SHACKLETON'S DASH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1383, 8 March 1912, Page 5

SHACKLETON'S DASH.

A BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENT. UNIQUI; METHODS. Lieutenant Ernest Slinckletun, who left Fmgland in Hie Nimrud in 19117, ami relumed in I'.IIIM. niakiiii his New Zealand l.a-e at l.vUcltrm. achieved what '.tulip tu that lime the miwt brilliant of Antarctic The ascent of

the volcano of Mount Erebus-over thirteen thousand feet high—the attainment of (ho magnetic pole, the discovery ot no fewer than eight mountain chains, and the survey of some hundred unmapped mountains were anions; the collateral achievements of this British feat of exploration. Lieutenant Shackleton himself, in telegrams to the London "Mail,", reproduced simultaneously in the New York "Sun, told the story of what the _ dispatches called "this momentous expedition. It culminated in the planting of tho British Hag in latitude 88 degrees, 23 minutes, longitude IE degrees east—that is to say, 111 miles from the South Pole. "Ims is the most southerly point ever reached,

being an advance of 340 miles on Scott s record of December, 1902." His equipment, which constituted a unique feature in this branch of scientific work. His vessel, the Nimrod, presented nothing remarkable to record, for she was but a Newfoundland sailing schooner,' of 250 net tonnage, capable of carrying three hundred tons of coal in addition to all supplies. What imparted its touch of originality to this Shackleton expedition was the fifteen horse-power, vertical, four cylinder air-cooled motor-car, built specially for service throughout the Lieutenant's dash for the Pole.

By travelling at the rate of some twenty miles daily, on an average, it was possible to go with a train of sledges and a reserve of fifteen Siberian ponies—an appreciable convenience in the matter of establishing depots between tho winter quarters, whence the expedition set forth, and the farthest point south reached. The vehicle served also as a track-maker for the return journey, enabling the way to be retraced on foot-when necessary because of fog. It hauled sledges for miles. With three men aboard—one driving, one seated behind hint and awake, and the third in his sleeping sack at the backit. made dashes of a. hundred and fifty miles a day upon occasion. The expedition, in its various stages, included,, besides Lieutenant Shackleton, who commanded, Dr. Eric Marshall, the senior surgeon of the shore party and the cartographer of the trip, Lieutenant Adams, R.N.R., who was in charge of the meteorological work, Sir Philip Brocklehurst, who has had great experience in survey work and field geology, and Ernest Joyce, lately first-class petty officer in tho British Navy, who did excellent work on the Discovery expedition, ami was in charge of the dugs and sledzes. Dr. Edworth David, Professor of Geology at Sydney University, supervised the preparation of data and the collection of the observations. All told, the officers and stall' and the crew of the Nimrod in the course of her loiig voyage Shackleton's own words, telegraphed.after his return: "The most southerly point reached in our Antarctic expedition was Inttitude S3 degrees 2.1 minutes, longitude, east 02 degrees, a distance of 111 miles from the pole i I self. ■ "The journey was very difficult. After crossing ■■everal mountains, we leached' a plateau 10,000 feet high. Several i:ew mountain ranges were discovered. "The distance travelled wis 170S statute miles, ami the time occupied 12li days. In all mure than 100 new mountain peaks went discovered. "lioth equipment and food supplies proved wry satisfactory. The Mnnrliiirinn ponies did as well as was expected. We all felt the hardships ef ! !ie journey very severely. Good zoological discoveries were made," and important sledge journeys and undertaken west an north. "The south magnetic pole was 'cached in latitude 72 degrees 2.i minutes; longitude 151 degrees. J. K. Davis, first mate: Forbes Maekay, assistant surgeon, and Marson made jwrth-wostei'ly sledge journeys lasting tworitytwb days and covering a distance of 121 statufe miles. '"Die winter was mill, and the lowest temperature they encountered was 111 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. The geo,logical results of the expedition are as important as the zoological. Mount Erebus, the-outhednmost volcano in the world, 13,200 foot high, was ascended for the first time. "The geographical South I'ole is ilnnbtless situated on a plateau 1II,C(II1 to ".<Wi feel above sea level. Violent liliz-ar. in latitude SS degrees show that if the polar calm exist;, it must be small in area or no coincident with the geographic pole." Professor Edworth David gave the following account of a trip from the Nimrod :— "The piii'tv reached the magnetic pole 200 statute 'miles north-west of I lie Drygalski depot on January Hi. ami hoUlcd the Union .lack. The po-ition ei Hie pole was deierinimsl |,y Jliir-un with a l.lovclieak dip circle a- in I he vieinily of I lalitude 72 degrue? 2.1 minutes, longitude I lj-l degrees east. The uaHy, returnine;,

travelled from sixteen to twenty miles daily." About a hundred and twenty-two days weni taken up in the journey. Including statute, mile?, relays, however, the party travelled 1200