Crocker Land Expedition Correspondence 1917., 02/12/1917-05/26/1917

Contains correspondence relating to the Crocker Land Expedition. Includes the following - @ 1a. TLS 2/12/1917, to FG from George H. Sherwood as acting chairman of the committee in charge of the Crocker Land Expedition, 1 p. on official letterhead for the Crocker Land Expedition: "My dear Mr. Green, I am enclosing herewith copy of a letter that I have just received from Mr. Nyeboe which throws added light on the Crocker Land situation - although not of a very satisfactory character. It appears that the "Kap York" was unable to reach North Star Bay and I suppose that we must assume that one-half of our year's provisions were not delivered. This letter makes me feel more than ever that possibly we must send a third ship and I am taking immediate steps to canvass all available vessels..." @ 1b & 1c. Attached to Sherwood's letter (1a), 1 TL carbon and transcribed telegram from Mr. Nyeboe to Sherwood, dated 12/19/1916 & 1/17/1917 from Copenhagen: @ 1b. "Dear Sir, ...Our telegram of November 14th was confirmed by a letter which you evidently have not received, in which we informed you that Captain Pedersen from the motor boat "Kap York" (who has been at Kap York several times and was caught for 4 days in the ice last year but at a date early enough to get back again) explains that "Danmark" will most probably drift with the ice until the ice parts at a point which is very near Kap York. When the ice parts it will, in his opinion, be easy for "Danmark" to get to Knud Rasmussen's station Thule. It is very disappointing for all of us and especially for the families of the members of the Expedition, that ice conditions should be so bad this year. The above mentioned captain says that he never has seen anything like the ice he saw in August..." @ 1c. Copenhagen, January 17, 1917. American Museum of Natural History, New York. If you consider sending ship Etah propose cooperation - Will you obtain best offer for ship America South Greenland Etah America - Mining Company obtains best offer for ship Europe South Greenland Etah America - cheapest arrangement probably time charter - Cable answer to Nyboe, Nissen Chamber of Manufacturers. @ TL carbon, 3/2/1917, reply from FG to Sherwood (letter 1a). @ Newsletter signed by George H. Sherwood to "Relatives and Friends of the Crocker Land Expedition," dated 3/21/1917, 3 pp.: "The latest word which we have received from the members of the Crocker Land Expedition was Doctor Hovey's letter of July 10, 1916, which was brought out by the "Cluett" last September. A copy of this letter was sent to you at that time. In this letter Doctor Hovey stated that all the members of the expedition were well and that he was proceeding with Mr. Rasmussen from Parker Snow Bay to North Star Bay, there to await the arrival of the second relief ship which Mr. Rasmussen told him we were sending...the latest word of the "Danmark" was that she was in Melville Bay,...on August 20 1916, some 150 miles southeast of Cape York. Admiral Peary and others think that she probably reached North Star Bay at least and that our explorers are safely on board of her. Since no further word has been received, it is evident that the "Danmark" has been forced into winter quarters in the Arctic. We have information that owing to the ice condition of Melville Bay, Mr. Rasmussen's motor boat, the "Kap York" could not make Cape York and was compelled to return to Copenhagen. While the failure of the Danmark to bring back our explorers is a keen disappointment to all of us, we feel that grave anxiety need not be felt for their safety..." @ Report to the Executive Committee on the Status of the Crocker Land Expedition, dated 3/21/1917, 4 pp., typed copy, by George H. Sherwood: "There are six members of the Crocker Land Expedition, including Doctor E.O. Hovey, who are marooned somewhere in north Greenland and whose return must be accomplished this summer. The first relief ship, the George B. Cluett, sent north in 1915, was caught in the ice, broke her shaft and was forced into winter quarters in Parker Snow Bay, some 150 miles south of Etah, its northern objective. The disabling of the "Cluett" necessitated the sending of a second relief ship and the SS "Danmark" of the Greenland Mining Company was chartered for this purpose in the summer of 1916. The "Danmark has not returned and without doubt is frozen in north Greenland. She was last reported on August 20, 1916, in Melville Bay...Accordingly, Mr. Nyboe, president of the Greenland Mining Company, proposes to send his motor schooner, the "Kap York," to Greenland with supplies for his stations, as soon as navigation opens, and for the sum of $7,500 he offers to have his boat await news from our expedition..." @ TLS 3/30/1917, to FG from George Sherwood, 2 pp. on Crocker Land Expedition letterhead. Refers to preceding report originally enclosed with this letter: "My dear Mr. Green, I am enclosing herewith a copy of a report that I made to our Executive Committee in regard to the status of the Crocker Land Expedition, and I have now the necessary authorization to procure a third ship and despatch her to Etah this summer. My expectation is that we will charter one of the Newfoundland sealers of the "Neptune" or "Erik" type and we hope to send Bob Bartlett as captain of her. If we succeed in making these arrangements, I feel that we will have done everything that is possible to make certain the rescue of our friends...I was very glad to received your letter of March 2, and appreciated your willingness to go north again...Later, when we have secured a ship and our plans are more definite, I wish it might be possible for you to get leave of absence and come to New York in late April or early May to assist us in making the final arrangements, but with the crisis now facing the country, I presume that leave of absence for any officer is out of the question..." @ TL copy to George Sherwood from M.I. Nyeboe, 4/19/1917 from Copenhagen, re the status of ships, "Kap York" and "Danmark." @ TL carbon from FG to Sherwood, 5/5/1917 from USS "Texas," forwarding a list of supplies for relief of the Crocker Land Expedition. @ TLS 5/5/1917, to FG from Sherwood, 2 pp. on official expedition letterhead: "My dear Mr. Green, As you can well imagine, we are having the greatest difficulty in securing a suitable relief ship...We have secured the services of Captain Robert Bartlett as commander of the Relief Expedition..." @ Newsletter signed by Sherwood to the Relatives and Friends of the Crocker Land Expedition, dated 5/26/1917: "I am enclosing herewith clipping from the New York Times, which gives the plans for the relief of the members of the Crocker Land Expedition. The "Neptune" will leave Sydney about July 10, in command of Captain Robert A. Bartlett, and we expect her to return to Sydney with our friends within two months..."