ON ELEPHANT ISLAND

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2972, 9 January 1917, Page 3

ON ELEPHANT ISLAND

FRANK WILD'S THRILLING STORY

GREAT HARDSHIPS AND HEROIC RESCUES

Eleven members of the Shacklcton Antarctic Expedition, which sailed two years ago from South Georgia for the Weddcll Sea in tho Endurance, havo arrived in London (says tho "Chronicle" of November fl). Thoir namos are as follow:—

Mr. Frank Wild (second in command), Mr. ,T. AVordie (geologist), Mr. L. Hussey (meteorologist), Mr. R. Clark (biologist), Mr. It. James (magnotician), Mr. G. Marston (artist), Major T. Ordo Lees (motor engineer and storekeeper), Drs. A. Macklin and J. M'llroy (surgeons), Mr. T. Crean (third officer), and \V. Stephcnson (fireman). They travelled from Buenos Aires in the Highland Laddie, belonging to tho Nelson line, which generously gave them passages. All tho party, in spite of tho extraordinary hardships they havo encountered in the last two years, aro in the best of health, and they are looking. eagerly forward to taking their, part in tho. war. Shackloton as Nursa. "Compared with my previous Antarctic experiences," said Mr. Wild to a "Daily Chronicle" representative, "this was by far the hardest, all things considered. There was constant anxiety and fresh problems presonted themselves every day. The last week in tho small boats, before wo reached Elephant Island was the climax. Sir Eriiost Shackletoh and' myself had no sleep at all, and hut for tho way in which Sir Ernest Shackleton nursed some of tho men —yes, literally nursed them—wo should nover havo brought them through. "Elephant Island is about the most inhospitable place on tho face of tho earth, though wo were pretty glad to reach it when wo did, for many of tho party were on the verge ,of collapse. From the physically fittest of them were chosen the sis men who accompanied Sir Ernest Shackloton in tho open boat on her daring voyage of 750 miles to South Georgia.

"It was only by a hair's breadth' that she esoaped being smashed up when sho was launched, as there was a nasty sea running in shore. Crean saved her by fending her off with an oar just at the_ right moment, and fortunately the wind was off the land, and blew her out, once sho was afloat. "Finest Thing Ever Done." • "Tho trip to South Georgia is, in mv opinion, tho finest thing ever done'. I didn't know until later how it had been. They wero soaking wet tho whole of tho sixteen or seventeen days; they had very little water, and when they landed on South Georgia they could hardly move. And after that Sir Ernest Shackloton, with Crean and Worsley, made • a thirty-six-hours' march over untrodden glaciers and mountain ridges, 5000 ft. Jiigh, to tho whaling station.

"From the calculations I made I expected an attempt to rescue us towards the end of May, but the ico conditions were so bad that Ihoro was no hopo of it succeeding. Then I figured out that tho chief would try to get a wooden ship and return later. In my diary I find that I fixed August 25 as the approximate date. Tho actual day Sir Ernest Shackleton took us off was tho 30fcli. On course, wo had no idea, that this was his fourth attempt. And it was the luckiest thing in the world that the, Yelchp came when ehe did. Two days earlier sho would not have got anywhero near us, and two days later would probably have been as bad, for the ice never cleared off for more than two or three days.at a time. "It had been arranged that a gnu should be fired from the ship when s!ie got near the island. Many times when the glaciers were 'calving,', and chunks fell off with a report like a gun, we thought that it was the real thing, and after a time wo got to distrust these signals. As a matter of fact, we saw the Yelcho before wo heard any gun. It was an occasion ono will not easily forget.

"Lunch O'.".and "shin 0!"

"Wβ wero just assembling for luacli to the call of 'Lunch.ol' and I was serving out the soup, which was particularly good that day, consisting of boiled, seals' backbone, limpets, and seaweed, when there was another hail from Marston of 'Ship 01' • Some of the men thought it was 'Lunch 0!' over again, but when there was another yoll from Marston, lunch had no further attractions. The ship was about a mile and a half away, and steaming past us. A smoke signal was the agreed sign from the shore, and, catching up somebody's coat that was lying about, I struck a pick into a tin. of kerosene kept for the purpose, poured it over the coat, and set it alight. It flared in- | stead of smoking; but that didn't matter, for the chief had already recognised the spot where he had left us, and the Yelcho was turning in. "Nobody but he could have picked it out, for there .was eight feet of snow before the hut, though we had shifted about 30 tons of the stuff that morn- , ing, and any sign of life on tho island must havo been invisible from the sea. 'fhVchiefj.with Crean and some of the Chilian sailors, was soon alongside in a boat. A .protty heavy sea was running, but we didn't wasto much time in getting aboard, and in less than an hour we wero steaming north." Speaking of the disaster to the Endurance, which was badly nipped in the ice of tho Weddell Sea as early as August, 1915, and sank nearly four months later, Mr. Wild said: "She was a good ship, and she was just slowly mangled, I havo boen in shipwrecks several times, and ships have gone down under DiOj but this was unlike any other experience. You could hear and feel her being driven in. The , thing gave you actual physical pain. Ono ,could do nothing to save her; there was a steady, relentless crushing, aod 4 finally tho ice went clean through her from side to side.

"When matters hecamo hopeless with her, everything that was essential to save was collected on the uppor dock. Wo had all tho pumps going, but that only postponed the end. Sho jnst started to settle, and as soon as. her bows got under and water put out tho fires, the chief ordered us all on tho ice. She did not go down for three weeks after that.

Stores From tho Wreoli. "After making an attempt to get to tho north with tho dog teams, wo returned and camped "near tho wreck. Wo got everything useful out of hor, timber and bo forth, that was accessible Unfortunately tho important stores which had not previously been brought away were in a room on tho lower deck with three feot of water and ico abovo them. It seemed inipossiblo to got at them. But the chiof had a brilliant idea. Ho eot an engineroom slico and filed it down to a chisel point. With this tool with a good deal of labour wo contrived to cut out a chunk of tho deck about 2ft. by 3ft. S'omo, of the cases floated up, and others wore speared and brought to tho surface. Wo sot about a hundred cases in this way, and without thorn 1 doubt 'Whether wo should havo got through. , , Wo lived on them for six months, together with what seal and penguin wo could catch, and sayed'our eledguig rations during that time. "Ono of '.tho rottenosfc jobs I havo ever had," said Sir. Wild, "was tho shooting of tho dogs. It had to bo

done to savo them from a worse death, but it was very painful to many of us, for during all those months on tho ship and on tho ico they had becomo pots. A dog called 'Soldier' was my own particular favourite. Ho was originally known as tho worst dog of tho family, and for that reason was handed over lo mo. I didn't kill him with kindness, but wo became very excellent friends, and ho was so docilo and obedient that ho would answer my call a quarter of a inilo away, even if ho happened at the tiruo to bo chasing a penguin. Photos and Films. "Although wo nftt with 6Uch disasters • tho expedition has had very considerable scientific results. Hurloy, • tho photographer, has secured tho most wonderful Antarctic pictures that havo over been obtained.' In all I should think wo havo 'between serai and eight thousand foot of kiuematograph films and hundreds of still pictures. "Tho crushiug of tho Endurance in the ico, tho abandoning of the ship, her foundering, and camp scenes on tho ice floes of tho WeddolL Sea, and our lifo on Elephant Island, will livo on the screen. '

"I should think that this is tho first occasion on which a kineniato'graph film has over bean taken of a ship going down. Even when Sir Ernest rescued us, and our interest in this kind of work had vanished. Hurley stuck it to the end, and ho_ got the final scenos whoa wo were taken off."

Mr. Wild is so familiar with tho everyday. perils of the Antarctic that he is apt to make light of encounters with killer whales and sea leopards, some of tho most unpleasant fauna of these regions. But he recalls one occasion when (a sea leopardi chased Major Ordo Lees ovor the floes. In the water the beast would get | you "one time," "but on the ice it ir> fortunately not so rapid in its movements. However, the major, who was unarmed, had rather a iiasty time until he accepted tho invitation of-Mr. Wild, who was on another floe, to retreat in his direction, and the sea leopard l , coming within rango of his rifle, was dispatched. It measured 12ft. 6iu. in length, and weighed ahout a ton. Food Problem. Seals wero scareo on Elephant Island, and until tho ico melted in August, andl limpete and seaweed were available, penguins supplied tho staple food. But even these wero not easy to catch on the spit 150. yards or so in length on which tho party wore marooned.

"However," said Mr. Wild, "we found a way. One end of tho spit rose to a height of about 100 ft., and while some of us actodl as beaters and drovo tho birds to tn<j edge of the cliff, others waited holow to club them as thoy fell. By this dodgo wo got a very fair amount of fresh meat when the weather was favourable. ' At the time cf our rescue we had only_threo or. four days' supply in hand; but I daresay we should havo got more before that was exhausted. Wo wore, however, down to our last bovril.ratiou, which was tho only form of hot Werage we had, and which I had issued onco a day. Twice weekly wo had it as a meal without water.