POLAR TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1064, 15 February 1913, Page 3

POLAR TRAGEDY.

FURTHER DETAILS

Christchurch, Feb. 13. The following facts ol further interest" to the public are supplied by the leaders of the Antarctic expedition. 'On January 4th, 1912, Commander Evans left Capt. Scott and - his party to continue their journey to the Pole. They marched on an average of twelve miles a day right up to the Pole, which they reach'ed on January 17th. about 156 miles from the spot where Commander Evans turned, in 87 degrees 35 minutes. • The first day at the Pole.was cloudv with a mock sun; the second day, the 18th January, was clearer, the sun being visible. Sights were taken, Captain Scott , using a four inch theodolite, while Captain Amundsen used a sextant with an artificial horizon. The fixing of the Pole by the two explorers differed only by half a mile, thus practically locating the same spot. Scott's observation gave the position as 89 degrees minutes. The party marched on an extra half-mile by the sledge meter, and there planted the Union Jack. In latitude 88 they picked up the Norwegian dog tracks, and followed these to the Norwegian camp. Within three miles of the Pole the track was obliterated by drift.

At intervals the party found all the records and gear left by Amundsen. There was evidence of a slight blizzard since Amundsen had erected his tent. The temperature was about 20 degrees below zero. The surface, unlike the Barrier, was soft and with no crust. It was found that the snow, collected from any depth, on melt-' ing was also unlike the Barrier snow, and gave little water. Ten photographs of Scott’s party' at the Pole were taken. The films were recovered, and were developed at. Cape Evans ; also two photographs of the Norwegian tent with Scott’s party ' round it.

The return journey over the plateau was marked by a series ot good marches and medium weather, the temperatures- averaging between 20 and 30 degrees . below zero. The marches varied from up to 18 miles per day to the top of. the Beardmore glacier. Both depots on the plateau, one in 87 degrees south and one close under Mt. Darwin, 95.7 degrees south, were secured before descending the Beardmore glacier. Dr Wilson and Lieut. Bowers visited Buckley Island and a large nunatak at the top of the glacier. Here they spent some time making a large collection of fossil-bearing sandstones, and also coal in quantity. These fossils should finally settle the age of the latest sedimentary deposits yet found in Victoria Land, and are certainly the best , yet obtained in this locality. Leaving Buckley Island and going down the glacier they passed Mount Kinsey, a magnificent dolomite peak eleven thousand feet high, and an admirable point to stear by. They reached a small depot underneath the Cloudmaker, and another halt was made for geological investigations. From the side of the Cloudmaker fossils of much greater age were found in the limestone. In all, 35 pounds of geological specimens were carefully packed and taken forward by the party right up to its last camp, and they are now in possession of the expedition. From' the Cloudmaker to the foot of the Beardmore glacier the surfaces they encountered were the same deep snow surfaces as were found on the way up, which, with the bad weather, severely hampered their march. Throughout the descent the weather was abominably thick with snow crystals falling, and the surrounding land only occasionally seen. Scott dates the beginning of Petty Officer Evans’ failure from the time of reaching the Pole. He was a great anxiety to them on the plateau. On their descent of the glacier they got amongst very rough ice, and Petty Officer Evans fell, injuring his head and sustaining serious concussion. During • the. whole descent his condition delayed the party, and the, surplus food gradually diminished. On February 17th, while on the march, his foot worked out of the ski shoe, and he was compelled to fall out and remain behind to readjust- his foot gear. ; The party moved along, and seeing he was not following, they camped and cooked a meal, anticipating that Evans would reach the tent when the meal was ready. As he was not up at that time they went back ‘ fbr him, and found he had collapsed. He had bravely tried to go forward, but had to be placed on the sledge. He died a natural death within two hours of reaching the tent. This delay, as ' Scott stated, greatly weakened the party, and made an inroad into the surplus provisions, and unduly advanced the season. ~ Owing to the lateness of the season and the consequent fall in the temperature, the surface became like sand. It is well known in-polar climates that ice crystals which melt under friction caused by a sledge running over them at • higher temperatures. cease to do so when the thermometer falls to *0 below zero, am* become cutting edges. - These low temperatures ' complained of by Scott account for the slowness of his party’s progress over the barrier. The average distance between the depots was 65 miles, which,' not allowing for-bad weather, meant , that the party must average over nine miles daily. ; Food and fuel in each'depot gave fall rations M this for a week. The best march

of the southern party on the Barrier was approximately nine miles, falling in the later stages to as low as three miles. This failure to maintain the higher speed was undoubtedly due to poor Oates’ failing condition. The constant tax on the energies of the party was rapidly weakening them, and when they had to face persistent winds and frequent blizzards, the hopeless nature of the outlook was forced upon them, but they never relinquished their gallant struggle, and fought on heroically to the bitter end.

As recorded in the previous despatch, the search party found the tent on November 10th, 1912, half-covered with snow. The sledge with the gear was completely covered. The tent was well spread, and the inner tent was in place on its poles. The bodies were identified, the inner tent placed over them, and a large cairn of snow erected. A cross was placed on top, and the following record left•

“This cross and cairn are erected over the remains of Captain R. F. Scott, C.V.0., R.N., Doctor E. A. Wilson and Lieut. Bowers, R.1.M., as a slight token to perpetuate their gallant and successful attempt to reach the Pole. This, they did on the 17th January, 1912, ; after the Norwegians had already done so, on 15th December, 1911. Also to commemorate their two gallant comrades, Captain L. E. G. Oat=s, of the Inniskillen Dragoons, who walked to bis death in a blizzard willingly, about 20 miles south of this place, to try and save his comrades beset by hardship. Also of Petty Officer Edgar Evans, R.N., who died at the foot of Beardmore glacier. The Lord gave, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Signed by all members of the party. Dr Atkinson states no symptom of scurvy existed. All the records were collected, and the whole search party proceeded 23 miles south to search for Captain Oates’ body. No trace of it was found. Near the site of his departure from his comrades a cross and cairn were erected, and the following record left on the cairn :

Hereabouts died a very gallant gentleman, Captain 1,. E. G. Oates, of the Inniskillea Dragoons, who, on their return from the Pole in March, 1912, willingly walked to his death in a blizzard to try and save his comrades beset by hardship. THE HERO’S WIDOW.

Commander Evans, referring to Mrs Scott, said: “I will remain in New Zealand until Mrs Scott arrives in Wellington, and with her brother, Lieut. Bruce, of the expedition, will meet her there.” Christchurch, Feb. 13.

, Asked as to whether there was any likelihood of the bodies being brought back, Commander Evans said ; —“The best people to judge of that question are those who served with Captain Scott and his gallant comrades. They were bis constant companions for over two years. Had we ourselves been in the same place as Captain Scott and those who perished with him, we could only have wished that our bodies remain at rest where we had given our best 'efforts in the cause we so earnestly believed in.”