FROM THE SOUTH POLE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 81, 2 April 1912, Page 5

FROM THE SOUTH POLE.

-fM INTERESTING NARRATIVE FROM 4 SCOTT’S EXPEDITION.

FULL DETAILS REGARDING THE PRELIMINARY WORK

IN CONNECTION WITH THE POLE DASH.

THE RELIABILITY OF MOTOR TRACTION DEMONSTRATE

ED BEYOND DCjffßT.

NEWS ENDS A HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILES FROM THE

POLE—WHENCE THE DASH OCCURS.

EXPEDITION REMAINING ANOTHER YEAR IN THE

SOUTH, rn

. o:;» (Antarctic Special.— Copyright Summary.)

Akaroa, April 1. The Terra Nova arrived here at 7.30 a.m., unheralded, in command of Capt. Pennell. Captain Scott, as the story shows, when last heard of was making a gallant effort, despite adversities, to achieve his objective. Captain Pennell expressed the utmost Confidence of his success. The scientific work of the expedition was of a valuable charactei. In addition to the southern party the ship was compelled, owing to bad ice conditions, to leave behind Lieutenant Campbell’s party, who were landed on the Drygalski barrier and thence sledged into the interior. The parties, however, were fully prepared for this emergency, and no alarm need be felt. ■ Two geological expeditions on the west coast produced good results. Coal fossils, which had not been discovered before, were found. The health of the expedition was excellent, except that of 'Lieutenant Evans, who is now convalescing after an attack of scurvy. , The Terra Nova will return south in November. CAPTAIN SCOTT’S STORY. Captain Scott’s own- story is as follows:—We reached Macmurdo Sound on October 30, 19X1.^ * spa;, ice broke at the South Cape, qufl several communication with the station depot. A party consisting bf "'t/welW 1 - iuen, eight ponies and two dog'teams were occupied till October 30, establishing a base camp on the barrier, seven miles E.S.E. of the Hut Point. Owing to the heavy weights ‘transported the main part of the supplies were 10ft at this camp, and the party proceeded with single loads E.S.E. for 27 miles to a spot named Corner Carpp. , .Before turning south to avoid the .ere-, vasses of White Islaild, the snow‘Surface proved very soft, making terribly •Lard work for the ponies. A three days’ heavy blizzard at Corner- Camp was a further severe trial to the anim'als, which were not in good condition. Travelling South. On February 8 we proceeded south, marching iby night and resting by day. The weather was exceptionally bad, but the surface improved. The three wakest ponies were sent back, but these unfortunately caught another bad blizzard and two succumbed. With the remaining ponies and dogs we reached latitude 79i degrees. On February 16 I decided, owing to the condition of the weather and the animals, to make a depot here, and return. We left more than a ton of stores at this camp and a ton at Corner Camp, which should he a great help to us this season. I returned to the base camp with the dog teams. A Miraculous Escape. Whilst cutting a corner at White Island, in a bad light, the whole o'! our dog team fell into a crevasse. Meares, myself, and the sledge were miraculously held up on part of the bridge of the crevasse, along 'which had been travelling. Most of the dogs, hung by their harness, and it was only with great difficulty 'that we extricated the animals, after three hours’ work. One was badly injured by a fall of sixty feet, and afterwards died. At the base camp I found a single pony well, and visiting Hut Point I received news of the Terra Nova and the Fram. At Corner Camp. On February 24, with men on skis and a single pony, I started to take more stores to Corner Camp. Or the outward journey wc passed the returning ponies, going well. Returning to Corner Camp I was held up by a blizzard on February 27th, -b^Tagain reached the base camp on Ferrary 28th. I found that the storm had been phenomenal at this place, raging for three days and causing enormous 'accumulations- of snow. The shifts of the wind had baffled all efforts to shelter the ponies with snow walls, and the animals had suf--.■i fered very badly. I decided to re- ' tire to Hut Point without delay. Wilson and Meares, driving the dog •teams, reached Hut Point in safety. Bates, Gran and I remained to try and save one pony badly bitten by the blizzard. Adrift on the Icc. Bokers, Cherry, Garrard, and Crean, with four of the best ponies, set out to follow the dogs. On nearing Hut Point they found cracks in the sea ice, and hastily turned and

marchedi-four miles south. There, at 2 a.m., on March 1, the tired ponies obliged the-party to camp. (At 4.30 Bowers ’.wits awakened by a noise, and found the,- ice broken all around the camp, moving with a heavy swell. One pony hsid disappeared from the picketting dine and was never seen again. f Ha,stily packing the cledges, 'the party decided to try to work S.W. over the: pack. With infinite difficulty the 1 sledges were dragged, and the ponies jumped from floe to floe towards, the barrier, but found its ice wall unclimbable. The swell was churning u and breaking heavy floes against,jit. In this dilemma Crean was allowed to attempt to obtain help. He travelled east over the moving pack to 1 find a break in the ice wall. Eventually he hoisted himself to the barrier qtmrface by wedging bis ski stick ino a crack. ~A Fortunate Rescue. Ignorant of these events, after failing io spjve the sick pony, my party bad reached the barrier edge in the

forenoon. We found the sea icc gone aiydj tbe barrier breaking under . foot, forcing us to retreat hurriedly ; with the gravest anxiety. My fears were confirmed when Wilson, who had traVellecV', out overland, reported having seep, with his glasses the ponies adrift cut "the. sea- ice. An hour later Crean Ilyas' seen;' approaching. . - ,0u ' new's,. Oates, Crean and I sft off Immediately to the west. Working found the bay we -approached the barrier edge, and 6 p.m., by good fortune, tfi&covered the missing party. 7 rnluiH’s -. * & \ J The pack, which had been drifting N.W., bad i temporarily stopped, and the swell subsiding, with an Alpine rope the''men were rescued without difficulty.! Working on through the ■ might' wed Succeeded in saving the sledges • bud their loads, but could <’o ndtlpng’/’for the ponies, which were only thirty yards away. At 4 a.m. the pack' began to move, and w© left the ponies with full nosebags and rested. At 8 a.m. the pack was again stationary. We marched north and found thp ponies and made desperate efforts Ito itsave them. Bowers and Oates risked a long detour over the pack atid led the animals over many jumps, t .'i\vh,ilst the remainder dug a trench ,in the lower part of the barrier edge. The floes were high above the watef and very uneven. Killer whales hung about within a few yards of the ponies at every jump. We lost one pony] but at last won through. The pack wfe 1 moving again as we left. It drifted clear to 'the north.

On March 4 we ascended the hills east of <Castle Rock, and on the stb the party, with the two remaining ponies jand the dog teams, was safely housed at Hut Point. By tins incident lost three of our strongest ponies, Avhich was a severe I low to the expedition, but not enough to wreck its plans, if the remain.ug animals , could be preserved. The heavy swell wh’C'i caused this disaster broke more than 10 miles past the sea ice and sent large fragments of the barrier two. miles up tho glacier tongue, a feature otherwise unchanged since 1902. - " Discovery Hut. T ' Discovery Hut was found almost completely filled with hard snow, the windows (broken, and the door unhinged;-,- With much labour it was cleared( and repaired. It then afforded gock shelter. Whilst ,we were forced' to wait for the sea to frofcze over we,Settled down to a very primitive life. With old tins and discard er fragments of metal we constructed an excellent blubber stove and several blifbber lamps. We fed almost entirely On seal meat. Seals could only be obtained at a distance ever the hills and were sometimes scarce, but the-(Supply never failed entirc-lj. Thanks to the ingenuity shown by my compailions in improvising arrangements liWith the slenderest resources, the splendid' health we enjoyed, and the discovery of a box of old magazines,'dVe were quite comfortable.

, r The Geological Party. On March 15, the western geological party .returned, bringing the total up to sixteen persons. The party had spent ! six weeks making a clone survey of' the dry valley of the lower Forrar,. and Koettlitz glacier regions, completing an important part of our plan for a geological survey of the coast *y j. j Heavy Weather. On torch 17, I nontenant Evans led a party to Corner Camp, completing the depot arrangements for the coming season. The temperature of the.

barrier had already fallen to niinu

40deg. Throughout the month ice continually formed over the sea, ou strong winds quickly drove it north After March 25 the ice remained fas', in the sheltered bays, but continued to drive out of the sound. Huge landice falls on the south-west slope: ■ of Mt. Erebus prevented itny pcs sihility of returning to Cape Evans h, land, but with the freezing of tin bays I decided to make an atcemp to reach the station, partly by lane and partly by sea and ice. Mysei and eight companions started on lApri 11, and though caught in a storm o. the sea ice, we reached Cape Evan: early on April 13. We found th station, which had been left in Simp son’s charge, in excellent order. Th arrangements for our comfort wen remarkably perfect. The numeroni. self-cording instruments were in ful swing, and all the records were com I pletfc to date. All the news was good, except, that the loss of one oi the nine remaining ponies and one dog. During our absence there ha: been much wind, the mean velocity fu two months having been 24 miles a.: hour. For 19 per cent, of the whole lime the wind had been over gal: strength, and all the observation: pointed to an exceptionally severe season. ' Rsturn to Hut Point. On April 17 I returned to R,. Point, witii a fresh sledge party, ca. N rying a supply of stores. As rwa impossible for animals to travel o. the route taken, 1 left Meares am five others in cnarge of those at Hi. Point, and again returned to Cap Evans on April 30. The sea ice con tinned to drive out of the sound until the first week of May, and it was no, until May 15, three months after th, sun had gone, that the men and an; mats left at Hut Point safely return ed to the main station. The soum froze solid in. May, and later in th. winter the fast ice extended to a. unprecedented distance to the nortii despite numerous gales.

Ths winter Hut. After the return of the absentee; wo settled down very comfortably i. the winter hut. Its arrangement; for lighting, heating, cooking, au, ventilation proved eminently satisfactory. A comfortable stable w.t; built for the peonies, and some shell*;, improvised for the dogs. During tin four winter months the temperater. at the station was rarely below minv 40d0g., at lowest minus 50deg. Tin wind averaged 15 miles an hour, am sometimes blew hard with the tern porature at minus 30deg. Every j-u w'as very .fully occupied with the sta, tion and scientific ;work, exerciser the animals, etc', A series of k, tures was, organised, rrand : fobtbal played. To within a month of mid winter frequent visits were made tc. Cape Royds. The Hut Point animal; steadily improved in condition.

■ The Emperor Penguins. On June 6, in mid-winter, Wilson. Bowers, Cherry and Garrard started on a sledge journey to Cape Croziei to observe the 'incubation'of the Emperor penguins at their rookery. Tin very heavy surface on the barrier fore cd the party to delay their work During the main part of the fortnigh. which was taken on the outward jour ney the temperature was seldom abovt minus 60deg. and often below minuf 70deg. The lowest observed with the sling thermometer was minus 77 deg. On the slopes of Mt. Terroi the party spent three days building a stone hut, which they roofed with can vas from their camp. The men had great difficulty in crossing the bug( barrier, crevasses and ridges in tin dim twilight to reach the rookery. They were successful at their seconc attempt, and found comparatively fen birds at the rookery, but these had begun to lay even ,at this early date Fortunately some eggs at different stages of development were secured which should give considerable infer mation concerning the embryology of this interesting bird.

A Sensational Storm. The same night a violent gale commenced, against the force of which the ridge 'proved inadequate shelter. Hurricane gusts whirled down on tin hut, which was carefully secured, though several articles were blow/ away. After straining for fourteen hours the roof of the hut flew to ribbons. For thirty hours or more the travellers were confined to their frozen sleeping bags, half buried in snow, rocks and debris. Forty-eight hour; elapsed before the wind decreased and they were able to get a meal. Searching for lost articles they were fortunate in finding the tent amongst some morainic boulders, practically uninjured. The state of their equipment now forced them to turn homeward. On the return journey they were hek up for two days by another storm but thereafter the temperature fcl and remained below minus GOdeg. Tin party returned after five weeks’ ab s' nee, encased in ice and suffering from want of sleep, but otherwise well. Having regard to the darkness ant the extreme temperature this first winter journey remains a remarkable feat of endurance. It also shows the extraordinarily severe conditions that obtain on the great snow plain of the barrier during the sunless season Since the return of the sun in August a considerable increase vinr has been recorded. The temperature; have remained as moderate in tin spring as in the winter. A Mysterious Dog Sickness.

On September 1, Meares, Himintr and the dog teams made their headqi aiders at Hut Point, the d >gs 1 e ing in splendid form. lit intervals since our arrival, however, some obscure disease has robbed us of four excellent dogs. In every case the dog attacked appeared to ho vigorous! \ healthy, hut died iu a few hours. H is thought that the cause may have

; been some minute thread worm entering the brain. A Polar Telephone. At the end of the month telephone communication was established v ; th Hut Point, through a 15 miles bare wire. This telephone has already proved extremely useful for reporting the movements of parties and impending changes of weather. !

The Fatal Frost Bite. Lieut. Evans, Gran and Forde travelled to Corner Camp to rebuild the cairns. They experienced a temperalure of between 60 and 70deg., and Forde’s hands were badly frostbitten, but he is now recovering rapidly. The Ferrar Glacier.

With Bowers, Simpson, a petty officer and Evans, >1 travelled west, ascending the Fcrrar Glacier. We found by the stakes planted hy Wright that the ice stream had moved thirty feet in seven months. Forty-five miles north-west of our stations we.found part of the glacier tongue broken in March, with the forage depot loft by Campbell intact. Owing to work ai the station and the need of increas ing exercise for the ponies we haJ boon unable to undertake further spring journeys. Future Plans. The western geological party, consisting of Taylor, De'henham, Gran, and Eorde, was delayed by Fordo'; accident, but will leave in a few days for Granite Harbor. All the pllns and preparations for the southern journey are now complete. Despite the accidents of last season we have great hopes of success. The necessity of getting the utmost out of the remaining ponies has decided me not to expose them to the great cold. We shall, therefore, start later than originally intended. Motor Traction Tested. (A party consisting of Lieut. Evans, Day’, Lastley, and Hooper started five Jays ago with two motor sledges dragging fuel and forage. The motors experienced unexpected difficulty on the ■ioa ice, where it was very thinly covered with snow, but when last seen were going well. They had already placed the possibilities of motor traction beyond question. A Well Organised Advance. A party consisting of Scott and ten others, were to start about November Ist independently of the success ci the motors. The pontes were to : be worked with light loads and easy marches to “one ton camp” with such pressure as thereafter necessary ,and be joined there by dog teams, and then the party hoped tp get thirty units of food to'thejfpotj of the .BearA ( Glacier, .ea-qh,unit being a week’s food for jfquft ijaenjj Then, with three divisions of four mem and 21 units of provisions Scott hoped to extend the advance to the required distance if the weather proved favourable. r ‘ Good Health Genera!. Of the ten remaining ponies eight arc in very fine form and the officers and men are in splendid health ana eager to go foihvai!<fe nji >• TJJO 1 . Most Southern Party. Owing decision to postpone the date of .departure there is an obvious chance that the most advanced southern party will be unable To catch the Terra Nova before she is forced to quit the Sounds Facilities for Work. In view of the important scientificwork done and the facilities for further work it was decided to maintain the shore party for a second year, the majority of the shore party probably remaining till November 24th, in latitude 81.15. Following the Motors. The party left Hut Point on November 2nd and for sixty miles, followed the tracks of sledges. Then they found the machines abandoned and reached One Ton Camp on the morning ol the sixteenth. The party left there on the seventeenth and marched fifteen miles nightly for eight nights, when they overtook the motor party. The motors had been remarkably successful but were abandoned because the overheating of the air cooled the engines and time did not permit the defects being taken in hand. Snow cairns were built every four miles for guidance homewards and a week’s provisions was left on every degree cl latitude. Ponies Sacrificed. By the time tiie 83rd parallel was reached five ponies had been slaughtered. None of these were exhausted but were sacrificed on account of lightening the loads and as food for the dogs. The weather grew worse and there were frequent snowstorm=„ the land being rarely visible. It was mes! difficult to keep a straight course and maintain steady marches. The ponies continued to do excellent work. A Heavy Blizzard. They reached latitude 83.24, within twelve miles of Mt. Hope, on December 4th. They were then held up for four days by a very heavy blizzard. They had continually to dig out the ponies. An Arduous March. On the tenth the temperature was rising and, the snow melting on the equipment, completely soaked everything. The wot snow made travelling most difficult and it took fourteen hours without meals to cover eight miles. Then the remaining ponies were destroyed, as there was no more forage for them. Morass of Wet Snow. The party passed through a pass and descended on the Bcardmore Glacier. The snowstorm had then cost the party live days. On December 21st they wore in latitude 85.7 at a height of 0800 feet. For four days the party struggled through a morass ol wot snow averaging loss 'than five miles a day although working ten tr twelve hours. They reached Cloud-

maker Mountain on the seventeenth so the storm cost a week’s advance but only half a day’s food was show on the programme. The Polar Party. The members going forward from there arc Scott, Lieut. Evans, Will son, Bowers, Oates, Lastley, Petty Of freer Evans, and Crean. it was rnos difficult to select the returning part; which brought this note.

Altitude Incraasing. January 3rd, latitude 87.32, heigh about 9SOO foot.—After leaving the glacier depot south of Mount Dar win the party steered southwest f Ol two days, .but this did not keep their, clear of pressure ridges and crevasses, which occurred frequently. They then rose rapidly in altitude and found it less difficult on the third and fourth days, when, owing to the altitude, they got a splendid view of the distribution of land masses fringing the ice-sheet and the Armament ice falls. Since leaving the depot the marcac; averaged fifteen miles daily. The Festive Season. On Christmas Day they were cl a si up to the 86th parallel. Christina; faro gave them an excellent march o' seventeen miles but the effect was no. so happy ( on the following day. The surface gtew more difficult as they approached the 87th parallel. A Handy Man. On New Year’s Eve, in latitude 86.56, they depoted two units of provisions and rebuilt the sledges with a new sort of runners which was : remarkable piece of work performed by a seaman of the party under ad verse conditions. Although this cos nearly a day’s march the change amply repaid them. The Final Dash. The party was now within a hundred and fifty miles of the Pole. From hero Scqtt is going forward with four others, these being Dr. Willson, chief of the scientific party, Captain Oates who had been in charge of the ponies, Lieutenant Bowers and Petty Office; Evans. Three others, under Lieuten ant Evans, returned with this note. The advance party took a month’s provisions. • The prospect of success seemed good, providing the weather holds good and no unforeseen obstacles arose. It was very difficult to choose the advance party as all were fit and able to go forward. Those returning were much disappointed. The weather on the plateau had been good on the whole—the sun had never deserted them but the temperatures were low at times. When Evans left it was minus twenty degrees. The wind was pretty constant. The party, however, were excellently : equipped.All arrangements had worked out satisfactorily. ! : ' 1. 1 , Further News/ Probably no further news will In received from Scott this year, as their return must necessarily be late. '""'VERY LATEST MEWS. Akaroa, April Brief accounts are given of the journeys of the first two parties, recebwd from the as it advanced! ' - „K ■ ■' i ‘ P : A Long ; Farewell. Christmas Day (was spent on the Beardmore Glacier. Evans, Lastley, 1 and Crean bid Scott’s party farewell. Evans' Trying Tims. January 4th.-—Started the return journey to Discovery Hut. On the journey Lieut. Evans* developed scurvy. After muh suffering Evans was compelled to pull up at Corner Camp. Food running short and Evans getting worse, Crean then set out for Disovery Hut, leaving Lastley remaining with Evans. Crean met Dr. Atkinson and Dimitri at Discovery. After an arduous march of 18 hours the party returned for Evans, who was conveyed to Discovery and subsequently placed aboard the Terra Nova when convalescent. Cherry, Garrard and Dimitri left for Discovery to meet Scott on February 26th. The Ship’s Doings. The Terra Nova reports that the ship left Lyttelton on December 15th with mules, dogs- and supplies and experienced fine weather right throughout. The ship was finally loft j in the pack ice. Icebergs were reach- j ed on January 3rd. The icebergs and I the swift tidal streams made the re- j lief of Campbell’s party difficult. Tne j ship was only able to approach the | beach at Cape Adare for two hour- I It was not till February 6th that the ship was able to be secured alongside safe ice for the relief of the western geological party. The ship was then three miles north of Cape Evans. Stores, mules, and dogs were landed, the animals being in excellent condition after being aboard 55 days. The western party was picked up and the ship proceeded to the north to pick up the northern party. This could not be effected owing to heavy pack. On March sth the ship finally left Cape Evans for New Zealand. Returning Members. The following members embarked for the return: Simpson, Hears, Porting, Taylor, Day, Anton. NO RACE FOR THE POLE, THE VIEWS OF SIR CLEMENT MARKHAM. London, April 1. Sir Clement Markham, in a Jotter to the Times, emphasises the fact that there was no race to the Pole. He had recommended the revision of Captain Balleny’s, Admiral D’Urville’s and Captain Wilkes’ discoveries, and Dr. Mawson had undertaken this. It was, he said, always Capt. Scott’s desire to complete his own ami former work. There was no question of me ' ing or conquering the ground. The nl]ect was research in every branch Captain Amundson’s plan on the other hand, was different. His idea war . to dash for the Pole without Cap-

ttln Scott’s knowledge. Had Cap tain Amundsen’s,scheme been knowi is would not have affected Captah Scott’s plan. CAPIASES AMUNDSEN. ENTERTAINED BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. NO PETTY JEALOUSY. Melbourne, April 1. The Federal Government entertain ed Captain Amundsen. The latter ex pressed himself as gratified by tin entire absence of petty jealousy in Australia. ARRANGEMENTS TO LECTURE IN AUCKLAND. BEFORE THE NEXT DASH. Auckland, (April 1. A cablegram was received by the Town Clerk this morning from Syd ney, conveying a request that the Town Hall should be reserved for eith er April 22nd or 29th, on behalf of Captain Amundsen, the Antarctic explorer. The cablegram was despatched by Mr Smythe, who has charge of the arrangements of any lectures which may be given by Captain Amundsen during his call at New Zealand cn route to South America, for the purpose of joining the Frarn, prior to his departure for the North Pole. It is considered probable that Captain Amundsen will arrive in Auckland from Sydney on April 21st.