THE DEAD HEROES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1672, 12 February 1913, Page 7

THE DEAD HEROES.

CAM SCOTT. - " "~~ '■'.■■.'.. •■ BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. ;'•=.-= - v -~.;V" Tho late Cap Vain Robert Falcon:. Scott has been described, as a man of keen sentiment ■■and' enormous enthusiasms, hid.den below the - surface of a'very placid and unconcerned'demeanour. The traditions of the naval service on the . one. hand and of tho great exnlorcrs on the other inspire him. Clean-shaven, with « strong and determined face, tight firm lips, and keen but kindly light-bluo eyes, he-is forty-two years' of age., "Ho has something of tho bull-dog loot not ruro among.-,naval, officers .--.-:,;•. .n not tho sort of man who would- turn back while he could go on, one would say . . . but ho dwsn't look as if ho had the habit of quoting poetry, cither ~...,0 thoroughgoing, level-headed; business-like, with chough imagination-, for- a' leader, and most determined in a quiet way—that 1b the impression Captain. Scott gives." , . Ho-was thirty-three',-when he first setout towards the South Pole in the wonderful but.: too cxponsivo and not oversatisfactory Discovery,,in which ho made, the great expedition which penetrated farthest south for the time being. That was in 1901, and extended the-approach ta the South Polo nearly-100, miles over tne previous record,, reaching' a point in south latitude 80.17, 070 miles from, the Polo. Shackleton, in" his 190S expedition, reached latitude 88.23. and \ hoisted '.tho fla» of England ill miles; from the .Pole. -That exploit stands as the Farthest South yet reached by man. ■'' ' j .. /;. ;'.' j '■The explorer was--horn-- ftt- ;1 -Out!ands. Devonport. on June' 6, IMS, Ho entered the N-nvy in ISS2. He, served in tho Rover (18S7-8S) as lieutenant, and transferred to the Amphion in 188!)! Ho-was: torpedolieutenant of the Majestic, the flagship of tho Channel squadron, in 1898-99, "and became first- lieutenant ■on that vessel' .be-' foro tho end of 1899., He reached the rank of commander in .1900. 'and captain in 1851. In '1900-4 Tro led tho, British Antarctic exnedition. withthe ship' DiFC'dvdrv,' and' published : dctails\of the'voyage I id two volumes. Captain. Pcott is an honorary Doctor of Science of the Universities of Cambridge and Manchester, 'arid.gold .medallist-of-the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, tho American.: Swedish,; Danish,' Philadelphian; and Antwerp Geographical Societies.■"■ -,

During the, Discovery expedition Captain Scott; in December, 4902, • pushed down to latitude ,82deg.: lGmin.-. >83soc. south, a feat of tdeg. beyond ihp lowest point reached by predecessors, tut 450 miles from the Pole. He secured .evidence that the ice harrier was only the edge of a vast plain of ico stretchim; inwards to the mountain ranges ; which ■ he saw at the end of his journey." In many ways' the exnedition' obtained very valnablo knowledge of the Antarctic*- It was sturdy pioneer wort to help] other explorers in subsequent 'year*. ' Sir ■ Ernest Sliackloton wis with* Captain Scott '. in 1900-4. and thus learned much to. help himsslf' in his remarkable enterprise of 1909. ..--. . . '

DR. CHILTON'S TRIBUTE,

TO CAPT. SCOTT AND DE. WILSON, (By Teleirraph.-SpcclaUOori'esßondent,)

Chrlstchiirch, February 11. . Dr. Chilton, of Canterbury College,' 6ays of Captain Scott:- "Tho loss of tho leader not only brings great grief to his many friends, but removes one who has proved himself to bo a great explorer, successfully opening iip an entirely new field, and meeting,the difficulties that presented themselves with' courage, ability, and great judgment. His t successful management of the expedition in tho Discovery,' with his great march towards tho Pole, and his still greater sledging journey across tho western, mountains, will be always notable in tho history of Polar discovery, while his history of tho expedition in 'The Yoyago of tho Discovery' proved that he possessed a largo measure of literary skill, aud was able to write an*account that will take a,permanent place among notable works of discovery. Through it all-'ho exhibited the modesty that characterised a great and powerful man, and that'made him, so beloved'by all his officers and men.' -'•'■-. '. ■■'' V' *' "

" "la Dr. Wilson, wo loss a zoologist who had already made' a permanoht nnmo for himself as a keen and accurate observer, while his unrivalled, artistic ; skill enabled him to add greatly to the value of his publications, and to present them in a form that compelled- attention and admiration.' His report on tho, mammals and birds-collected during the-voyage of the-Discovery is a work of great erudition, illustrated "with! ".most ' beautiful plates. His kindly and gonial disposition made him a groat favourili with everyone with whom ho came into contact, and everyone on the ship will deeply mourn the loss of him whom they familiarly know as 'Undo Billy.' To mo, personally, the news of tho disaster comes as a peculiar grief and disappointment, At Dundco last September I had tho good fortune to listen , fo' Mr. Clements Markham's looturo before tho British Association, in which ho pvvo so enthusiastic an account of' tho successful performances of Captain Scotfs expeditions in tho past, and so hopeful a oast of what he had still to do. There, too, I mot Mrs. Scott, eatrcrly looking forward to her visit to Now Zealand to greet, as she hoped, her husband aft»r tho successful completion of his .work. At Cheltenham, a few weeks later : I saw Dr. Wilson's aged father and mother, and was entrusted by thorn with many tender messages for their son, whom,' in natural course of events, I was likely to see bofore they would. Now these can■ only bo laid on his grave."

ZOOLOGIST AND ARTIST. THE LATE DR. WILSON. Chrlstchurch, February 11. Tho late Dr. E. A. Wilson was well known to local scientists, for both beforo and after the first expedition he did a Jot of work at tho Chrlstchurch Museum.

-..,„— »,>■,,„, — ~■;,- -;.;y^. ; Mr. a A. Waite, speaking to a reporter, ; Baid that, in addition to being a first-class zoologist,: Dr, Wilson was'an, artist o£'f more tlinn average ability, Tho illnslra-'. - tiohs in the scientific volumes published. , in connection with that expedition verb exceptionally fine. Not only did ho illus- . tato the animals and birds as' they: generally appear, but ho showed tho habits ' of both birds and animals. Tho photographs which ho look were of groat value, as they illustrated the peculiarities of . hints. It was clear that the docearod . . scientist: iraa a .keen trained observer. ,Mv. V Waito added that tho Museum-staff-taw-. . a lot of, Dr, Wilson during his visits to ;: tho city. He worked there pre- ' paring his specimens for export, and it' was soon found that he was a Very' en- -.- tlnislastic worker. Dr. Wilson. Mr. WiiitoV fiuid,' was a,genial man. and the news of his death came as a shock to, the mem-, hers of, tho staff, even more than had tho - news regarding the leader of the expedition, because they hnd been in such close personal touch with' him, n.nd:)iad,fbrin. ; . cd a high regard-tor him as a mam ■'■;.*'■■'■'. '•: NATIONAL DISASTER, - ?'t -i HEROIC.FAITHFULNESS TO'-DtJTT.:'; Christchurch, February _..'•■■' _ "The nows. that camo to us this inorn.i ing like; a thunderbolt tolls of a national , disaster;" said tho Eoman Catholio Bishop of Christchurch (Dr. vGriincs). '.-.'■' "Captain Scott must liavb'h'od a call that"' , was far - deeper, and far greater than 1 that .■ : .: which usually comes to men in the Navy, ' - arid like a bravo man ho: obeyed tho call ' of duty.i He lived liko ..a -horo and- died- , like a hero.: I met Contain■ Scott while', ho was in Chrislchur.ofy and >> I iwas'struck by the childish simplicity of I tho man, ■a i sign : of greatness. His was a lovable disposition, and yet ono could not , help marking the intensity of purpose, . , tho indomitable resolve; and tho' quiet confidence that characterised bira.' Tho'';.'■ world has:lost a great man in Captain';. Scott, but it has gained by his heroic' . example,',by his .heroic ' faithfulness to '.-'.. duty, and bis heroic death." ..-;, .... '-..,-', ',: A.SPLENDID FELLOW.. \ '■' ■

"NOT, A MAN: TO I'ALK MUCH.". • (By Telegraph.—ProßS A-Sooiatron.)

■'■■ Grymouth, February 11. ,■-''. Captain, Hender, of the .Union .', Ship Company's-Kowhai, l ilow- in' 1 port;''- ; met Captain bcott on two occasions, the -v first tinio eleven years ago, *hen Captain ' llcndcr. wiis one of tho ship's company of tho relief ship Morning, .which took ,- stores and other necessaries to tho Discovery, meeting that'vessel ill latitude. .79 :... south, at tho laso of'.Mounts 'Terror and ' Erebus. v The Morning brought back to Now Zealand Lieutenant (now i>ir Drnosl) . Shackcltoii, who was invalided homo, orid ■ nino others of the' Discovery's.crow, Tho'•''. noxt tiino Captain .Hender,. mot Coptaini'-> Scott was- in''Lytteltou, on 1 his• return tb ; . Now Zealand about a year later. /.'"':/ ; ."Captain Bcott was not a )-an to/talk, much to anyone," said Captain Ho&der <' |to"a" "Star representative. ■ ."Ho v.a 6, ' nevertheless, a.splendid fellow, extremely,\ .-. populari'and'greatly liked by everyone on board his ship. Just the'man for tho job hd had undertaken.": .'. '.. ■• Tho second officer ; of the Kowhai, Mr. ~-■■ Hatfield, 1 one of the' Morning's' company • on tho second relief expedition, • nlso. had ' v an opportunity, ; of noticing how Captain, ,; Scott was esteemed,, admired;! andiUvcd,; ■ by every man connected with tho cxiiedi-.',,.-tioH. ■■';'.' '■'•' ' '''■■■ '■"'■ ■-: ''■>'" ■''■'•'• ; ■'.:'''■ ;'•"■■•

_ ; ON THEWATER FRONT. ': "SCOTT, WAS ONE OF US.'.'- ' :, '■; :■■' • Caplain Scott waV & sailor;', and this ' fact was (very, evidont on:tho valoivfront at Wellington- yesterday. < In .fact, tain times during the day tho sad rova of Mb'death'was'the sold topioof irnvcr-V, 6atibnaniongst' seafaring men'whoso : vei-.': sels happened-to.-bo in:port./. On every','; hand genuine regrctwas cxprcssedat ,Uio-/. British sailor's tragic end, and much , sympathy, was ..expressed 'for .''Mrs., Scott,',;who is oh-loard 'tho''Aoranjtf,','i'Lich" is.',. duo at-Wellington from San Francisco on - February 27. '..In speaking of'tho fad' ; ; event last .evening, ouo hardened'scafarlng- I '- man - said;, "It's .terrible, terrible.' You". know'-we: sailors', feet it more, than tho-. : ordinary longshoremen.-Wo reckoned that■"',. Scott was oa« of. Us-rono cf tho cloth, so to 'speak—because 'ho was a sailor ovcry '■' inch-of. him. Its a national calnmity, and no mistake.": This sailor's n-mailts . .were much, in,- keeping with dozens cf ; others. : , -V;. Out of respect for tho lato. Captain..' Scott and members of his party,, flags-.. ■wcr'o lowered 1-to. half-mast on vftscle at>V Wellington yesterday. ~' :'..■■', ; -. v.'-, ■.-.':■■-*: