ANTARCTIC TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 28 March 1929, Page 8

ANTARCTIC TRAGEDY

17 YEARS AGO

HOW SCOTT AND 11 IS AIEX Dl ED

A MATCHLESS AI DM OH Y

“We arrived within 11 miles of our old One Ton ('amp with fuel for one last, meal, and loud for two days. For ‘four days we have been unable to leave the tent—the gale howling about us. We are wertK, writing is difficult, hut for my own sake I do 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. . . . Had we lived. I should have had a talc to tell oT the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions, which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. ...”

Seventeen years ago on March 20th three Englishmen, huddled together in a 'frail tent, lashed by the fury of an Antarctic blizzard on the great Ice Manner, lay awaiting death from hunger, cold, and exposure within eleven miles of plenty, and little more than .1 in) miles from their base. It was a tragic end to a great adventure. Robert Falcon Scott, Edward Adrian \\ ilson. and Henry R. Mowers were the surviving members of the party ol live who lmd actually made the longest sledge joifrney on record, and had been the first Englishmen at the South Pole. For nearly live months they had been idling on foot across the "Harrier, ovei the treacherous crevasses and chasms in tne snowdrifts and icefields of the mighty Heardmore Glacier, and on the ghastly stretches of the Polar plateau. Now they were, in Scott’s own words. “ pegging out in a very comfortless spot.” It was hut a few days before the end came that the leader wrote his great Message to the Public from which the passage at the head ol this article is taken.

With its supports the Polar party, led by Captain Scott, started on the southern journey on November 1, 1911. The loss c.tf pony transport in the previous autumn forced them to start later than had been intended, and narrowed the limits of stores cut* riod. Behind all lay the knowledge that their rival, Amundsen, and his men, born and bred to iee work and with many dogs, planned to start early on a dash to the Pole. From the very first there was a foreboding that they might he forestalled, and this feeling grew with every delay and mishap dining the terrible journey across the Tee Barrier. At a time of the year when fine weather was to he expected, blizzard succeeded blizzard, and the party wore toiling paiivlully up the Beaidmore Glacier, more than a month’s painful marching away from the goal, when Amundsen and his four companions planted the Norwegian flag at th > South Pole. The latter had started on October 29, and by not sparing their dogs made the journey in compaiuthely fine weather in 5o days. Tliev readied the Pole on December 1-1. 1911, and travelling light and fast in even better weather, were hack at the Ray of Whales on January 20. Scott and his men clcardfi the Beardmore Glacier on December 22, when four members of the supporting party left on their return to the base. 'Hip remaining eight, man-h:riiling theii sledges over had surfaces in iudiffoient weather across the Polar Plateau, airived within 100 miles of the Pole on January 3. At this point "Edward Evans (new Rear-Admiral commanding the Australian Navy) with Rashly ami Groan, the final supports, turned hack, the former being nearly dead from scurvy before the base was reached. On January 10, Scott and his four companions, Wilson, Rowers. Oales and Evans, reached the South Pole only to find that they had been forestalled by the Norwegians. “ Great God!’ wrote Scott, “this is an awful place and terrible enough for us n have laboured to it without the reward of priority.” And two days later athe disheartened party started north: “ Well, we have turned our hacks now on the goal of our ambition, and must face our SOU miles of solid dragging—and good-hve to most ol the daydreams!” Dreadful as had been the southward march, the return journeywas worse. It been me a nightmare. Row-spirited and slogging every foot el the way, flio little party left the Plateau alter seven weeks in low temperature 1 with almost incessant wind. On February 1"- 0. Evans collapses and died at the foot of the Heardmore Glacier. Matters rapidly went from bad to worse. The temperature was almost constantly 00 to 70 degrees lielow freezing point. My March 2 Oates had badly frost-bitten feet, and fluend came a fortnight later. “It wablowing a blizzard. He said, ‘I am just going outside and may he some time.’ He went out into the blizzard and we have not seen him since.

The rest of tlte tragic story is told by lliese entries in Scott’s dairy:— “Wednesday. .Marcli 21.—Got within 11 miles of depot Monday niylit ; had to lay up all yesterday in severe blizzard. To-day forlorn hope. Wilson and Rowers goin*' to depot for fuel. |L “Thursday. March 22 and 23.—Blizbatl as ever—Wilson and Mower:-: to start —to-morrow last elm nee and only one or two ml food he near the end. Have doshall he natural — slmP the depot with or without and die in our traehs.” March 29.—Since the v had a continuous yalo HHB. and S.W.. We had cups two days on the 2iMli. heen ready to start, I miles away, hut oul

side the door of the lent it remains a scene of whirling drift. Ido not think we can hope for any bet ter things now. Wo shall stick it out to the end, hut we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot lu- far. It seems a pity, but I do not think l can write more.— R. Scott.”

Rast entry: “ For God’s sake look after our people.” Wilson and Mowers were found in the attitude of sleep, their sleepingbags closed over their heads as they would naturally close 1 bein'. Scott died later. He had thrown back the flaps of his sleeping hag and opened his coat. The little wallet containing the three notebooks was under his shoulders and his arm (lung across Wilson. So they were found eight months later.