SCOTT PERISHES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 36, 11 February 1913, Page 5

SCOTT PERISHES

AFTER REACHING THE POLE PARTY LOST IN A BLIZZARD (Per Press Association.) (Extraordinary Special to “ Stratford Evening Post.”) LONDON, February 10th. Captain Scott and Party perished in a blizzard after reaching the So«th Pole on January \ 6th. The news has caused a sensation here.

HOW THEY DIED. NEARLY ELEVEN MONTHS AGO. “AN IDEAL ENGLISH SAILOR.” (Received 2.0 p.m. London, Feoruary 10. Mr Douglas Freslffield, presiding at the Geographical Society meeting ii Lord Curzon’s absence, said they met in the shadow of a great calamity. Captain Scott reached the Pole on January 18th, 1912, and found Captain Amundsen’s records. The returning party was caught by an overwhelming blizzard on March 29 th. Captain Scott, Lieutenant Bowers, and Dr. Wilson died on that date, and Captain Oates sometime later. Petty Officer Evans succumbed to an accident. The Society sympathised with Mrs Scott, and they could only say “goodbye” to a band of heroes whose names shine as examples of the highest courage. Captain Scott would live in then memories as an English sailor. Efforts are being made to communicate by wireless with Mrs Scott on board the Aorangi. WIDOW SCOTT AT SEA. (Received 10.30 a.in.) London, February 10. Mrs Scott is now on the high seas between San Francisco and Wellington. ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL . SOCIETY. R ■ ■ tn ... ■ ■■' The Royal Geographical Society has convened a special meeting of the Council to-day to consider the disaster. SYMPATHY OF FELLOW EXPLORERS. (Received 11.5 a.m.) New York, February 10. Reuter’s New York correspondent interviewed Sir Ernest Sbackleton who said he was -amazed at the disaster to Captain Scott’s party. It was inconceivable, lie said, that an expedition so well equipped could perish in a blizzard. Sbackleton had himself faced the severest blizzards without disaster. Commander Peary, interviewed, expressed heartfelt sympathy for Mrs Scott and the relatives of Captain Scott’s brave comrades. The Terra Nova, with Captain Scott and the members of his expedition, left Cardiff on June 15, 1910. She made her way to New Zealand via Capetown and Sydney,, and sailed finally for the South on November 29. She left the Polar regions with a message from Captain Scott, dated Jan. 3, 1912, when lie was 150 miles from the Pole, which Captain Amundsen reached on Dec. 14, 1911. The vessel sailed from Lyttelton at the end of last December to pick up Captain Scott, and was not expected back till next month.

HORRIBLE! HORRIBLE!!

CAPTAIN AMUNDSEN /SHOCKED. (Received 1.50 p.m.) New York, February 10. “Horrible, horrible,” exclaimed Captain Amundsen at Madison, Wisconsin, when notified of Captain Scott’s death. There must be some horrible mistake, he said. Captain Amundsen identified the spot mentioned in Captain Scott’s records as the South Pale. The Norwegian flag was left there. Sir Ernest Shackleton, who is in New York, did not at first believe tbe story, as it was inconceivable that so, well-equipped an expedition should have perished. Ho thought scurvy was a greater jjeril than blizzards. HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED IN CHRISTCHURCH. “A NATIONAL DISASTER.” Christchurch, February 11. Not even the barest hint of the disaster was allowed to leak out yesterday/ and the news this morning came as a dreadful shock to hosts of friends made by members of the Expedition in Christchurch. Indeed, the earliest rumours received fell flat, incredulity being assumed that if such a great calamity had befallen the Expedition, those concerned would have been sure to have mentioned it when the vessel called at Oamaru, and that the secrecy so jealously maintained was in the circumstances incredible.

But t}ie persistence of the rumours carried conviction, and the fact that the Star office fiag was half-masted showed people arriving in town at 9 a.m. that sad news of some sort had been received. The Cathedral bells tolled shortly afterwards, and the tragedy soon took on the appearance of a national disister so far as this city is concerned. As Mr Kinsey was empanelled and unable to see visitors, the newspaper ■iflices had to answer queries, and the public refused to believe that no information was obtainable locally.

Mr Kinsey states that a full report if the Expedition will probably bo sent to the New Zealand papers tonight, and in the meantime only such brief messages as are being sent from London will bo available. A very painful sensation was caused hero when the London message came through concerning the loss of the Southern party, consisting of Captain Scott, Dr. Wilson, Captain Oates, Petty-officer Evans, Lieut. Bowers. Application was immediately made to Mr J. J. Kinsey,Hhe New Zealand agent for the Expedition, for ro; .firmatiofi of the London message. Mr Kinsey, however, was unable to add any details of the message received from London. He said it was a repetition of one he had himself sent. A further message should shortly be in the hands of the New Zealand newspapers, hut all the information at this stage would have to come through London. It is understood that Mrs Wilson lias been for some time in New Zealand waifing for her husband’s leturn. Mrs Scott is now on her way from San Francisco, and the early return of the Terra Nova yesterday caused much speculation.

It was known that Captain Scott’s plans involved the, fdll utilisation of the summer months in the Antarctica, vnd the Terra Nova consequently expected to he late iiT March. There was a very general suggestion that the early return was due | !o some disaster.

Lieutenant Penniall is staying with Mr Kinsey. He is anxious to remain in seclusion.

Mr Kinsey spent an arduous and sleepless night.' When seen this morning he had a pile of cablegrams on his desk and was unable td 1 see people who were anxious for details of the disaster. AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL. FIRST NEWS FROM LONDON. Christchurch, February 10. The Terra Nova returned much earlier than was expected. It was given out that the Terra Nova would return to New Zealand some time in March, and, indeed, Mrs Scott, wife of the leader of the expedition, who left San Francisco a few days ago, on her way out to meet her husband, confirmed this statement. It may be, of course, that the Terra Nova, on arriving at the base, found the whole party waiting and everything in readiness for immediate return. The Terra Nova will probably be a day or two in New Zealand before any news is given out to enable the official story of the expedition to be cabled Home for first publication in London. The first news, therefore, will be cabled back to New Zealand from London. The Terra Nova sailed from Lyttelton only a few weeks ago, on December 14, for the Antarctic, whence she had returned on April 4 of last year. The last news brought from Captain Scott was that he was well on his way -o the Pole and had every chance of reaching it. The members of the expedition said, they were satisfied he would do it. When the return party left him on January 3, Captain Scott still had five men and largo supplies of food, quite sufficient to take him to the Pole and back again to the depots. If he covered only eight miles a day ho would do it easily, but, as a matter of fact, he was doing fifteen. When, however, Captain Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer, returned with the victory won, interest in Captain Scott’s chances of reaching the Pole somewhat declined, for it seemed plain that the Norwegian had been the first. Captain Scott’s expedition aimed at achieving a vast amount of useful scientific and exploration work. Apart from reaching the South Pole, no other expedition had so many scientific investigators in its ranks, and the results .achieved are expected to be of the very highest value. PROFESSOR DAVID’S VIEWS. Professor David, in an interview with the Sydney Daily Telegraph’s representative, thus discussed the various polar expeditions at the time when news of Captain Amundsen’s arrival at Hobart was received; From Winter Quarters, “The total distance to the Pole and back in a beo line from Scott’s win-

ter quarters would bo about 1800 miles; rather further than that when an allowance is made for necessary detours and relay work. Sbackleton, in 1908, travelling only with four Manchurian ponies to do the traction of sledges, did about fifteen miles per day, when not held up by blizzards over the surface of the great ice barrier for about 380 miles to the foot of the immense Beardmore glacier. The Beardmore Glacier. “This glacier, ascending to a height of 8000 ft. in a distance of 100 miles, with its jagged and creviced ice surface, is a most formidable obstacle to sledging parties. Some days Shackleton’s party was only able to travel a single mile, although they were using their utmost efforts. They had no ponies to help them up Boardmore Glacier; indeed, for ponies such a surface would be quite impassable. Neither had they dogs, so that the hauling had to be all done by manual power. Further South. “From the top of Beardmore Glacier there is a distance of a little over 400 miles over a high plateau from 8000 ft. to over 10,000 ft. in altitude, to the South Polo. Shackleton’s party encountered terrific blizzards, almost up to their farthest point south, with the thermometer occasionally, although it was close to midsummer, registering 70deg. of frost Fahrenheit. Eventually they reached a spot at their farthest south about 112 miles from the Pole. By desperate efforts they retraced their steps, making false marches frequently over twenty miles per day and returned to their starting point on March 1.

Bath Possibly Succsssful, “However, many competent authorities on polar matters have been of the opinion for some time past that it was probable that both Scott and Amundsen would reach the South Pole. Amundsen had given out that he would devote just one year to the attempt, while Scott was thoroughly prepared to spend two years on the work if necessary. Shackleton’s Expedition. “Shackletoh started for the South Pole near the end of October, 1908, where as the party which went with me to the south magnetic pole started a month earlier, ahd found conditions of travelling then, though severe, quite possible for the average sledging parties. The only reason why Sbackleton delayed his start was on account of the Manchurian ponies, as he fehred the effects on the'ponies of the great cold early in the season. Scott was provided with two powerful motor sledges, as well as with Manchurian ponies and some good Siberian dogs. He could, therefore, much better afford to* take risks with ponies than could Sbackleton.”