HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2869, 6 September 1916, Page 6

HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE

GRIM ORDEAL ON ELEPHANT ISLAND ■ , STORY, OFn THE RESCUE WILD'S NARRATIVE

' Australian' New Ztftfand Oablo Association, v London, September 4. Sir Ernest Shacklcton . tolegraphs , that he r6hclied Wild's Camp on Aii- ■ gust 30. Ho is telegraphing Wild's full report. Sir Ernest Sbackleton in- ' formed the King of the rescue, under Divine of his comrades. He thanked His Majesty for his graoi- ... ous message and kindty interest, and added: "The party's safety was prim-! •* arily due to Wild's leadership, tact,! force of character." (Rec. September 5, 7 p.m.) . London, September 4. Sir Ernest Shackleton, in a dispatch ' to the "Daily Ghroniclo," dated from Punta. Arenas, September 3, says "My fourth attempt to rescue my com- •' rades from Elephant Island succeeded, -r- and all have arrived safe and well; On this occasion I sot a course which enabled the Yelcho "to" approach . the i island from the north-west, this ice having worked.towards north-east. We reached. Wild's camp oil August 30, after steering in _the - fog through ■ - numerous stranded icebergs, and imme- i •. diately -after started on our 'return ' journey. With Wild lies the credit for | having kept the party together .in ' ■}\ strength and safety under most; trying arid, difficult conditions," says Shackle- . ton. "I cannot speak too highly of . Crean and Worsley," who have seen • things througlrwith me." .

. . Wild's Report. , The following is Captain Wild's re- / port:— "Oil April 25, the d^y-after the, departure of the boat ; . the island -was beset by dense pack ice, and the party , : was confined to a narrow spit of land, " 250' yards by 40. yards, surrounded- by ,i. .inaccessible cliffs and ice-laden seas. i AVo were (forced to abandon the ice /' house, the 'snow making it untenable, and made'a dwelling of two boats, sup- • ported by rocks, as far as practicable from the sea. The weather continued V , to be appalling, and the vitality o"f the . ivhole party was lowered from exposure. Blackboro, Hudson, Greenstreet, and Dickinson fell ill, and several Others were frost-bitten. A blizzard in May ■ swept much of our valuable gear into the sea. -We wore in danger of being . -swept away by:the heavy seas, due to , \ a blizzard: which- was blowing -at 'y seventy miles'an hour, but fortunately ■ an ice-foot formed along the sea shore, and this protection meant our salvation from total destruction. An adjacent glacier 'calved' on several occasions, causing heavy waves. Blocks of V ».'ice were'once hurled within fifteen feet - of our dwelling. ; • "We drastically economised our food, • serving only one hot meal a day, until wo had strengthened our reserve of V blubber. We had a valuable stock of • bovril rations, and used to have two meals' of these per week. The season was late,, so we were'kept in anxiety regarding our meat supply, but we periodically - replenished our stock by .. small penguins.- xSeals were unable to land owing to -the ice foot. There was . less wind from- June onwards, but we •were under constant hail, fog, ana snow. Blackboro's toes had to be am- .• |, putated. \ "The three previous attempts at relief synchronised with the • times the island was beset by ice. We were able to collect: seaweed'and limpets at the -beginning' of August, which gave us a ■ valuable change of diet. The heavy seas and the ico prevented us ..from fishing. A gale on August 28 drove"the ice pack from the'island, and through »•- 'the lifting fog on '■ August 30 we eaw ; - 4ha Telcho approaching. I "wish to place on record the good morale of tho entire party." ' V i \ [The party which was left on Ele- : phant Island included: Captain Frank Wild (who Ayas with the Mawson expedition), second in command of_ the : ' - ..Endurance, in charge of provisions; George Marston, in chargo of general . stores, artist; Mr. Frank Hurley, of Sydney, photographer; Captain Orde Lees, R.M.L.1., in charge of motors; ■' Lieutenant F. Dobbs, Itoyal Dublin 7 Fusiliers, in charge of. section of dogs; ' Lieutenant Courtney Brocklehurst, 11th ..Hussars, in.charge of section of dogs; ;■ James Wordie, 8.A., Cambridge, geologist; R. W, James, 8.A., Cambridge, B.Sc., London,. physicist and magnetician; Leonard H. Hussey, B.Sc., London, assistant magnetician and meteoro- , logist; V., Studd, Cambridge- TJniver- ■ sity and C'amborne School of - Mines, - geologist; Mr. Jeffrey, chief officer of ' tho Mr. Hudson, «. officer in charge of sounding machines / and dredging; Mr. Cheethani, third officer and boatman; Mr. Greenstreet; .•• • nine men of tho crow, consisting of '" cx-naval men, trawling men from Hull, Grimsby, and from Labrador.]

;; KING'S MESSAGE TO SHACKLETON (Rcc. September 5, 6.10 p.m.) , London, September 4. ■l\ The King has replied to' Sir Ernest Shackleton as'follows: "I most heartily rejoice in the rescue of your com- • rades, and congratulate you on the re- • suit of your determined efforts. I ■ v greatly admire tho conduct of Captain Wild, which has hecn so instrumental in maintaining their courage and hope, , and I trust you will soon bring them / all safely home."