stenersen reached the top of a hill and looked hack, Eherhardt had disappeared.