MANY NARROW ESCAPES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 2, 5 April 1916, Page 5

MANY NARROW ESCAPES

Per Press Association. (Copyright.) The report on the Antarctio Exploration states: — The Aurora’s party have returned without any information of the whereabouts of Sir Ernest Sliackleton and party, or any record of their courageous work, and thus the report is shorn of the points of most vital interest. FIFTEEN MONTHS IN THE ICE. When the 'Aurora was boarded, the crew bore evidence of the long impi isonment in the ice pack and of the rough weather since encountered, but they were cheered by the renewed contact with their fellow-men and plentiful supply of fresh provisions sent by the tug: . The men had been mainly existing on seal and penguin meat. Files of newspapers twelve months old were placed aboard, and the new s was eagerly devoured. SETTING OUT ON THE JOURNEY. After leavirg Hobart on December 24th, 1914, the Aurora kept a sharp look-out for the Government steamer Endeavour, which left Hobart and was then long overdue, but they saw nothing of her. They landed sheep, poultry, and stores the Macquarrios for the pcbplo of the wireless station. THE FIRST ICEBERG.. The Aurora had a line run down, and sighted the first iceberg in latitude 60 deg. 40 min., and found Ross Sea fairly clear of ice. The Aurora reached Cap© Crozier on January 9th in sixteen days, which was a record passage. the first landing.

stating it was difficult going on the Barrier, and advising that he had returned on account of had weather on the sea ice. Mackintosh then proceeded south again, leaving instructions regarding the safe course to the Barrier across the sea ic&. AN ANXIOUS TIME. The ship hung on the edge cf the sea ice for miles north of Hut I’oint, awaiting signals, assuring her of the safety of the party there, but no signals were seen. SEEKING AN ANCHORAGE. On February 7, the ship proceeded to Cape Evans to make soundings for a winter anchorage, but owing to the bad weather, it was decided not to lay at the moorings at Evans Bay, hut to endeavor *as directed to winter thft_ship at Glacier Tongue. “BE CAREFUL, LIEUTENANT!" Strict instructions were given to Lieutenant Stenhouse by the Commander to, on no account, attempt to winter at’Hut Point. The ship was held up, but on February 18 proceeded lo the south side of the Tongue to procure water. Continual blizzards left the ship at the mercy of the winds and ice, and finally the ship was thrown on the low side of the Glacier, and remained there for seven and a-lialf hours, receiving a severe buffeting. They gave up the attempt to hang near the Tongue, owing to the danger from tlie pack, and proceeded to Capo Evans and dropped anchor off Scott’s Hut. The shortage of coal precluded a further attempt being made to seek winter quarters. SHIP’S NARROW ESCAPE. On March 10 the anchor* dragged, and the ship set close to Barne Glacier, and in a blizzard narrowly escaped destruction. On the forenoon of March 11, they put two months’ full provisions for twelve men on the shore of Discovery Bay for the non-returned parties. BLUFF PARTY RE-EMBARK. We embarked Spencer, Smith, Stevens, Hooke, Ninnis, Richards and Gaze, who had returned from the Bluff locality.

The wintering party, consisting, of Lieutenant Stenhouse, Cope, Spencer, and Smith went ashore with the others to land stores, but failed owing to the advancement of the barrier along the high Crozier cliffs, and.the party returned to the ship. Meantime the ship, driven on the ice barrier fifty feet high, lost the jibboom, and proceeded towards the entrance of * ■ cMurdo Sound, thirty miles west, and was there held up by the pack ice until January 16, when a landing was effected at Cape Evans. AT SCOTT’S HUT. Commander Mackintosh also landed , and Joyce, Stevens, Spencer and Smith proceeded to Scott’s hut, and returned after making a survey of the hut. THE SHIP AGROUND. The slfip then proceeded South, and while endeavoring to reach close communication with the shore struck the bottom and remained fast throughout the day. Attempts to heave off by the kedgo anchor and the rolling of the ship" failed to move her, but she came off in the evening. STORES AT CAPE EVANS. 1 i, ' Stores were landed at Cape Evans as follows -.-Benzine (624 * gallons), kerosene 208 gallons), and coal in bags (ten tons). ON THE SEA ICE, On the 18th a party consisting ot Lieutenant Stenhouse, Joyce, Hayward, Stevens, and Gaye proceeded over the sea ice to Hut Point, to make an inventory of the stores there. DANGEROUS PREDICAMENTS. When three miles from the ship, Stenhouse and Joyce, who were leading, sank through the snow-crust ovoi a wide crack up to their hut their skis prevented their total immersion and further calamity. Hie march was proceeded with for two hours to the south and a camp was made near Hut Point, where a tidal crack was negotiated by the sledge, yet Gaye fell in, but was promptly rescued from a dangerous predicament The party was held up by a blizzard for three days and returned to the ship on the 21st. WORK OF LAND PARTIES, On the 25th Commander Mackintosh, with Wild, Spencer and Smith, and nine dogs, left for Mouth Hopei depot, ninety miles south of Bluff oi one hundred and seventy-five Irom HutPoint. Other parties also went out. One had trouble with their motor and left it on the ice, awaiting repairs. Mackintosh left a note at the but,

FIGHTING A BLIZZARD. .On the morning of March 12, the blizzard increasing, the ship dragged her anchors again and swept dangerously close to Capes Bavue and Iloyds. The wind increased to a storm and m its face the ship was driven for forty miles from her anchorage when the weather moderated, and we returned to our anchorage and moored the ship, with two forward anchors ahead and all available wires and mooring chains run astern to an anchorage ashore. On March 23 Stevens, Spencer, Smith, Gaze, and Richards went to their quarters at the hut to carry on scientific work A BERG’S LITTLE JOKE! An iceberg near the end of the Cape capsized, causing a tremendous sea, which washed away the oil cases, some coal, and more than sufficient to provision the landed hut, and the uses of the shore party, which were sufficient for two months. SCOTT’S PROVISIONS. The provisions left by the Scott Expedition at Cape Evans was ample for all the shore party’s needs, and no fears need bo entertained for the food supplies of the party. The other stores at Hut Point were sufficient with the new depot for four months in all.

There were large colonies of seals in the vicinity of all the huts, consequently blubber fuel was available.

There was a profusion of provisions at Cape Royds, sufficient for twelve men for eighteen months. Clothing and fuel was limited, but these could, with resourcefulness, he made to lasi until relief came next year. There was no fear of scurvy with seal, penguin, and gulls in plenty. A SPECIAL MESSAGE. Lieutenant Stenhouse asks that special assurances be made lor the sake of all the relatives of the southern party as to the sufficiency of food. The conversation with Lieutenant Stenhouse shows that jho has heei 'greatly worried about the Apprehensions of the relatives, and therefore sends this special message. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. DUNEDIN MAN’S THOUGHTFUL GIFT. Among the gifts sent away on the tug Dunedin to cheer the men returning on the Aurora from their long pii rations in Antarctic regions was a particularly thoughtful and generous one from a gentleman who to remain anonymous (says the. Otago Dailv Times”). He called it “a good English breakfast,” and forwarded a hamper containing meal for porridge for about a dozen men, 71b of bacon three dozen eggs, 51b. of butter three long loaves, tea, coffee, condensed milk, marmalade,, jam, ant) peppei and salt. JUST MISSED BY THE CARNEGIE . Christchurch, April 1. ' Captain Ault, the sceintists and offi cers of the American scientific yacht Carnegie, which returned to Lytle ton on Saturday* after a four months' cruise round the globe m southern latitudes were deeply concerned iegarding the news of Shuckleton’s expedition. Captain Ault stated that the Cariicgie passed over the course taken by the Aurora about two days ahead of her, the vesssels being separated by a distance of some 390 miles. Had lie been fitted with wireless and could have got into communication with her, he would have welcomed the •opportunity of towing her to safety.

the aurora. COMMANDER’S GRATITUDE. \ Per Press Association, Wellington, April 4Mr Massey received the following telegram to-day from Lieutenant Stenhouse, commanding the Antarctic ship Aurora: “Please accept the sincere thanks from all on board the Aurora for the hearty welcome extended by you and the Government of New Zealand, and for. your congratulatms on our safe arrival. Please also .accept my sincere thanks for your ous gift of time and assistance final”stage. I hope soon to haye-tlter honor of your acquaintance, when 1 can more fully word my gratitude.

INTERVIEW with LIEUTENANT STENHOUSE. Dunedin, April 4. Interviewed to-night, Lieut. Stenhouse, of the Aurora, stated that after the arrival of the vessel at Cape Crpzier the whaleboat left with a party to endeavour to land near the Cape with winter clothing and stores for the but for party number three, which was to leave in June for the Emperor Penguin Rookery, but no landing was effected owing to the advancing barrier of ice along the Cape Crozier cliffs. A passage was made southwards, but no place for depot-laying could be seen. The ship proceeded next to McMurdo | Sound, and arrived off Cape Evans on January 16. A party made a smvoy of Scott’s Hut, while the ship proceeded towards Cape Evans. , On January 18 a party of six left for Hut IVlit whore they were delayed for tmec ........ jy a severe blizzard. A depot-laying party of three left on January 24 for Minna Bluff, 85 'miles away, and on January .25 Mcj J’ntosh and three others left for Mount j Hooper, 175 miles, on the main Southern depot-laying journey. On January 31, Cope’s party of six left for Minna Bluff with a motor tractor, drawing two sledges, the members ol the party pulling another, i Meanwhile, the ship was endeavouring to reach Hut Point and lay in 1 good supplies, but she was prevented by the lateness in the break up oi the ice and a succession of blizzards. Alter much effort the Aurora wont toward Glacier Tongue for winter quarters. The period there was one of constant anxiety, owing to the drifting pack and the continual blizzard. Finding

no suitable place for winter quarters, the Aurora anchored at Capo Evans. A sever-' blizzard occurred on March 10, and ne.vt dry provisions for four mon ths for the non returning party .core sent to Hut Point, Another cvere blizzard sprang up, and the hip, breaking her ancliors, drifted a rigorously close to Cape Royds and 'ape Barn, and then out to tire month f the Sound. She returned to Cape ’vans on the following day. On March 23, Stevens and part" .ere domiciled in the hut ashore, llizzards were of constant recurrence, ver increasing in severity, and the odily drifting of ice put a trernenons strain on the rnorrings. During dense drift of ice the ship parted •om the tidal crack and went out odily, snapping her moorings like breads, though these comprised the unit of the ship’s equipment.

When the ship was driven array, the ■outhern party had not returned, but ,’ireless Sails were sent out in the hope hat a small aerial might have been i-ected at the Cape or that the contant calls might disturb the magnetic rstrurnents —regularly, to let them now that the ship was shfo. The ship drifted towards Franklin daud. On July 21 the ice broke up nd the ship swung athwart the cave, mt the ice closed in again and nipped he Aurora from stern to stern, rushing the rudder. The sirip lifted toadily and her position was critical or some hours. Sledging preparaions were made for the abandonment f the ship, and aerograms were sent sking for relief. The ship then Irifted northwards, and on October 4 'ew land was sighted. Food and clothing were very short or eight months, and tire men had -,nly two meals a day. On February 2 the ice broke up round the ship, vhich made for- the north on March 10. During a heavy gale, two large >ergs closed in on tire Aurora, so that team had to be raised, and after many attempts she passed close to :he end of a berg. On March 14 there vere thirty bergs in the vicinity of he sirip, and 100 within range of the horizon, but the ship easily got ■h rough. "Wireless signals were heard when ,he Aurora was 990 miles from •Hobart.