DEATHS DUE TO EXPOSURE AND WEAKNESS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 38, 14 February 1913, Page 3

DEATHS DUE TO EXPOSURE AND WEAKNESS

The commander said that Dr. Atkinson was a specialist in regard to scurvy, and as that officer had stated there were no signs of the disease his statement should be accepted. The deaths of those who perished therefore were due ' to ex* posure and weakness brought about by the continuous strain, which, in its turn, was caused by the difficulties of hauling the sledge over very soft, bad surfaces. That again was caused by the unexpected fall in temperature. There was an explanation of the way in which the falling temperature affected the surfaces." It was well known that in the Polar regions in very low temperature ice crystals formed a cutting edge, and the friction on the runners on the sledges became very j great. A man-hauling party pulling a fair load exerted a strain of 221b per man on the traces when travelling in a temperature of zero Fahr. With the temperature fallen to minus 30, that pull would be more than doubled. Captain Scott's message to the public stated that the temperatures of minus , 50deg and below were frequently experienced. It must be obvious that after enduring the strain of sledge travelling for a distance of more than 1600 miles, to be faced with extra pulling such as he had described would be enough to break down the party, whatever its physique might be. The members of the expedition knew the endurance of , the men constituting the advance party, and did not believe that any men living cou}d have won through under the circumstances.. The commander was asked if there was any probability of tlie bodies of .Captain Scott, Dr. Wilson, and Lieutenant Bowers being brought back from the Antarctic. He replied : " The best people to judge of that are those who served with Captain Scott and his gallant men. They were his constant companions for over two years. Had we ourselves been in the same place as. Captain Scott and those with him we should have wished that our bodies should . remain, at rest where we 'had given our best,, efforts in the cause we so earnestly believed in.", The commander, asked in regard to his movements, said that he would remain in New Zealand till Mrs. Scott arrived. With Lieutenant W. Bruce (Mrs. Scott's brother) he would go to Wellif^ton and meet her there. Mrs. Scott will arrive in Christchurch in about a fortnight. She received the news of the fate •of the southern party by^vifeless on board the Aorangi. '