AT THE POLE

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1674, 14 February 1913, Page 5

AT THE POLE

' AMDNIJSEN'S CAMP. THE BEGINNING OF THE TRAGEDY. PETTY OFFICER EVANS'S DEATH. FURTHER PARTICULARS. HEROIC CONDUCT. (Pres3 Association—Copyright.) Continuing the previous Antarotio dispatch, tho following facta will bo of further interest, to the public :-r On January -1, 1912, Commander 1 ; Evans left Captain; Scott and his party to contheir journey to .the Pole. They marched' an average of twelve miles a day right up to tho Pole. > « They reached the Polo on January 17, about 15G, statute; miles'from tto spot where Commandor Evans turned back at 67 degrees'Bs minutes. . ,■ <

The first day'at the Pole was cloudy, With a mock sun. The second day, January 18, was clearer.' .Tho .sun was visible, ond •' sights ' werb taken, Captain Scott ■using a four-inch theodolite. ' Captain Amundsen used a sextant, with artificial 'horizon. v, '■ ... ' .

' The fixing of tlii Polo by the' two explorers differed by only half a mile, thus practically, locating the same spot. ; Captain Scott's observations gave tha latitude 89 degrees 59} minute^. Union, Jack Planted. Che party marched on' tho extra half-, piile by sieugo meter, and thero planted the Union Jack. ' ■ In latitude 88' they had previously picked up: tho Norwegian dog: tracks, and fol- - lowed these to the, Nenvcgian oamp within three miles of the Polo. "Tho. traok was .obliterated by. drift at \ intervals. The party-found nil the records,and year left by Captain Amundsen. Sastrugi, from two directions, was marked at tho Pole, and there was evidence of a slight blizzard since Captain Amundsen erected his'tent. Tho'tempcraturo was about 20 degrees below zerp. ':The surface, Unlike the barrier, : was soft, and there was no crust. ' It was found that snow :«(llected from any depth and on; meUing 'was also ; tiiililce barrier, Bndw t 'and'gavo, vei7 little water. Ten photographs! of Captain Scott's party .at the Pole .were taken. The films wore recovered and developed ,at .Capo Evans, also .two photographs' of tho Norwegian tent,' with Captain; Scottfs parly round it.

Tho Return Journey. / . The return journey; over the plateau was, maiked by'a ; series of good marches ' and • mediuiii'; weathbr, tho, temperature ~ ayeragin g between 20' and, 30 degrees below eoro. ~The: marches /varied from up to eighteen Mniles per : day to tho top of Boardmore glacier. ■ , • •

,v BotH the "depots were on the' plateau, ; one in 87 degws southland one cldsa'iiiicler Mount Darwin. (85.7; idegrees' south)* were ■ •seoured;- 1 ,■•, ; r-1 .. ■ Before .descending Beardmoro ; Glacier, Dr. Wilson; and Lieut. Bowers- "visited Buckley Island, a large nunatdk. at the . top,of the glacier., Here they spent, Kirae time making a large collection of fossilbearing sandstone, and also cotil in c|uan- , tity. These fossils should 'finally. scttlo tho age of latest sedimentary, deposits yet •found in, Victoria Land, and are certainly the bost yet obtaine<l in this quadrant.

;■ Geological Specimens; . Leaving; Buckley Island and going down the glacier, they .passed Mount Kirisey, . , a magnificent doleritepeak l , eleven thousand feet higlr, an i admirable point .to - steer- by.; : They reached a ..small d(-pot underneath the cloudmatier, and another halt was'; made,: for, geological 1 -investigation. Prom tho sido of ths'.cloudmaker . of much grtater .ago': weriv found in , limestone. .In. all thirty-fivo pounds of , geological speoimens were' carefully '.'pack- . Ed and taken forward :by the party right up to its last camp, and are now in pi.s- - .6cs3ioii pfi.thio. expedition* ~ Prom tlio cloudmaker to the foot of Beardmoro the surfaces they encountered -.were; the ;samo deep enow surfaces ; as found on , tho . way up,. which, with bad weather, severely hampered their march.' , Throughout .the descent the weather wa? abnormally thiols, with snow, crystals .falling, and tho eurrounding - land only occasionally seen,

The BCfllpnlng of the End. Captain Scott dates tho beginning 1 of Officer Edgar Evans's failure fitm tho timo of reaching tho Pole. He was » great anxiety; ,to . them on the plateau, in their .descent of .the glacier they got .amongst very, rough ico, and Evans fell, injuring his head and sustaining serious concussion. During tho whole of tho descent; his condition delayed tho party, end tho surplus food gradually diminished; ;. On February 17, while- on the march, his foot worked out of tho ski shoo, ond hojaf compelled to fall out and remain behind . to , readjust his footgear.' Tho party, moyed .along, and seeing he va's not following, they camped and cooked a meal, anticipating Evans would reach the tent tho men] was ready. A* he was not up at that timo, they went back for him, and found ho had collapsed. He bravely tried to go forward, but had to be placed qn the sledge. Ho died > a natural death within two hours of reaching the tent.. This delay, as Scott stakd, greatly.weakened tho party .nnd made inroads into the surplus provisions, in an ,unduly advanced "season,-