106 ARCTIC PROFILES

Per Schei (1875- 1905)

Per Schei (1875-1905). Photo donated by and published with permissionof Jacob Schei and family, Trondheim, Norway.

Per Schei, Norwegian geologist and explorer, died a young laboratory; andin 1897 hemarried Inga Jgrgine Ulve, the man.From 1898 to 1902, as amember of Captain Otto daughter of a ship’s captain, and they had a son. However, Sverdrup’s second expedition in Fram,the Schei made his mark Schei also met his portion of misfortune:an illness left him with on the geological understanding of a vast region of theeastern a stiff knee- hardly an attribute for a future arctic explorer. CanadianHigh Arctic. Schei diedbefore he could write a In 1897-1898, Otto Sverdrup was organising ascientific detailed report for publication, but by the time of his death, his corps for the second expedition in Fridtjof Nansen’s polarship, status as a talented scientist and outstandingexpedition man was the Fram. Schei applied for the post ofgeologist and, despite his established. slight physicaldisabilities (he wasalso short-sighted), impressed Peder ElisleusSchei was born on16 February 1875 in SnHsa, Sverdrup so much that he was taken on. The choice was a a part of the Trondheim district. The son of afarmer, he spent shrewd one; in all respects Schei proved his full worth to the many years of his childhood in the familyof his uncle, a parish expedition, not only for the successful executionof his scientific vicar. Schei attended high school in Copenhagen, and in 1892 responsibilities, but also for his participation in the long sledge he passed his final examination withdistinction. Schei showed journeys that led to the expedition’s spectacular geographic an early enthusiasmfor the naturalsciences, and after schooling discoveries. in Denmark he returned to Norway to study geology at the In collaboration with Nansen, Sverdruphad decided exploreto University of Kristiania (now Oslo). He graduated in mineral- northernmost Greenland, and possibly to circumnavigate the ogy and geology early in 1898 with first class honours. subcontinent. Using the so-called Smith Sound route, Sverdrup Two noteworthyevents occurred prior to graduation: Schei’s was to direct Frum up the narrowchannels separating Greenland promising ability, recognised by his tutors, earned him a posi- and Ellesmere Island and winter in Greenland as far north as tion as university amanuensis (lecturer) in the metallurgical possible. These channels, now known as Nares Strait, had been ARCTIC PROFILES 107

explored by British and Americanexpeditions since the 1850s. University of Kristiania’s mineralogical institute. The govern- Sledge parties from Fram were to delimit the northern part of ment, in recognition of his contribution to the scientific program Greenland and to reach as far south down the east coast as of the expedition, awarded Schei an extra gratuity of 4000 kr. possible. There was to be, as Sverdrup remarked, “no question In May 1903 Sverdrup and Schei were honoured ata meeting

of trying to reach the Pole. ” of the Royal Geographical Society in London. Schei’s summary However, the Norwegian thrust north inthe summer of 1898 geological account was read to the society, as was Sverdrup’s was stopped by unfavourable ice conditions in Kane Basin. address, by the president, Sir Clements Markham. Fram had to winter off theEllesmere Island coast south of 79”N, Schei’s preliminary accounts appeared in 1903 inseveral some 700 km from unexploredparts of the Greenland coast and, languages, and these papers, although only a few pages each, as it happened, only a short distance south of Robert Peary’s were regarded by his contemporaries as forming some of the winter quarters in the Windward. Peary was also enroute to the most important contributions ever madeto arctic geology. North. Another attempt the following summer tonegotiate Kane Aware of themammoth task of dealing with the extensive Basin was thwarted by ice, and following this Sverdrup sailed collections, Schei induced a number of specialists in Europe to Fram southward and westward into Jones Sound to spend the identify and systematically describe the fossil assemblages. next three winters in southern Ellesmere Island. This was a Only one treatise appeared in Schei’s lifetime, but by 1917 ten fortunate decision: it ledto the discovery and charting of “New geological reports hadbeen completed, and Professor Olav Land” west of Ellesmere Island. Up north, it wasleft to Peary to Holtedahl concluded the four-volume work with a summary prove the insularity of Greenland, in 1900. Actually, not until report based onSchei’s diaries. One can only wonder how much the summer of 1900 did Sverdrup give up the plan of following greater Schei’s contribution to arctic geology would have been Nares Strait, and when he did the main consideration was the had he lived. fervent interest generated during the first twoyears by the Professor W.C. Brogger noted Schei’s decline in health early geographical and geological discoveries. Sverdrup concluded in 1905. Later that year, Brogger wrote that“he was seized with that his duty was ‘‘to go through with what he hadbegun”; there a severe illness and after a long suffering the promising career of would be noforfeiting a thorough exploration of “New Land” this amiable and talented scientist came [to] a close on 1st for another summer in the tormenting ice of Kane Basin. November, 1905. ” Schei died of dropsy, a result of kidney Schei took toexpedition life quickly but notwithout mishap. malfunction that was thought theat time to be related to the four After an episode of frostbite during early sledging on Bache strenuous years in the far North. Peninsula, which necessitated amputation of several toes on Schei’s name isfirmly established in the literature and legend each foot, Schei developed into one of the most skillful of the Canadian High Arctic: Schei Peninsula (Axel Heiberg dogsledge handlers and hunters on the expedition. His courage Island), Schei Point (Ellesmere Island), the Schei Point Group and dedication could not beoverwhelmed by such small disabil- (shale, siltstone and sandstone beds of Triassic age), and the ities as a stiff leg, lost toes, and short-sightedness. Sverdrup Schei syncline (a large fold structure of southern Ellesmere liked him as a travel companion, with perhaps one misgiving - Island). Schei can be credited with makingthe most impressive Schei did not smoke! contribution by a single person to the geological understanding Sverdrup’s well-organized and coordinated team work pro- of the Arctic Islands prior to the advent of aircraft. duced results unsurpassed in arctic exploration; the group of islands now namedthe Sverdrup Islands -Axel Heiberg, Ellef and Amund Ringnes, King Christian, and smaller islands - were discovered and mapped, and the entire western coast of FURTHER READINGS Ellesmere Islandand much of northernDevon Island were Brogger, W.C.,eral. 1904-17. ReportoftheSecondNorwegianArcticExpedi- charted. Schei participated in some of the longest and most tion in the ‘Fram’ 1898-1902. Kristiania: Videnskabs-Selskabet.4 vols. arduous sledge journeys, for example a trip with Sverdrup, Fairley, T.C., ed. 1959. Sverdrup’s Arctic Adventures. London: Longmans. during the final sledging campaign of 1902, northwardup Sverdrup, 0. 1903. The Second Norwegian Polar Expedition in the ‘Fram’, 1898-1902. Geogr. J. 22:56-65. Summary of geological results by P. Schei. Nansen Sound to reach the Arctic Ocean and the northwestern -. 1904. New Land:Four years inthe Arcticregions. London: Longmans, tip of Ellesmere Island. They discovered coal measuresat Green and Co. 2 vols. Appendix by P. Schei, vol. 2:455-466. Stenkul Fiord (Ellesmere Island) and determined that Axel Heiberg is an island. Schei identified the volcanic rocks at Sorte Vaeg (Svartevaeg on the expedition charts; both names meaning “black wall”). (The dark cliffs have been named Svartevaeg Peter R. Dawes Cliffs on Canadian maps.) Sverdrup and Schei returned to the Geological Survey of Greenland 0ster Voldgade 10 ship on 16 June 1902, only weeks before Fram was finally released from her winter berth, ready for the voyage home. DK-1350 Copenhagen K Denmark Thegeographic and scientificadvances achieved by Sverdrup’s expedition rank it as one of the most successful in the and history of arctic exploration, and Schei returned with a rich Robert L. Christie geological and paleontological collection from a hitherto Geological Survey of Canada unknown region. In 1902 the expedition committee elected him 3303 - 33rd Street N.W. as chief scientific editor for the proposed official reports, and in Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7 1903 hetook up a coveted amanuensis appointment at the Canada