SIEGE OF THE SOUTH POLE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1088, 29 March 1911, Page 8

SIEGE OF THE SOUTH POLE.

CAPT. SCOTT'S EXPEDITION. RIVALS MEET, NORWEGIANS IN WINTER QUARTERS BATTLING WITH GALE AND PACK ICE. Yesterday morning the following additional official details regarding Captain ScottV Antarctic expedition camo to hand through the medium of the Press Association:— - ' On' January 25 the ship proceeded east, surveying the ico barrier to 170 west. The barrier to this point appeared to have changed littlo sinco the expedition of 1902: A sonth-casterly galo forced us to head for Capo Colbcek, where we arrived Dn February 2. Heavy pack ice now stopped progress east','and as a high ico cliff prevented tho eastern' party landing in tho vicinity of 2ape. Colbeck, the vessel returned along tho barrier searching for a landing. No place, however, was found until the Bay of Whales Was reached, IG3 west. Hero we discovered that Balloon Bight had broken away, and had becomo entirely merged, in the Bay of Whales. The Fram. It was February -J when wo reached the Bay of "Whales, and thero wo found , the .Tram, with Captain Amundsen's expedition, wintering. 'l'here were eight men,' with 116 Greenland dogs and a full equipment for a journey to the Pole. A hut had been erected and stores landed, two miles from the ship. Captain .' Amundsen reported that the health of his party was excellent. It is ;intended that the I'ram shall proceed to Buenos Ayres, ;in South America, and return the following -season to embark Amundsen. < The Terra Nova left M'Murdo Sound, where we found a message at the Discov- ! ery hut depot, "All.Well." Stormy Weather. Proceeding north, we encountered a heavy southerly- gale off Capo Adare, and were blown over iOO miles north. Ultimately we made land east of Smith's Inlet, and- followed' the coast .for > a distance of two miles to Robertson's Bay. Landing was impossible, owing to the precipitous and heavily glaciated coast. . The : eastern party wintering.' at Cope Adare, this, ship proceeded, to explore east . of Cape' North, finding no pack ice south of Balleny Islands, in 118.40 deg. Strong winds were encountered till February 22, when mountainous land was dis(juvered in about .69.50 long., 163.20 ' Hampered by clouds antl foggy weather, : we, were forced away from the land and heavy pack, but found the coastline again in 69.20 long., 159 cast, on February 25. Heavy Pack Ice. ;; • Being caught in exceptionally heavy pack ice, wo wcro unable to approach .nearer to land than' twelve miles,' but we . were released next day by.tlie wind shifting. This enabled us to follow the coastline 'north-westward' for thirty: miles, but still wo wdre.l-unable tO'Hippr.oach closer than ten mile?, .pwing ..pack. Tho.whole of Ihe coast__was hilly, and 1 there were numerous.glaciers. The land was mostly, obscured by low clouds the whole time. , For the reasons' stated, the ship was prevented from getting further-west than 68.30' long., 15.15 east, and was forced eastward, skirting, the pack till in the . vicinity of the Baflenys. Frequently' we were stopped entirely by the. pack—on one occasion for as long as throe days." Finally we cleared the pack on March 8, in 04.23 long.,- 161.39. deg., • east. During the .voyage many interesting soundings were taken. The biologists also obtained excellent trawls up to 200 fathoms." ' Tho health of all on board is excel-, tent. ,

THE NEWS IN LONDON.

GREAT SENSATION. j article" by SIR E. SHACKLETON. I (Rec.. March 29, 0.50 a.m.) i London, Marcli 28. j Captain Scott's message from Stewart , Island created a great sensation in Lon- 1 don owing to the'presence of, Captain i 'Amundsen in the Bay of "Whales, and 1 also because Captain Scott established liis . second party at Cape Adare. Sir E. Shackleton, in u special article in tho "Daily Mail," congratulates CafS tain Scott on successfully landing the ma- ; ! jor portion o£ his equipment and stores ! at tho base best suited for a dash to the f Pole. This is Cape Evans, fourteen miles north of the Discovery's winter quarters, . and eight niiles south of Cape 'Royds, which was Sir E. Shackleton's base.' OR, MAWSON INTERVIEWED. AN INTERESTING STATEMENT. (Rec. March 20, 1.17 a.m.) • London, .March 28. Dr. Mawson, of Australia, who is making preparations for an Antarctic expedition, stated in an interview that it was practically arranged in'l9lo that he should accompany Captain Scott, but lie was unable to join unless ho was landed with a party at Cape Adarel'or magnetic work on the northern coast. After mature consideration Captain Scott decided that it v.-oSld be impossible, at anyrato during Iho first year.

AMUNDSEN'S EXPEDITION. |

VOYAGE OF THE FRAM. WHY THE PLANS "WERE ENLARGED. On October IS, 1010, a cablegram from London announced that Captain Koala Amundsen, commandci\ of the xram, had written from Madeira stating that the vessel was bound onu secret .Antarctic expedition. This was the first mention of any intention ou the part of Captain •Vmundsen to explore in tho Antarctic. He had hitherto stated that his object was tho scientific examination-of the In orth Polar basin, and with this end in'view ho proposed to spend five years in tho Arctic, drifting over tho basin as the Fram, with Nan o cu in command, did in 1893-96. Nothing further was hoard regarding the proposals of Captain Amundsen, nor of the whereabouts of- his ship, the. Pram, fl-iti'l November 23, 1910, when Lieutenant Gran, of the Terra Nova, received a file of Norwegian newspapers, which contained tho announcement that Captain Amundsen had,decided to becomo a competitor in tho raco.for the-South Polo. Lieutenant Gran gave a reporter a translation of an article headed, "Via the South Pole to the North- Pole,"; which was a copy of a letter sent by Captain lioald Amundsen to King Haakon, and to the Norwegian Geographical Society, Lieutenant Gran explained that the Fram. which had left Christiania about the middle.of August, had arrived at Madeira on September C, and had left' : a"ain tho same night. Captain Amnnd- : sen, during his brief stay at Madeira, hod written- letters to Christiania announcing the change or the enlargement of his plans, which had been jeceivetl villi much astonishment, . |

Captain Amundsen's Plans. In-tho courso of his letters, Captain Amundsen said: j "From Madeira the. Fram sees to the Antarctic to competo in the raco for the Sohth Pole. This will, as a matter of course, seem to many people at the first, view to deviato all through from my first plans, but this is not>o. It is only an enlargement of the plan aud scope of the expedition, aud not at all an alteration. Without doubt tho third Fram expedition was planned as an expedition of science, and I said myself at tho Norwegian Geographical Society's meeting in 190S that tho aim of tho expedition was not a hunting for records, but for exploration of, tho North Polar basin; but when f published my plan the North T'olo had not been reached, and the possibility that tho third Fram expedition, in spito of its scientific aims, could roach this geographical spot, which for centuries has been /he object for competition amongst the nations, would be aif incentive to many people to give financial, as well as material, assistance; but by the news that tho North Pole had been reached, I at once understood that tho necessary money could not bo got in the ordinary wav. Something had to be done which would attract the public interest. I. had not very much to choose. When the North Pole had been reached only one problem was left which could awake the public interest, and that was the South Pole. Thus I resolved to enlarge the- plan, and take part in tho siege of the South Pole." Captain Amundsen then proceeds to elaborato his. amended plans, and goes on to say;' "From Madeira, the Fram will go south, but to which place in the Antarctic I cannot say. .Some of the members of the expedition will bo landed with : dogs, sledges, stores, and equipment, and -then the Fram will go out from the ice again in order to survey the ocean in those latitudes. The Fram will first call at Punta Arenas, in the Strait of Magellan, . from .which- place the first news about the work and further plans of the expedition will bo announced. After that the Fram will proceed to Buenos Ayres, where she will probably arrive in June,. 1911, but if tho ship should not arrive at Punta . Arenas, there Will be no reason for anxiety, because I then will have found it necessary to keep the ship to winter in the Antarctic. In February .or March,- 1912, the world may reckon to hear "from us again.- Wo Will then continue on to San Francisco, where preparations for the North Pole expedition will be . carried out-as previously arranged." i Comments by Captain Scott. Commenting on the abovo statement, Captain Scott remarked:—"lt appears to me that .Captain Amundsen intends going more or lsss directly south from South America, that is, either to the east or west -of Graham's.' Land. There lvavo been' rumours that he was proceeding -to M'Murdo Sound, but I think that that is highly improbable. It is more likely that Amundsen considers th'o Wcddel. Sea, - east of Graham's Land, the best •point of attack. It is known that a ship can get to' comparatively high latitude in Weddel Sea, but 110 landing lias ever been attempted there, nor has any place been, yet found where a ship may winter. However, it is not unlikely that search may . reveal a snitablo landing place or wintering station. One can only conjecture the conditions, but in comparing the prospects of an-attack on the Pole from Weddel and-Ross.Seas our present knowledge indicates that, a sledge party from the former would have a longer and smoother journey, whilst our own party from -Ross'Sea will liavo a shorter, though rougher, route to travel. This comparison is based on the assumption that there is a more or less gradual declivity from tho. high altitude of the Pole to the shores of Wcddel Sea. Any attempt to reach tlie Polo from this quarter cannot. but be exceedingly interesting and instructive. It has heen suggested that Amundsen's action is a i breach of etiquette, in view of our known plans, but that is not at-all 'the proper, view. There is.no reason whatwhy Jie should , not attempt to reach the Pole from any quarter exeeDt that .for,, which wo are known to ba bejund. Personally, I should welcome friendly competition, which could only lead to a :better• knowledge of the Antarctic Continent."

CAPTAIN SCOTT'S TASK. i ' ' ': ,

A GOOD CHANCE OF SUCCESS. WHAT OTHER' EXPLORERS HAVE DONE. In an interesting article regarding faptaii) Scott's expedition, the "Morning Post" stated:' No concealment has been made of the fact that the primary .object which the expedition has in view is the attainment of tlie South Pole. Captain Scott's chances of realising this ambition are vastly better than when he sailou in 1901 on board the Discovery. Then, the exploration of the South Polar regions had been practically at a standstill, so far ns the extension of knowledge southwards was concerncd, for close on sixty years. There had been additions to knowledge of tho lands and seas that projcct northwards from the Antarctic Circle towards Capo Horn; largely increased stores of scientific data had been accumulated; and, at the closo of the. nineteenth century, the Newnes-Borchgrevink expedition had improved by a few miles on the record established by Sir Jamos Clark Ross in tho Ross Sea in 1812. But the Ross Sea and the Weddel Sea, on the opposite sides of tho Antarctic area, remained the only two regions in which explorers, had penetrated any considerable distance within the Antarctic Circle, and the farthest point reached oh Ross's Great Ice Barrier was nearly eight hundred miles from the Pole. Elsewhere no one has'advanced within eleven hundred miles of the Pole, that being AVcddell's record to the south of the Atlantic Ocean in 1823. Very different, as regards tho prospects of reaching the role, are the conditions at the'present day. Captain Scott himself can claim a largo share of the credit »for the change. As leader of the National Antarctic expedition of 1801-t ho lessened the distance between Ross's farthest south and the South Polo by close on three hundred miles. He showed that the mountain6us coast of South Victoria Land stretches southwards far beyond Ross Island, which marks, the northern limits of the Great Ice Barrier, while by his great journey westward ho showed that behind the mountainous coastline there lies a high plateau region of vast extent.

Prospects of Success. The assault delivered on the defences of the South Polo by Captain Scott was renewed in 1908, and all but carried to a completely successful issue by Sir Ernest Shackleton. At his farthest, point. Captain Scott still remained five hundred and forty miles from tho Pole: Sir Ernest Shackleton reduced the distance ' by well over four hundred miles. His rerccord southing, in latitudo 88 degrees 23min. south, is only 113 statute miles from the Pole. It is this last stage which Captain Scott is anxious to cover so as to complete tho conquest of tho South Polo. Tho outer ramparts have teen captured and soino of the inner defences, but cho central citadel has still to ho carried. The advance to be made on Sir Ernest Shackleton's record, if the new expedition is to reach the South Pole, seoms short compared with the great advances made during tho last dccade. But. before the final stage can be commenced Captain Scott has first to establish himself in winter quarters at the north-wes-tern corner of tho Great Ice Barrier; then to advance in tho following'spring over the Barrier, beyond his own record, to tho foot of the great glacier up which Sir Ernest Shackleton mado his way; next to make the ascent to the high plateau region beyond, rising to a height of over 10,000 ft. above sea level;, and finally to traverse this plateau region, cxposecf ro some'of'tho severest climatic conditions to bo found anywhero on the' face of the globe, as far as Sir Ernest Shackleton's most southerly point; after which there will still bo more than a hundred miles of the same sort of- travelling beforo tho Polo itself will bo reached. This bald summary of tho task beforo the explorers i will show that success can by no means be regarded as assured. Sir Ernest Shackleton pushed on in 1908-9 to the limit of human endeavour, and only tho most careful organisation, in which full advantage has been taken of the lessons taught by the experience of the last, expedition, justifies tho liopo that. C'nprnin Scott and his companions will bo able to advance to tho Pole.

'At Island • Bay to-night, Jupp's Band I will cive a band Eerfprmance, ■ t