Second Edition THE SOUTH POLE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 65, 12 March 1912, Page 6

Second Edition THE SOUTH POLE.

CON GRAT'D L ATTO NS FOR CAP TAIN AMUNDSEN.

FROM FEDERAL PREMIER

(By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.)

Melbourne, 11

Mr Fisher has cabled to Captain Amundson, “Congratulate you heartily on the success of your cxpcdib.cu and safe return, and hope to see yon on vonr visit to Melbourne.”

COULD SCOTT BE FIRST?

(Received 12, 8.5 a.m.)' Christiania, March 11

Dr. Nansen states that Amundsen’s discovery that the amount of precipitation was small in the country he traversed may explain why the land is not buried in an ice-cap similar to Greenland. lit was unlikely that Scott was ahead of Amundsen at the Pole, which was only one of the many tasks Scott sat himself. It was impossible that Scott’s ponies could travel so early in the spring as Aimmdson’s dogs.

NEWS NOW FREELY GIVEN

(Received 12, 9.0 atm.) Hobart, March 12

The embargo placed on the Fram since its arrival has been removed and Amundsen invited pressmen to visit the vessel. Everything was found in spic and span order. Four men who acr companded Amundsen to the Polo were the central object of attention. Their names are Bjaaland, Hansen, Haase! and Misting. All were accomplished in the use of snow shoes and better comrades, Amundson, declares, one could not wish for. To them, to the dogs and to the skis their success was due.

Haase] said the cold experienced in tho journey was really not very formidable. Near the Pole itself the weather was fine most of the time. Ho had known it colder in Christiania. He wore furs to start with, hut found them too warm for inarching in. If they went in their ordinary clothes they would never have got through. As far as food supplies were concerned, dog flesh was not of the worst, while tho dogs themselves seemed fond of each other as food. Some were fonder of their companions dead than alive.Amundsen was a wonderful man—to him the getting through without accident or mishap was due.

A PRESENT FOR MAWSON

(Received 12, 10.50 a.m.)

Hobart, March 12,

Amundsen, interviewed, announced his intention of presenting the Mawson expedition with twenty-oiio Greenland dogs and the sledges ured by him in his -expedition. Giving id vice in regard to the Mawson relief ship he s-niid previous expeditions ’ had declared that the normal conditions of the southern seas was terrible. His experience was entirely to tho contrary.

PHAIISE FOB THE DOGS

(Received 12, 10.0 a.m.)

London, March 11. The “Chronicle” publishes additional dews from Amundsen, who says: 44 1 saw nothing of Scott, hut if lie did not roach the Pole sooner than myself, at is exceedingly likely that he' did’ so later. The altitude was our greatest difficulty, it being sometimes 16,590 ieot (?). The Pols is at an altitude (10,500 feet, and while there wo had difficulty in breathing. Twenty-four dogs wore killed at latitude 85.30. They wore fat and made good eating. 'The dogs always had full meals. Three of the best dogs wore lost by desertion, and the return journey showed that they had plundered one of the depots. There was a remarkable absence of life. Two skua gulls were seen at 8-1,30 degrees. Christmas Day was spent at a high altitude. Extra biscuits and porridge were allowed.” Amundsen attributes (his success to the use of skis and the magnificent condition of the dogs, which wore quite fat at tlie end 'T the journey. They suffered no real Hardship. The King Edward Land expedition saw a. bird of a new species. They were unable lo erect a cairn at the Pole owing to the absence of stones. Amundsen considers calm still weather is the prevalent condition round tine Pole.

SHACKLETOX’S STATEMENT

(Received 12, 8.2 d a.m.) Sydney, March 12. Amundsen thinks the tent and Hags left at the Polo should remain in position along time, unless the weather uas worse than they experienced. Thcire was no danger that the tent would blow away, and probably it would be a couple of years before it was covered with snow. Referring to Shackloton’s statement that King Haakon’s plateau was the same as ihe Christened King Edward Plateau, ho said there must ho some mistake. He does not think Shackleton said that. He may have meant it was all part of the same elevated area. Shackleton, when lie reached his farthest south, was still going up, while ho (Amundsen) reached the greatest height at about the same latitude as that in which Shackleton turned hack, and then began to descend again to a slightly sloping plateau, on which the Pole stands, and which was called King Haakon. On the plateau named by Shackleton, Amundson pointed out, the place ascended to the mountains about 100 miles eastward of the Beardmore Glacier, lip which Shackleton made his*"way. It would have been a roundabout route .to have gone up they Beardmore Glacier, and the place chosen was easily ascended though ov-

or 10,000 feet high. “We were,” saM Amundson, “four days at the Pole Itself. All exorcised the greatest care in making observations. We stopped when wo got as nearly as we could ascertain to 89deg. 55min., or live miles from tlie Polo and took our reckoning from there. Then wo went on to the Pole itself, where we individually took tlie most careful observations we could. In order to make quite certain the four of'us went out to four points at about live miles with

the Polo as a centre and took observations there in addition to the observations at tlie Pole itself. We could not, of course, determine it as exactly as a. man in an observatory with all his instruments at hand. At the same time we used all possible care. 1 do not think there could be any material error.”

Amundsen says the spot located iis the Polo is perfectly flat as far as the eye can reach. Had Shackleton crossed the plateau lie named King Edward lie would have been within seeing distance of the Pole, so flat and even was tlie ice. Besides the Amundsen party another party under •Captain Johansen with a base at Framhoim, devoted itself to exploration of the neighbouring portion of King Edward Land. They wont eastward and met many escapes, losing several dogs. It would sometimes happen that the skis would pass over ice all right, but suddenly, without warning, the dogs would sink right through into bottomless crevasses and not be seen again. Tlie men, by following the dogs, escaped what otherwise. would have been instant death.

Captain Millson, of the Fram, stated that during the stay in tho Bay of Whales, lire met the Japanese- expedition'. The Japanese landed, -climbed the great barrier, and stayed till the following morning. . Afterwards they erected a tent on the barrier and left two men there. Five days afterwards a strong breeae sprang up ami the Japanese vessel left and that was the last he saw of her. The two Japs left behind -said their ship had gone to King Edward Laud and was going to call hack for them. They were we!) provisioned and found and were still there when the Fram left with the Amundsen party on January 30th.