ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 3, 6 April 1916, Page 7

ANTARCTIC EXP L ORATION.

VOYAGE OF Tt-3 E AURORA. Per Press Association. (Copyright.) Continuing his narrative of yesterday, Lieutenant Stenhonse says; EKEBUid ACTIVE. During the stay at Evans Bay, Mt. E-rebus, whicli was slightly active, was constantly rumbling., the rumbling was first thought to proceed from the cajving of the Barne Glacier, and was followed by a shorty quick swell, which Lieutenant Stenhonse believes to be the result of a subterranean disturbance. On March 20 the ice being fairly hi m round the main engines, the fires were drawn and boiler blown down ioi economy of fuel. Only 118 tons of coal was left at this date out of a stai ting supply of 474 tons. The irreducible minimum was left, as this was required to supply heating for the ship and for steaming purposes on its release from tho ice, awaiting Shackleton’s ai rival and the final clearance from the ice. All the sledging rations wore put on shore, but tho following season’s winter clothing was kept on. hoard, as it bad been previously arranged to make the ship the headquarters. On March 26 very heavy over-riding ice-sheets were driven into the bay and caused tho ship to drag her anchors and touch the ground aft. During the whole stay at Evans Bay constant vigilance was required to tend the moorings and keep the ship in position in the moving and uncertain ice sheet, w hilst the rigging and extension ol the masts for wireless was using all the available daylight. Sometimes there were 49 degrees of frost. A small temporary aerial was fixed from the mizzenmast to the lint ashore in an endeavor to communicate with the Macquarries. Slight atmospherics were heard on the aerial during the first observations. These were auroral displays.

SEARCH PARTY SENT OUT. On April 14, it was decided, owing to the non-return oi : the southern party— Mackintosh, Joyce, Wild, Cope, Jack and Hayward—to send a search party out over the sea ice to Hutton Cliffs, the sea ice being now safe to the south of Evans Bay. The party consisted of Ninnis, Hooke, and Gaze. Instructions wore given by Stenhoiise to Ninnis, who was placed in charge, to proceed to Hut Point with provisions for three men for one week, and four gallons of oil sufficient, for three men for forty days, the surplus oil to be deputed at Hut Point. Signals were arranged. If, on arrival at the hut, they found no traces of the parties, Ninnis was to provision his party for 21 days and proceed to Corner Camp. If nothing was seen of the parties he was to return to the ship at once. If practicable ho was to unlimber the motor at Hut Point and bring back to "Evank Bay' the sledge ready provisioned, which was to he hauled overland and depotod on the ice at the fort in readiness for the relief dash. As the sea around Evans Bay was treacherous, they were lowered by rope ladder from the sledge depot to the sea ice and laid out the depot flag three miles south in the direction of Hut Point. Directions wore given for tlje sale ascent of the ice cliff's should the party return previous to the search. IN THE GRIP OF THE ICE PACK. Bad weather prevented the despatch of the party during the subsequent stay at Evans Bay which accounts for the non-return of Mackintosh’s party from Hut Point. With a decrease in the temperature the ice surrounding the ship became firmer. A fierce blizzard driving the ice from the Pound put a terrific strain on the ship and her moorings. A remarkable comet was observed on May 2 over Alt. Erebus. A blizzard of terrific violence, accompanied by •>!> enormous volume of drift blew on May 6' SWEPT FROM HER MOORINGS. The ship having parted from ail her moorings and snapped her bow anchors.

swept out in the rapidly breaking up pack to the north, westward in AlcAiurdo Sound. Steam was immediately raised, but the sen cocks being frozen, great difficulty was experienced in running the boilers. Eventually this was accomplished by the use of hot . rods. On the 9th Cape Bird was | sighted, Cape Banre being visible at this stage. Lieut. Stenhouse entered in his I diary: “Little prospect of getting back ! to Capo Evans or anywhere in tho ! Sound. Short of coal. Hope she drifts i quickly to the north-east, then 1 can endeavor to push through the pack, make for New Zealand, coal, and return to tite Barrier east of Cape Cruz- i ier. This could be done, I think, early in the spring (September). ; SHORT OF WATER. : “After the severe blizzards there was normal weather for two months dur- 1 ing which we continued to drift, our 1 greatest difficulty being to get fresh • water the shortage of fuel preventing 1 our working the condenser. On May ( 2Gth an intense pressure of ice was j hoard about the ship, and precautions j for the future were taken in the event j of the ship being nipped in the ice. On May 27 we sighted Mount Melbourne. It was beautiful weather with moonlight nights. The ship was still drift- ■ ing at a greatly increased rate as she j 1 passed Franklin Islands. Then the ship set north-eastward and the free ice appeared to he castuaid, indicating the way was open to the Rpss Sea. The ship suffered greatly from pressure and heavy bumps from under

riding ice.’ , t A wireless message of ‘‘All; well” was sent to Capo Evans every night in ■the hope that they had rigged, an outfit. By June 15 conditions had so improved that Lieut. Stohhouse, entered in Iris diary; “Were it not for the uncertainty as to the welfare of those at Hut Point life would be very pleasant. ■What we miss most is exercise, as it ji s not now safe to leave the ship owI ing to tire breaking ice and pressure, j Weather reports were continuously ' sent to the Macquarries, but no acknowledgment was received. j STILL IN THE ICE. i “Midwinter-day (June 22) was observed as a holiday, the ship s company being gathered aft in the evening and made jolly. All hands were happy but we missed the others at Cape Evans. We pray to God that we may soon be clear of this prison, and in a position to help them. The weather was more violent during July and the pressure noises increased, but on Sunday, 18th, the ice split around the ship j with a violent shock and opened a .broad lane, the nearest land being j ninety miles to the westward. On the 121st the floes closed in again, hipping 1 the ship fore and aft with tremendous * force, and twisting the steel-bound rudder like a cork-screw. The ship j rose amidships with a concertina mojtion, and I thought the end had come. PREPARATIONS FOR ABANDONMENT. “Oh the 22nd the ship was sustaining a terrific pressure, being half raised on the ice, so 1 called all hands to their stations for sledges and made fin;al preparations for abandoning the. ship in case she was crushed. The diary entry was, “Am afraid the ship’s back will l)e broken if the pressure continues. Have poured carbon sulphuric acid on the ice astern in the hope of j rotting the ice and relieving the pres- ! sure on the stern post. At 10 p.m., ! the ship crushed her way into new ice on the starboard side and slewed aslant the lane, with her stern post clear of 'the hard ice. At 12 p.m., she was in a safe position, with lanes opening in every direction.” The ship was then ninety miles south by east of Coalman Islands. MESSAGE TO THE KING.

The diary continues: “Thank God, we have been spared through this fearful nightmare. On July 24th, I sent a message to King George as follows: ‘Sire, Aurora driven from winter moorings at Cape Evans by a blizzard on May G, and set north, being locked in the pack ice. At present we are ninety miles south-east of Coulman Island on the Ross Sea. Our rudder was smashed and the ship was in a precarious position, but in the event of a disaster the company was prepared to abandon the ship and proceed to Cape Adare or coast southward. As the safety of the southern depot party is doubtful, I pray your Majesty, if the Aurora fails to arrive in a New Zealand port by November, to permit a relief ship to proceed with all haste to Cape Evans with a relief party to meet the trans-Continental. Your Majesty’s humble and devoted subject, Stenhouse, master of Aurora.” THE SUN RETURNS. “This message was sent continuously to Macquarrie Island, but no acknowledgment was received. On August G the sun returned, the ship being forty-live miles east of Possession Island. As provisions were lev, we hud only two meals a day. On August 10 we passed Cape Adare, setting north westward. A terrific blizzard on September o caused the mizzen wireless mast to be carried away, but we rigged another and continued the messages. We sighted laud far distant, on September 14, and early in October, Oates Land was sighted on the south-west. As Idle summer passed, our hope of being any use to the southern party vanished. We continued scientific observations and obtained good records. FREE AT LAST. “All the Antarctic life we obtained during the long drift should prove of great value. Christmas brought great ice thickness, but the conditions continued to improve, the ship gradually working northward. Many bergs were

sighted during February, and on March 10, the ship had a narrow escape of being crushed. We cleared the ice on the fourteenth, and wireless communication was established with Avarua on the 23rd.”