ANOTHER ANTARCTIC TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1069, 27 February 1913, Page 2

ANOTHER ANTARCTIC TRAGEDY.

TWO MEMBERS OF MAWSON’S PARTY EOSE THEIR LIVES.

Sydney, Feb. 25

Professor David has received a wireless message stating that two of Dr Mawson’s party, Lieutenant Ninnis and Dr Mertz, are dead.

This afternoon Professor David received the following additional wireless : “Ninnis and Mertz are both dead. All the others are well. Mawson and six others will probably winter at Adelie. Very successful sledging has been experienced.”

Professor David thinks that possibly the fatal accident happened during the progress of embarkation, as, for instance, the springing up of a blizzard, but it was idle to speculate. The professor described Ninnis as a fine, fearless British military officer, of much the same type as the heroic Captain Oates. Mertz is a medical man as well as a scientist of high attainments. Both had fine physique, and were looked upon as very valuable members of the expedition.

FURTHER PARTICULARS

Svdnev, Feb. 2b

The Governor-General, Lord Denmau, has received a wireless from Dr Mawson, at Commonwealth Bay, the winter quarters of the expedition, via Macquarie and Hobart.

It states that the sledging season was successful in opening tip a large area of new land east and west of Commonwealth Bay, and in obtaining important data at a number of stations in close proximity to the magnetic pole. “Probably six of the staff and myself,” says the doctor, “will be unavoidably detained here for another year. Unfortunately Nine is and Hertz, both lost their lives. All the others are alive and 'well. “Please communicate the following to King George ; ‘As leader of the Australian Antarctic expedition, 1 take the opportunity of the first regular wireless communication between our main Antarctic base and other portions of your Majesty’s Dominion to request permission to name a large area of newly-discovered land King George the Fifth Land. It lies between Victoria Laud and Adelie Land. Our most willingefforts were concentrated upon it.’ ”

Eord Denman has despatched the message to the King, and replied to Dr Mawsou, deploring the calamity.