MISFORTUNE AND TRAGEDY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 36, 12 February 1913, Page 7

MISFORTUNE AND TRAGEDY

HOW CAPTAIN SCOTT AND COMPANIONS PERISHED GRAPHIC STORY OF HARDSHIPS DISASTER NOT DIE TO FAULTY ORGANISATION COMMANDER'S TOUCHING FAREWELL MESSAGE To-day the civilised worM mourns the tragic death of Captain Scott, commander of the British Polar Expedition, and four of his brave companions, who lost their lives when returning from the South Pole at the end of March of last year. Details of the awful tragedy are now available. »The account, supplied by the Press Association, shows that Captain Scott reached the Pole on 18th January, 1912, and found Captain Amundsen's tent and records. On the return journey the whole southern party perished. Captain Scott, Dr. Wilson, and Lieutenant Bowers died from exposure during si blizzard about 29tf March, 1912. The last camp was pitched 11 miles south of One Ton Depot, or 155 miles from the hut at Cape Evans. Lieutenant Oates died from exposure on 17th March. Seaman Edgar Evans died from concussion of the brain on 17th February. In Captain Scott's diary, discovered with the bodies in the tent at the last camp, Surgeon Atkinson found the following, which is quoted verbatim: "MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC." "Tho causes of this disaster are not due to faulty organisation, but to misfortune in all the risks which had to be undertaken i— "1. The loss of pony transport in March, 1911, obliged me to start later than I had intended, and obliged the limits of stuff to be transported to be narrowed. ' "2. The weather throughout the outward journey, and especially the long gale in 83deg. south, stopped us. "3. The soft snow in the lower reaches of the glacier again reduced the pace. "We fought these untoward events with a will, and conquered, but it ate into our provision reserve. Every detail of our food supplies, clothing, and depots made on the interior ice sheet, and on that long stretch of 700 miles to the Pole and back, worked out to perfection. The advance party would have returned to the glacier in fitte form, and with a surplus of food, but for the astonishing failure of the 'man whom we had least expected to fail. Seaman Edgar Evans was thought the strongest man of the party. The Beardmore Glacier is not difficult in fine weather, but on our return we did not get a single completely fine day. This, with a sick companion, enormously increased our anxieties. I have said elsewhere we got into frightfully rough ice, and Edgar Evans received a concussion of the brain. He died a natural death, but left us a shaken party, with the season unduly advanced. " But all the facts , above enumerated were as nothing to the surprise which awaited us on the barrier. I maintain that our arrangements for returning were quite adequate, and that no one in the world would have expected the temperatures and surfaces which we encountered at this time of the year. On the summit, in latitude 85deg to 86deg, we had minus 20 to minus 30 on the 'barrier; In latitude 82deg, 10,000 ft lower, we had minus 30 in the day, minus 47 at night pretty regularly, with continuous head wind during our day marches. "It is clear that these circumstances came on very suddenly, and our wreck is certainly duo to this sudden, advent of severe Weather, j which does not seem to have any satisfactory cause. I do not think human beings ever came through such a month as we have come through, and we should have got through in spite of the weather but for the sickening of a second companion (Captain Oates) and a shortage of fuel in our depots, for wlu'ch I cannot account, and finally but for the storm which has fallen on us within 11 miles of this depot, at which we hoped to secure the final supplies. " Surely misfortune could scarcely have exceedld this last blow. W© arrived within 11 miles of our old One Ton Camp with fuel for one hot meal and food for two days. For four days we have been unable to leave the tent. The gale is blowing about us. We are weak, and writing is difficult. But, for my own sake, Ido not regret this journey, which has shown that Englishmen can endure hardships, help one another, and meet death with as great a fortitude as ever in the past. Wo took risks; we knew we took them. Things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will of Providence, determined still to do our best to the last; but if we have been willing to give our lives to this enterprise, which is for the honour of our- country, I appeal to our countrymen to see that those who depend on us are properly cared for. Had we lived I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions, which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes, and our dead bodies, must tell the tale, but surely, surely a great rich country like ours will see that those who are dependent on us are properly > provided for. ' "25th March, 1912."- , i'R.' SCOTT."