AURORA'S VAYAGE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2738, 5 April 1916, Page 5

AURORA'S VAYAGE

NARRO\f'ESCAPES~ r " BLIZZARDS AND PACK ICE : I A " By'Telegranh-Presß Association. Dunedin, April L Lieut. Stenhouse,- of the-Aurora, supplied a reporter to-night with-some'de-tails of the Aurora's voyage. <Ho commenced liis narrative with the arrival of'the Aurora at Cape Crazier, the journey thus far having been accomplished by- means of a fairly open passage through. Rdss'i-Sea.v A. whaleb'oat left she •':ship'witli'a"party t! to.. Endeavour to ■make'a-i lauding 'near the:;c'ape in order to depot winter clothing'and stores for a party of three men which was lo leave the winter quarters of th~e''expedition in June for the Emperor Penguin rookery to study the habits' of the birds and collect eggs.. No "landing was effected owing to 'they'dvaricihg of : the barrier along Cape Grozier cliffs. Immense ( press.ure was seen, here, blocks weighing thousands., of-.tons, up the cliff Jaceand over/the moraine.. '; A 'passage'was made'southwards along'tha moraiae, .and. no place for depot laying having,heen,seen,the.party returned to the ship,. .In the absence of,the.whaleboat aijdense fog had fallen, during [ which ihe Aurora had been set'by ' a strong current to the barrier and had lost her jibbcom. The ship then proceeded west - tft. M'Murdo Sound, and after struggling 'through ice'to the sound arrived oft Oape Evans on January 16. A party, went across the ;sea' of- ice. to Captain Scott's hut to make a survey and re. turned. Shortly afterwards the- ship : proceeded in towards Cape Erane, and grounded on the spit at the end of the cape. All attempts to refloat hor . by hedging and -rolling proved ineffectual, but'the'vessel came "off the ground onhigh tide. Late in the evening the sbip again went into the'pack ice to the southward in her endeavour to reach Hut Point, the proposed starting point for sledging parties. On January 18 a party of six loft foi Hut Point to make an inventory of tho." stores, etc., and returned on the 21st, having been delayed in the hut by a. ' severe blizzard. The first depot-laying party, consisting of Joyce •>, and , twoothers with nine dogs, left the-ship on January-24 for Minna Bluff, 85 milen : from the hut. ..-....._....- : On January 25 the commander,of the Aurora, Captain M'lntoßh, and a party of three with nine dogs, left the ship in i the main southern depot, laying a . journey for Mount.Hooper, a distance of 173'miles.from'the hut.. On^ January 31 Copes and a oarty of six left the ■ ship for Minna' Bluff, with motortraotor drawing two sledges, while the ; members of the, party pulled another.. During the whole of.this.time the ship 'was'endeavouring to reach Hut Point,: in order to'lay a depot of food sup-; plies, but was prevented from doing .so,by. the lateness of .the, break-up,pf-j the ice and the succession or blizzards, during which the ship waa placed at the, mercy-of the elements in,; the Sound. .',,.'.,..:...' '; On February 27 the Aurora went Cape Evans to take, soundings for; winter quarters. The wind sprang up,, however, and drove icebergs into the bay, making it imperative .to recall the; boat to,the' ship',. which .was then.taken. out into manageable waters again: fh» shortness of the crew rendered this; work extremely difficult, and not:a little; hazardous. . After muoh vain offort and futile expenditure of fuel,, the. Aurora ■was.pushed in towards the- glacier-, tongue and the winter quarters'that had been- suggested by Sir Ernest Shackle--ton, and moored there. "Our, "stay: here;" continued Lieutenant- Stenhouse, "was one of constant vigilance and anxiety, owing to the drifting pack and continual blizzards. "6n~February 24 a strong wind sprang up from northwards, and the ice pack sotting into the 'sound, the ship TfSa ]ammed' : "dn' to ''the tongue. She remained with her counter orf the end of the tongue for 7J hours whan the wind shifted, and the vessel was worked back into safety, having suffered. r-:no further loss thau the displacement of the sounding machine- on the quarter*, ' deck-iiy/a-isdl bfioefroni the tongue; Having ■■ -found no practical place for ' wint£rl4uarters, and the supply- of coal becoming very short, the ship returned • -to • Cape Evans,' •• and dropped' anchor there. Spare bar anchors were lifted ashore, and buried in ground near the but,- these; being intended for use an stern moorings. ' - A severe: .blizzard .was ■. .encountered on March 10, the ship, after dragging her..,aneliors,. encountered.,)}, drjf t.flsrjfc wards;:'towards Beaufort Island..,' She returned the following■" morning, and dispatched a boat to Hut Point, where two months' provisions for twelve mo 3 or four'-months' for nine; were placed, The returning party ; which was landed, consisting of Spencer, with Stevens, Hools, Pucliards.'Niiihis,' and' Gaze, were 'embarked, - -and "'the ship: returned ■through;the- fast 'forming-ice .to Caps Evans. <A severe blizzard sprang up, and the ship again dragged anchors, and drifted"dangerously close.to Cap* Royds and Cape Barn, the wind increasing with hurricane force, .wrw blinding drift, and the .ship was driver right :but throuKh*:.the:entrante of thf sound again. The weather again mod; erated,-and we returned to Cape Evani and" dropped anchor on the following day. . >.0n March 14 young ice w« forming, but the anchors were dropped and-the -stern-was- moored -to- anonorl ashore. On March 23 Ste've'ns;Spencer; Smith, Gaze, and Richards were domi ciled in the hut ashore. During thtt time- the -ship's.company, were jbUßilj employed erecting wireless ■• extensioi masts, attending.to moorings; ii.rid'.U> cidental duties, being much hampera by ever increasing blizzards. AH sledgi rations and full equipment for a shon party of four were lauded. -..The.-time became more anxious as the. ice., in frensed in and ...with,,.eaol blizzard the ice 'went out bodily,-/put ting a tremendous strain on the moor ings, and.our position .'became i'ey'te more anxious; 'culminating on'Maj'S The wireless masts were finally ereotei in a blizzard of terrific vie lence and dense' driiffi; "during" 'whicl the ice parted' from the tidij craok, and went out bodily snapping our. moorings like threads These' sttibbrings 'consisted of 'seve' heavy wjres ,aud. one mooring: chai which w,as a limit of the ship's cquij inent. , Had -the moorings not parte the ship's bottom' must, have 'bee riven. When the ship was-driven froi her moorings the southern party ha not returned, but a search party whic had been prepared two weeks befor had been prevented from setting on on. the .journey by severe weather. Th ship drifted in the ice to the northwar and set towards Nordeuck JoltV-ic tongue. Wireless calls were sent ,'oi' each night in the hopes that the snia aerial'left at'the Capo might have Bed erected, -or .that' -the' half-hour.'""-cal; which were maintained from 9 p.m."] midnight might so disturb the magnet instrument that the party would, frbf regularly recurring disturbance, k'lii? the cause, and. this, would give.Jho! seme knowledge that the ship was s;tf< . We then drifted northwards Franklin Island, and setting past tbi island the ice pressure, .noise" •becari more frequent and louder, which,, wit the open water scour to' the north-cas suggested a speedy ' release f ronr oi position, and raised the hopes of ;tl ship's company. On July 21 "the icj whioh was about Bft.' thiols, parted, an

fj.broke.in all'direotion'sjithe',ship swung [: athwart v the lane, and the ice closing in i'again nipped tie vessel.stem and stern, j. and. crushed the- rudder. During this ?;.; ; tirae the ship visibly hoggod, and being | ; ;; on; to■ tife _ floe 'ahead, took a

!,;■heavy ; starßoard iist,' : ; and- remained in i'a .-oritioaliposition'ifor-,?so'me»-hbvifs;-.; i.Eventually'Uh'e'Uwwn'g.'iouhol^fore^and^^ :;; esc^^^mmediate vpreparafioris 4 were made-for-thei aban-, "' donnibnCof i ': ;bein^ J Ck)fclman". Irtiahdi!''9o "miles'- dis-" ;-'tant. '•" ■; ~ ' ■:':':i Aerograms were _ sent out; to the 'King, asking for;relief for the southern .'.party In tho'event of -disaster to the ...Bhipj but no acknowledgment was re-, '.'-ceived. '.These messages wore 'sent, conitinuously. throughout the : ,winter.' Tho continued to shift northwards, and ' .passed' Cape'-Adairrand; setting to < the .north-west; sighted ISturgd Island, in thejßalleuy Group,';.ibearih'g north 90 ■miles distant. September . 22.v / Oates Land'was sighted,_and sket;ches.- were'-made, .'though we were .far' kdistant;'.!■;'■;Oh Octoher 4,'hayihg' , set'fur-A-her '.westward, .we;sighted, near'; ..land .tearing south-west, of .which I .fixes -and were made;■.■> . :.!. r' Tho. conditibhs. towardsfChristmas *oemore.'favourable,' as,-the .ship 6et {niore to.the ; northward.-- Thaws:start-' jiid, :; and lanes became; more frequent, ! v and: open water, and the sky was occa;,sibhally obscured. >\ .At this time" ,we ..'iwero able'.,'to'.'.make.''journeyß'. from : % tho ■:ship' over ice; and found some' enoTinous press: ridges 30ft. in height,- which hiu'st Uiavb been formed owing to' the severe h'r'eak up. Much difficulty was .experi--in. keeping the ship 'cltiar of snow; which during:_the-blizzards gath'er'ed upon tho les -side,;and- 'threatened ivto.bury 1 her. ..As the.su.mn),eri;,w,aned ) ;<«ir prospects of being of.'-seryice-.to: the party became less hopeful, and ■great; endeavours were made during the .Sailmglighbwith the aerial on the'mast on : Vthe' :icb';: to' 'communicatee with: iKing.v for':; the relief: for - the Boutherh : we were-preparing :for an-' other .<winter. inXtheVpack.:'v.;,; Our food supply:had.heon.;y:ery:short'; ;and;'-fpr ■ th&; la.st:eight' mouthsv : we:_had o«en'':iiving/on.a.main diet of seal'B aiid p'engums;.' , -.witK', two'. meals'.a^day';j.'' % ithi'Sjt wittt-jfegular': working hours?,which; werir; never-: nglaxed, may be attributedtho'good 'health and. spirits of the-party j end', th'ef freedom ..from the-. s'c6urgb..of' »cnrvy;i: : ':.:.- i;.;S>i''' ,- ■','..':'','■ -:.As'-the;ree.became more broken lanes. directions,, bergs 'start-, the-pack,:.'aiicl.:heavy. Swells' set in,": causing, gevero,., strain;' piii the''ship.. .'"-Wer.ha'a- understood that (ho swell .could.- penetrate iinany miles of;but with no open water, in', sight firom tho crow's nest we.had a swell

; ranging from 6ft.- from crest to hollow ■in open patches which sent enormous 'floes with a throw of ten.to twenty.feet

•against" the 6ide of ,tbe ship, threatening disaster. ;.;.':: .i On February 12 last the ice broke,up around- the ship, and sail being made,' 'ana" s- jury rudder rigged, our'endeavour /was.'lnade.to push to northward.',. Little, progress was mado, however, and on' Marck-I'.steam was raised. On March lOj.owing-;to a westerly gale and.heavy. Bea, ';iwo^.large"bergs had" worked to-', v/ards .the ship ahead and astern,;;and ;were r ' closing in. We- might : possibly have been swept with the pack'-betweeh ikem' but it was doubtful, 60 'we' raised steam; and endeavoured : to push to ; : wardof; the larger berg./AfterVmany attempts., bur'.'.efforts were successful, and. we passed close, to the end of, the ierg into safety. This was one of our iaany exoiting incidents during and folf lowing . the break-up ! of the'ice; On March 14 we had 30 begsin bur immeyioTnifcy, andloo within range or thOihorizon.. The,ship was.manoeuvred vitk little, diffloulty through;this maze Md:.. amongst; the pack ;into°a: fairly open lake,< beyond no - open water ".cOuld;be seen. '.to .-.the wo, managed with" great' luck 'jto. cross belt of a. stream of a "further lake' of open water,: 'and ■ still workingnorth; ,wo eventually [cleared; another small belt of stream" jce,;. and shortly after'noon.: 'emerged into small ice : of open 6ea. ;., , {^Several; bergs were-.seen- on this and •fch9^foUowing..day,.after,.which, notice iwas. Tsighte'd. '• • i WB : _ proceeded' northwards' ■under'.'steam, and sail . with, northrwesfeeflyigaleS; andjtremendcus seas, during j\yhich : Tye had'a good:opportunity',' of jtestmg. our.'jury .rudder. When within, SWKmiles of Hobart our wireless signals iWere ■: heard there, and the Bluff was jwbrked.V, Since our arrival,.we have heard that" the steamer Warrimoo, now irijthis.port,:heard:;our:signals at a distance of the efficiency of. oiir "email'sefc'and the proficiency; of. our bperatqr, J ultimately successful''after 1 ; endeavour in, getting intb communication With other stations. ;. /'• tJlhvish.to add that the hospitality extended to. us, by. the New Zealand people nas.:/come.' : to; .us;. as a. pleasant, surprise m.;this' : time of national'crisis..--'' :...i -...,-

f'The Prime-Minister (Hi. HonYwr*' Massey),received the... following, telegram yesterday from Lieutenant.StenEonse, commanding tbe.Antarctic" ship Aurora:—"Please accept sihcerethanka. from all on board the Aurora, for tho hearty welcome extended, by' you and fhe. Government of Now Zealand. ;and ior the arrival.- Please, also,;'accept ;my;".sincßre-. Shanks for your generous;; gift jof .tiine ind- assistance invour-innal".*stage.i": : .;/I hope soon to have','.the ..hoh'riliij/bf.'.ryoiir', acquaintance; word my gratitude"''•'§;:>'," ;|;^'>'';• '■'■ ■ '■ '■ ,