The Frozen South

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 235, 2 April 1912, Page 5

The Frozen South

Return of the Terra Nova Captain Scott's Attack on the Pole Mortality Amongst the Ponies Expedition Remaining Another Year in the South Antarctic Special.—Copyright Summary.

' Akaroa, N.Z., April 1. , The Terra Nova arrived here at 7.30 a.m., unheralded, in command of Capt., Pennell. Captain Scott, as the story l shows, -when last heard of was making a gallant effort, despite adversities, to achieve his objective. Captain Pennell expressed the utmost confidence of his' Buccess. I The scientific work of the expedition iwaa of a valuable character. I 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, end no alarm need be felt. j Two geological expeditions on thle, .west coast produced good results. Coal fossils, which had not been discovered before, were found. j The health of the expedition was ex-' eellent, except that of Lieutenant Evans, 1 iwho is now convalescing after an attack of scurvy. j The Terra Nova will return south in [November. CAPTAIN SCOTT'S STORY. ' Captain Scott's own story is as fol-l lows:—We reached Macmurdo Sound on October 30, 1911. The sea ice broke at the South Cape, (and severed Communication with the station depot.' 'A party consisting of twelve men, eight! ponies and two dog teams were occupied till October 30 establishing a base) camp on the barrier, sev*m miles Of the Hut Point. Owing to the heavy Weights transported the main part of the supplies were left at this carnp, and the party proceeded with single loads E.S.E. for 27 miles to a spot named Corner Camp. Before turning south to avoid the crevasses of White Island, the snow ■urface proved veTy soft, making terribly hard work for the ponies. A three flays' heavy blizzard at Corner Camp was a further severe trial to the animals, which were not in good condition.

the pack began to move, and we left the ponies with full nosebags 'and rested. At 8 a.m. the pack was again stationary. We marched noTth and found the ponies and made desperate efforts to save thera. Bowers and Oates risked a long detour over the pack and led the animals over many jumps, whilst the remainder dug a trench in the lower part of the barrier edge. The floes were high above the water and very uneven. Killer whales hung about within : a few yarda of the ponies at every jump. We lost one pony, but at last won through. The pack was 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 6th tHie. r/aTty, with the two remaining ponies and the dog teams, was safely housed at Hut Point. By this incident we lost three of-our strongest ponies, which was a severe blow to the expedition, but not enough to wreck its plans, if the remain- \ ing animals could be preserved.. The j heavy swell which caused this disaster broke more than 10 miles pfcrst the sea ice and sent large fragments of the barrier two miles up the glacier tongue, a feature otherwise unchanged since 1902. DISCOVERY HUT. Discovery Hut was found almost completely filled with hard snow, the windows broken, and the door unhingejd.j With much labor it was clelared and repaired. It then (afforded good shelter. Whilst we were forced to wait for the sea to freeze over we settled down to. a very primitive life. With old tins and discarded fragments of metal we constructed an excellent blubber stove and several blubber lamps. We fed almost entirely on seal meat. Seals could only be obtained at a distance over the hills and were sometimes scarce, but the supply never failed entirely. Thanks to the ingenuity shown by 'my com ■ panions in improvising (arrangements with the slenderest resources, the splendid health we enjoyed, and the discovery of a box of old magazines, we were quite comfortable. THE GEOLOGICAL PARTY. On March 15, the western geological party returned, bringing the total up to sixtelen persons. The party had spent six weeks making a close survey of the dry valley of the lower Ferrar and Koettlitz glacier regions, completing an important part of our plan for- a geological survey of the co'ast. HEAVY WEATHER. On March 17, Lieut. Evans led a party to Corner Camp, completing the depot arrangements for the coming season. The temperature of the barrier had already fallen to minus 40deg. Throughout the month ice continually formed over the : sea, but strong winds quickly drove it north. After March 25 the ice remained fast in the sheltered bays, but continued 'to drive out of the sound. Huge land--1 ice falls on the south-west slopes of Mr. I Erebus prevented any possibility of returning to Cape Evans by land, but with the freezing of the bays I decided to make an attempt to reach the station, partly by land and partly by sea and ice. Myself and eight companions started on April 11, and though caught in a storm on the- sea ice, we reached Cape Evans early on April 13. We found the station, which had been left in Simpson's charge, in excellent order. The arrangements for our comfort were remarkably perfect. The numerous selfcording instruments were in full swing, and all the records were complete to date. All the news was good, .except that of the loss of one of the nine remaining ponies and one dog. During our absence i there had been much wind, the mean velocity for two months having beeh 24 miles an hour. For 19 per cent, of the whole time the wind had been over gale strength, and all the observations pointed to an exceptionally severe season. RETURN TO HUT POINT. . On April 17 I returned to Hut Point, with a fresh sledge party, carrying a supply of stores. As it was impossible for animals to travel ou the route taken, I left Meares and five others an charge of those at Hut Point, and again returned to Cape Evans on April 30. The sna ice continued to drive out of the sound until the first week of May, and it was not until May 15, three months after the sun had gone, that the men and animals left at Hut Point safely returned to the main station. The sound froze solid in May, and later in the winter the fast ice extended to an unprecedented distance to the north, despite numerous gales!

TRAVELLING SOUTH. On February 8 we proceeded south, marching by night and resting bv day. The weather was exceptionally bad. but the surface improved. The three wrakest ponies wer'e sent back, but these unfortunately caught another bad blizfcard and two succumbed. With the remaining ponies and dogs we reached latitude 79i/ 2 degre'es. On February 1G I decided, owing to the condition of the weather and the animals, to make a Repot" here and return. We left more than a ton of stores at this camp and a ton at Corner Camp, which should be a great help to us this season. I returned 'to the base camp with the dojj Steams. A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE. Whilst cutting a corner at White. Island, hi a bad light, the whole of our flog team fell into a crevasse. Meares,' myself, and the sledge were miraculously beld up on part of the bridge of the crevasse, along which we had been tra(veiling. Most of th'e dogs hung by their harness, and it was only with great dificulty that we extricated the animals, after three hours' work. One was badly injured by a fall of sixty feet, and afterwards dlfcd. At the base camp I found a eingle pony well, and visiting B|u!t Point I received news of the Terra Nova and the Fram. AT CORNER CAMP. On February 24, with men on skis bad a single pony, I started to take more stores to Corner Camp. On the outward journey we passed the returning ponies, going well. Returning to Cor-; ner Camp I was held up by a blizzard 'on February 27th, but again reached the basie camp on February 28th. I.found that the storm had been phenomenal at this place, raging for three days and causing enormous accumulations of enow. The shifts of the wind had baffled all efforts to shelter t'Az ponies with snow walls, and the animals had suffered very badly. I decided to retire to Hut Point without delay. Wilson and Meares, driving the dog tfjams, reached Hut Point in safety. Bates, Gran and I remained to try and save one pony badly bitten by the blizzard. A TRYING EXPERIENCE.

ADRIFT ON THE ICE. Bokers, Cherry, G&rrard, and Crean, with four of the tkst ponies, set out to follow the dogs. On nearing Hut Point they found cracks in the sea ice, and kastily turned and marched four miles south. There, at 2 a.m. on March 1, the tired ponies obligfcd the party to camp. A,t 4.30 Bowers was awakened by a coke, end found the ice broken ' aJJ around the camp, moving with a heavy Birell. One pony had disappeared from t*e picketting line and was never seen again. Hastily packing the sledges, the party decided'to try to work S.W. over the plack. With infinite difHculty the sledges were dragged, and the ponies Jumped from floe to floe towards the harrier, hut found its ice wall unclimbable. Th« swell was churning and hreaking heavy floes against it. In this dilemma Crean Was allowed to attempt to obtain help. He travelled east over the moving pack to find a break in the ice wall. Eventually he hoisted himself to the barrier surface by wedging his ski stick in a crack. « A FORTUNATE RESCUE. Ignorant 'of these events, after failing to save the sick pony my party W*d» reached the barrfeT edge in the forenoon. We found the sea ice gone and the barrier breaking under foot, forcing us to retreat hurriedly with t!<? gravies* anxiety. Mv fear's were confirmed when Wilson, who had travelled out overland, reported having sfcen with his glasses the ponies adrift on the sea ice. 'An hour later Crean was seen approaching. On learning his news. Crean. arwl I set off immediately to the west. Working round the bay 'we approached the barrier edge, and at 0 p.m.. by good fortune, discovered the mi-sing party. The pack, which had been driftinor N.W.. had temporarily stopped, Yjid the swell subsiding, with an Alpine rope the men were rescued without difficulty. Working on through the night we succeeded in saving the sledges and their loads, but could"do nothing for the ponies, which grere only thirty yards away. At 4 a.m.

THE WINTER HUT. After the return of the absentees we settled down very comfortably in the winter hut. Its arrangements for lighting,, heating, cooking, and ventilation proved eminently satisfactory. A comfortable stable was built for the ponies, and some shelter improvised for the dogs. During the four winter months the temperature at the station was rarely below minus 40deg, at lowest minus SOdeg. The wind averaged 15 miles an hour, and sometimes blew hard with the temperature at minus 30deg. Everyone was very fully occupied with the station and scientific work, exercising the animals, 1 etc. A series of lectures was organised, and football played. To within a month of mid-winter frequent visits were made to Cape Royds. The Hut Point animals steadily improved in condition. THE EMPEROR PENGUINS. On June 6, in mid-winter, Wilson, Bowers, Cherry and Garrand started on a sledge journey to Cape Crozier to observe the incubation of the Emperor penguins at their rookery. The very , heavy surface on the barrier forced the I party to delay their work. During the main part of the fortnight which was ' taken on the outward journey the temperature was seldom above minus GOdeg. and often below minus 70deg. The lowest observed with the sling thermometer was minus 77deg. On the slopes of Mt. Terror the party spent three days building a stone hut. which they roofed with canvas from their camp. The men had 1 ijreat difficulty in crossing the huge I barrier, crevasses and ridges in the dun j twilight to reach the rookery. They I were successful at their second attempt,

and found comparatively few 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 information concerning the embryology of this interesting biro..

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 the hut, which was carefully secured, though several articles were blown aw :v. After straining for fourteen hours 1,1,' roof of the hut flew to ribbons. For thirty hours or more the travellers were eonfined to their frozen sleeping bags, half buried in snow, rocks and debris. Fortyeight hours 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 held up for two davs by another storm, but thereafter the temperature fell and remained below minus fiOdeg. The party returned after five weeks' absence, encased in ice and suffering from want of sleep, but otherwise well. Having regard to the drakness and 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 ol the sun in August a considerable increase of wind has been recorded. The temperatures have remained as moderate in the spring as in the winter. A* MYSTERIOUS DOG SICKNESS. On September 1 Meares, Mimintri and the dog teams made their 'headquarters at Hut Point, the dogs being in splendid form. At intervals since our arrival, however, some obscure disease has robbed us of four excellent dogs. In every case the dog attacked appeared to be vigorously healthy, but died in a few hours. It 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 with 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 temperature of between CO and 70 dcg., and Forde's hands were badly frostbitten, but he is now recovering rapidly. THE FERRAR GLACIER. With Bowers, Simpson, a petty officer and Evans I travelled west, ascending the Ferrar Glacier. "We found by the stakes planted by 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 left by Campbell intact. Owing to work at the station and the need of increasing exercise for th< ponies we had been unable to undertake further spring journeys. FUTURE PLANS. The western geological party, consisting of Taylor, Debenham, Gran, and Forde, ,was delayed by Forde's accident, hut will leave in a few days for Granite Harbor. All the plans 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 t"o r.? 1 : to expose them to the great cold. We shall, then fore, start later than originally intended. SIR CLEMENT MARKHAM'S VIEWS. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Received 1, 0.15 p.m. London, April 1. Sir Clement Markham, in a letter 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 Willies' discoveries, and Dr. Mawson had undertaken this. It was, he said, always Capt. Scott's desire to complete his own and former work. There was no question of racing or conquering the ground. The object was research in every branch. Captain Amundsen's plan, on the other hand, was different. His idea was to dash for the Pole without Captain Scott's knowledge. Had Captain Amundsen's scheme been known it would not have, affected Captain Scott's plan. CAPTAIN SCOTT'S CAUEER. Captain H. F. Scott is 43 years of age. He was born in Outlands, Devonport, in 1808. He entered the navy in 1882, and served in the Rover, Amphion and Majes-, tic, becoming captain in 1894. He com-1 manded the National Antarctic Expedition, 1900-4. He was made an Hon. D.Sc. of Cambridge and Manchester in 1905, and is a gold medallist of the Royal Geographical Society, Royal Scottish Geographical Society, American, Swedish, Danish, Philadelphian and Antwerp Geographical Societies. Captain Scott married a daughter of the late Canon Lloyd Bruce.

Captain Scott received, afte; his lust expedition, the. gold medal of the Royal Geographical Society, with the accompanying remark that "for his sledge journey alone, when he succeeded in getting nearly 800 miles further south than his predecessor, he deserves the honor." When he came to New Zealand in 1910, he paid the most ample tribute to the notable dash by Sir Ernest Shackleton, and it may be said that both explorers admit freely how mutually dependent their efforts have been. Sir E. Shackleton, said Capt. Scott, had performed one of the most brilliant feats in polar regions, and he received his first welcome in New Zealand. After that expedition there was a clear path left to the pole, and he (Captaiii Scott) saw what a dainty morsel it would be for other nations. He saw that if Britain did not announce another expedition some other country would. He had then set to work to organise his expedition.

NOT ENOUGH FUNDS. The fact that the expedition was not paid for must have worried its leader. Speaking in Wellington, Captain Seott said he was extremely phased with the men, the ship and her equipment, and the splendid spirit of al! on board her. At that moment there wore not enough funds "to see the thing through," as he put it, and especially as he hoped to continue work for the third season. "If this is not satisfactorily arranged," up continued, "I shall be faced with a position of considerable anxiety on our final return. At the same time'l am not feeling anxious at the moment, and I am perfectly confident that if we show, and the people of Australasia come to understand, that the expedition is doing really valuable work, they then will be amongst the 'first to come forward to see that things are put straight." Captain Scott acknowledged with gratitude the cordiality and sympathy he had deceived in Australia and New Zealand, and the practical form which it had taken. He par-

ticularly referred to the gifts in kind from New Zealand for, the expedition, and New Zealand's contribution of £IOOO in money was a large gift for a country of but a million inhabitants. The expedition would cost £50,000. The ship had cost £12,500, and the outfit, thanks to the many various donations, only about £IO,OOO. There were, too, wages and salaries to be paid to 55 to 00 hands, of whom 24 were officers and scientific men. This item alone was a very big one. A sum of £20,000 was given by the Home Government, and £SOOO by Australia. ALTERNATIVE ROUTES.

In an interview in Wellington, Captain Scott was asked; "Do you propose any variation in the known route?" He replied in an interesting manner:--"We could go (1) along the known route and up to Beardmore Glacier); (2) we could go further east and skirt the mouth of the Beardmore Glacier with the hop; of finding a glacier further south; or (3) we could go directly up the Ferrar Glacier, as we did in 1903, and continue to the Pole on the upper plateau. The two latter routes would have the advantage of novelty, but in each there would always be a strong possibility of (niJure—in the one case because it is very probable that another suitable glacier for travelling does not exist, and in the other travelling would cause a very long journey over the upper plateau and would be extremely severe, and possibly more than the men could endure. Thererore, in vkw of these facts, and also the fact that two expeditions are making for the same goal, it will be wiser to push on along the old route. The finding of that route by which Shackleton was enabled to leave the great barrier and get on to the Beardmore Glacier was an extraordinary stroke of good luck. It would seem absolutely impossible that the glacier could he reached by the disturbances —the mountainous disturbances, I may say—-that occur at its mou' 1 !. Shackleton found the one small i s that led clear of these disturbance id landed him on the glacier at a high itude." JOURNEY IN THREE STAGES.

On another occasion, in a speech, Captain Scott further outlined his plans. He said that the journey towards the Pole would be in three sections:—(l) Across the Lower (Plateau; (2) up the great Beardmore Plateau; and (3) across the Upper Plateau. He hoped, with the aid of ponies, dogs and motor sledges, to get sixteen men over the Lower Plateau and up the glacier. At the foot of the glacier he might possibly be in the same position as Shackleton had been—without motor sledge, dogs or ponies—except that he would have sixteen men instead of Shackleton's four. These sixteen men would then be worked in relays;twelve men going ahead, four would be &mt back at the end of the lirst stage, and finally the four fittest would be entrusted to carry the British flag—to the Pole, he hoped. They cared little for possible gold mines and were making the trip for scientific purposes and for tfie honor of the Empire.