The South Pole

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 215, 9 March 1912, Page 5

The South Pole

"WHO REACHED IT FIRST? SCOTT OR AMUNDSEN? AMUNDSEN SPENDS THREE DAYS AT THE POLtf. fy Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Received 8, 11.25 p.m. London, March 8. The Daily Chronicle has published a Christiana telegram, signed by Captain Amundsen, stating that he attained the Pole, stkying there from the 14th to the 17tb December. The Chronicle publishes Captain Amundsen's story to-morrow. Sir Ernest Sh&ckleton states that Captain Amundsen's taking three days' continuous observations at the Pole would enable him to safely assume the position accurately. A flying snapshot was less reliable than a continuous series of observations. He discusses whether Captain Scott reached the Pole before the 14th.

HAS SCOTT SUCCEEDED. AMUNDSEN DID NOT SEND THE CABLE. Received 9, 12.40 a.m. Hobart, March 8. Captain Amundsen denies sending a cable to London stating that Capt. Scott reached the Pole, and cannot understand how the rumor got about. AMUNDSEN TO LECTURE IN AUSTRALIA. Received 9, 12.40 a.m. Melbourne, March 8. Before starting on his expedition Captain Amundsen made a provisional agreement to lecture in Australia, provided he put up a record in Polar exploration and his patrons gave him time to fulfil the agreement. Arrangements are being made for a lecturing tour covering a month.

INTEKSfATIONAL RIVALRY. CAPTAIN AMUNDSEN BOUND TO SECRECY. Hobart, March 8. Captain Amundsen is still reticent. He stated, however, that when he left Buenos Ayres he went straight south to the ice, where, on January 13 of last yeaiyhe met Captain Scott's Terra Nova in the Bay of Whales. He made his base camp on a great ice barrier in longitude 164deg. west, latitude 78deg. south, where he remained with nine men while the Fram returned to Buenos Ayres. Of the work of his camp he resoiutely refused to speak. When the Pole was mentioned he became dumb, and declined even to say what date lie left his camp for Hobart, though he remarked that he enjoyed good weather.

Apparently Captain Amundsen had { not returned to the Fram on Jana-1 ary 16, when Captain Neilson met the Japanese expedition, which reached the ice barrier. Captain Amundsen | ■ays he did not see the Japanese, and knew nothing of their position or plans. Asked as to his future plans, he said he intends to stay .a few days at Hofeart, and then proceed to Buenos t&yres, thence around Cape Horn to San Francisco, up through Behring Straits, and try to follow the original plan of drifting across the Arctic with "the ice, coming out between Greenland and Spitzbergen. Captain Amundsen is the only member of the expedition who landed. Representatives of the press visited the Fram, but were not allowed on board or engage in conversation With the crew.

Captain Amundsen regrets that he is unable to give information in view of the kindness he has received, but bis engagement made it utterly impossible. As soon as he can he will show his charts and give the fullest information.

He took 103 Greenland sledge dogs, and brought back only 39. Sydney, March 8.

The Norwegian Consul has received no information from Captain Amundsen, and expects none. 2TO DEFINITE NEWS IN ENGLAND. London, March 7. The evening newspapers are displaying a Wellington telegram stating that Captain that Captain Scott reached the Pole. Mrs. Scott and the Geographical Society are unable to confirm this information. Christiana, March 7. King Haakon has not received Cap"tain Amundsen's report. THE TERRA NOVA. ORIGINAL MOVEMENTS VARIED. By Telegrapl i—Press Association. I Cnristchurch Last Night. Mr. Kinsey, representative for Captain Scott's expedition, says he does not expect the Terra Nova back in the immediate future. If conditions are favorable for work the vessel may carry out exploring and scientific work until the end of April. The original programme has probably been varied. A great deal depended upon Captain Scott's success with the Pole expedition, but Mr. Kinsey does not think the Terra Nova will be back for some weeks yet. AMUNDSEN'S PLANS. ARCTIC AND ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. LETTER TO KING HAAKON. When Amundsen left Christiana with his expedition, aboard the Fram, in 'August, 1910, his avowed object was the scientific examination of the north Polar basin, and With this end in view he proposed to spend five years in the Arctic, drifting over the basin as the Fram, with Dr. Nansen in command, did in 3893-96. He intended to proceed from Christiana via Cape Horn and San Francisco to the Behring Straits, thence to drift, in the Fram over the North Pole and come out on the other sidr* of the world near Spitzbergen, and in that way to realise Fritjof Nansen's theory that a constant current is running over the North Pole in the direction mentioned. A few weeks later, however, the world ■was surprised to hear that the explorer had changed his programme, and decided to undertake the conquest of theSouth Pole before the Arctic expedition. On reaching Madeira in September. 1010. 'Amundsen addressed an explanatory letter to King Haakon of Norway and to

the Norwegian Geographical Society. Amundsen said: —

"From Madeira the Fram goes to the Antarctic to compete in the race for the South Pole. This will, as a matter of course, seem to many people at the first view, to deviate all through from my first plans, but this is not so. It is only an enlargement of the plan and scope of the expedition, and not at all an alteration. It is a necessary enlargement of the plans in order to get the wanted money for the drift across the North Pole. "This intention is not taken in a moment, but has been well considered for a long time. When Dr. Cook and Commander Peary returned, bringing the news that they had been, at the North Pole, I fully understood that it would be quite impossible for me to get the means or money for my undertaking. Without doubt the third Fram expedition was planned as an expedition of science, and I said myself at the Norwegian Geographical Society's meeting in 1908 that the aim of the expedition was not a hunting for records, but for the exploration of the North Polar basin; and this was my hope and meaning that I could get money enough to realise this plan. But when I published my plan the North Pole had not been reached, and the possibility that the third Fram expedition, in 6pite of its scientific aims, could reach this geographical spot—which for centuries has been the object for competition amongst the nations —would be an incentive to many people to give financial as well as material assistance. But by the news that the North Pole had been reached I at once understood that the necessary money could not be got in the ordinary way. Something had to be done which would attract the public interest. I had not very much to choose when the North- Pole had been reached. Only one problem was left which could awake the public interest, and that was the South Pole.

"Thus I resolved to enlarge the plan and take part in the siege of the South Pole. I have not mentioned this, mv plan, before to anybody, because I wished to see how matters stood as time w*nt on, and if it would be possible to realise mv intention alone. I haye made this decision, and I alone can be responsible. "From Madeira the Fram will po South, but to which place in the Antarctic J cannot say. Some of the members of the expedition will be landed with dogs, sledges, stores, and equipment, and then the Fram will go out from the ice again in order to survey the ocean in these latitudes. The Fram will first call at Punta Arenas, in the Strait of Magellan, from which place the first news about the work and further plans of the expedition will be announced. After that the Fram will proceed to Buenos Aires, where she will probably arrive in June, 1911, but if the ship should not arrive at Punta Arenas there will be no reason for anxiety, because I then will have found it necesI sary to ke£p the ship to winter in the Antarctic.' In February or March, 1912, the world may reckon to hear from us again. We will then continue on to San Francisco, whfre preparations for the North Pole expedition will be carried out as previously arranged."

FIVE EXPEDITIONS.

INTERNATIONAL POLAR RACE.

There are at present five expeditions in the Antarctic, no lesft than four of which are working in the region directly south of Tasmania and New Zealand. The remainpg expedition, that of Lieut. Filchner, the German explorer, is working Bonth from Cape Horn. British Expedition.—Captain R. F. Scott, in Terra Nova (749 tons), left New Zealand on November 29, 1910. Terra Nova returned to New Zealand, March 27, 1911, after establishing winter quarters at Cape Evans, near old Dis-

covery quarters, and landing Lieut. Campbell's party at Cape Adare. During the cruise, the Fram. with Captain Amundsen's expedition, was found in Whale Bay. On December 15 last the Terra Nova again left Lyttelton for the south.

Amundsen's Expedition.—Captain Amundsen, in the Fram, spent part of . 1910 in oceanographical research in the North Atlantic. His plan was then to continue his investigations in the South Atlantic and Pacific, and then to set out on an Arctic voyage from San Francisco, taking seven yearij' provisions. On August 22, 1910, he-wrote to Dr. Nansen from Madiera, stating that he had changed iig plans and would visit the Antarctic on his way. On January 13, 1911, he reached the Bay of Whales, near the British headquarters in MacMurdo Sound, and on February 22 the British party were much surprised on discovering him there.

Japanese Expedition—This expedition in the little schooaer Kainan Maru, will be remembered by New Zealanders. It left Tokio in 1910. It put into Wellington on February 8, 1911, and on the 11th sailed for the Far South. The expedition was next heard of at Sydney on May 1, when it returned,_ reporting that, after effecting a landing at Coulman Island it had found the season too far advanced to do anything. In November last the vessel, after a thorough refitting, again set out for the Antarctic, and has not since been reported. Dr. Mawson's Expedition.—Dr. Mawson's Australasian expedition in the Aurora is not in search of the Pole, but is doing research work in the Southern Ocean and along the Ant- ; arctic coast west of the Ross Sea. The expedition left Hobart on December 3 last. German Expedition.—Lieut. Filchner's German expedition, left Hamburg in the Deutechland early in May last, | and sailed from Buenos Aires for Coats Island and the Weddell, Sea in September last. If the conditions were favorable its plans may be extended to include a sled ire ioumey across Antarctica via the Pole.