The Frozen South

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 236, 3 April 1912, Page 5

The Frozen South

CAPTAIN SCOTT'S STORY CON- 1 TINUED.

THE HANDY MOTOR. ] Wellington, April 1. ( 'A motor sledge party, consisting of , lieutenant Evans, Day, Ashley, and , Hooper started with two motor sledges j. fuel and forage. The motors '. Experienced unexpected difficulty on the : . sea ice "where it was very thinly cover- j ©d 'with snow, but were last seen going', well on tho surface of the barrier be-!, yond the base camp of last season. They ], have therefore placed the possibilities of' < motor traction beyond question. I, THE START FOR THE POLE. , A pony party, consisting, of myself, j Oates, Bowers, Cherry, Garrand. Atkiai-. , Bon, Wright, Evans, Crean, and K. Keo- , bane, will start about November 1, in- , dependency of the success of the motors. , D*he ponies will be worked with light . loads and easy marches to Corner Camp, ' with, full loads and easy marches to One ■ Ton Camp, and with such pressure as , necessary thereafter. The dog teams, . starting later, will rejoin at One Ton ] | Camp and help the advance loads; By : these means we hope to get thirty units 1 ; of food to the foot of Beardmore Gla-!, cier, a unit being a week's provision for ] four men. Then with three divisions of i four mem and twenty-one units of pro- ■ visions I hope to extend the advance to • the required distance if the weather - conditions are not wholly unfavorable. . Of the ten remaining ponies one is > unreliable and one doubtful; the remain- ' Her are in very fine form. The officers and' men are in splendid health and eager to go forward. Owing to the decision to postpone the date of departure i there is an obvious chance that the most | advanced southern party will be unable to catch the Terra Nova before she is forced to quit the Sound. Under these conditions, having regard to the important scientific work done and the facilities offered for further work, I decided to maintain the station for the second year. The majority of the shore party will probably remain, but details depend on the dates of returning from tlve journeys, on the home news, and the extent of fresh transport provided. I shall greatly regret the departure of any member, as we have lived in the happiest social accord. SCIENTIFIC WORK. Ponting will probably return with a large mass of photographic material, to which a second year might add little of importance. Owing to Ponting, the photographic results of the expedition are most remarkable. A large series of cinematograph films will gave a comprehensive record of our Polar life. The plans arranged for the scientific work of the expedition have been carried out so far almost in their entirety. LAYING THE FOOD DEPOTS. ' Nov. 24, Lat. 81deg. 15min. We left Hut Point on the evening of November 2, having decided to march by (light and rest during the day to give the ponies the benefit of the warmer day temperatures. We reached Corner Camp in the morning. South for 60 miles we followed the track of the motors, and then found the machines abandoned. The party had proceeded onward as directed. They were delayed by a blizzard on the Bth, tout reached One Ton Camp on the morning of the 16th. The dog teaims bad caught us up Eoir.e days earlfaY. and the whole party proceeded in company. A day's rest was given the animals at One Ton Camp, which we left behind on the evening of the 17th. Having regard to the weight of the loads, the heavy surfaces, and the limited number of animals, I decided' to march 15 mile 9 only every night. This distance has been maintained for eight nights, and as far as we can foresee it should be continued. The ponies are going very steadily, keeping their condition remarkably well. The first pony was now shot for expediency, but it could have travelled further. The animals have ten« pounds of oats and three pounds of oil cake daily. We are hopeful of getting the men's food supply to the glacier according to the .programme without great 'difficulty, but shall be a day or t|wo later than anticipated. We found the motor party waiting at 80y 2 deg. Two of their number now leave us. The sole cause of the abandonment of the motors owing to the overheating of the air-cooled engines. Time did not permit of the defects being taken in hand. The system of propulsion of the motors had provad entirely satisfactory, as the machines dragged very heavy loads over ihe worst part of the barrier surface and crossed several crevasses. Considering their inadequate trials, their success has been remarkable, and with the experience now gained a .reliable tractor could be constructed which could travel anywhere in this region and save the sacrifice of auimals. We are building snow cairn 3 at intervals of four miles to guide the homeward parties, and leaving a week's provisions at every degree of latitude. The surface of the barrier was extremely bad and trying to the ponies up to One Ton Camp, but has been comparatively good since. The greater number of ponies have been dragging over 6501b. KILLING THE PONIES. December 10, lat. 83deg. 37min. 'After the return of the motor party at 81deg. 15min. we pushed steadily south, hopeful of better weather conditions. The second pony was destroyed in latitude 82deg. 45min.. and two more near the 83rd- parallel. None of these animals were exhausted, but were sacrificed on account of the lightening loads, as food for the dogs. As we approached the weather grew worse, snow storms were frequent, the sky \va* continually overcast, and the land was rareh- visible. Under these cinunistniife- it wa= most difficult to keep a etraitrh* cour-e and maintain steady marches. The ponies continued to pull . The excellent condition the* retained under the severe work I attribute entirely to the management of lays we reached latitude 83d''g. 24min.. within twelve miles of Mount Hope, on December 4.

Scott's Polar Expedition Within Reach of the Pole The Biting Blizzard The Work of the Shore Parties Scientific Discoveries Antarctic Special.—Copyright Summary.

A SOUTHERLY GALE.

We could have reached the glacien with five ponies the following day, hut for the intervention of a southerly gale, which lasted four days, during which we did l not sight land, although it was only a few miles a way. The wind was very violent at times, and a prodigious amount of snow fell. We had continually to dig out the ponies. The temperature rose to 35deg., and the show melting on the equipment completely soaked everything with water. No such prolonged storm had hitherto been, recorded in these regions in December. On the 9th, after the storm, 18 inches of wet snow covered the originally soft surface, and we could' not have advancat at all had not the leading pony worn snow-shoes. The men had on skis. It took fourteen hours, without a meal, to do eight miles, at first. Half the ponies were destroyed, as we had no more forage for them te-day. They have ®ome through the .pass and descended on) Beardmore Glacier, but only within sight of the difficulty. After twelve hours' work in the soft snow brought by the storm we continued over the pass. The men on foot sank to their knees a.n<l the sledges sank to their crossbars continually. The dogs have given some help, but could only be lightly laden on suih a surface. T send this note by the returning team's party. We are very fit, but cannot keep up the hours which we have been working. The storm has already cost us five days, and its effects may yet delay <us further, which would be a serious matter; otherwise everything has worked out as planned. We hope to find better conditions as we advance up the glacier. We necessarily depend on the weather, and the season so far has been very unpromising. MAKING FOR THE POLE.

December 21, Lat. 85deg. 7min. S., Long. 163deg. 4 min E., height about 6800 ft., 4 miles south, 30 miles west of Mt. Darwin.—Largely as the result of the storm reported in my last dispatch, the lower reaches of the glacier were filled with terribly soft snow, and the men on foot sank up to the knee at each step. It would have been quite impossible to advance had we not pulled on ski. As it was the runner surface of the sledges proved inadequate. They frequently sank to the crossbars, requiring to be extricated with standing pulls. For four days we struggled in this morass, scarcely advancing five miles a day, although working from ten to eleven hours. It was difficult to pitch camp and load sledges on such a surface. On the fifth day the surface grew a little harder and we were able to push on, still pulling on ski. We did not get to Cloudmaker Mountain till the 17th, so that storm cost us a week's advance. Since the 16th we have been able to make very good marches, working up from 13 to 23 statute miles a day. By the programme I arranged to push on from the 85th parallel with eight men and twelve units of provisions, but I hoped to reserve a margin over this. As we stand we are only half a day's food short on the programme, and should have a good chance of getting through. The weather continues unsatisfactory" We had to march without sight of land on occasions, as we are getting intermittent fog in this most crevassed part of the glacier. Everybody is in the best of health and high spirits. It has been most difficult to. select the returning party of four, which carries this note. This position constitutes our upper glacier depot. Completed depots have been established on the homeward route, and the track on the barrier is well marked by snow cairns. The members going forward are Captain Scott, Lisutenant Evans, Wilson, Bowers, Oates, Lassley, Petty Officer Evans and Crean. NEARING THE GOAL. January 3, 1912, lat. 87deg. 32min., .height about 9800 ft. —After leavisg the upper glacier depot south of Mt. Darwin I steered south-west for two days. This did not keep us clear of the pressure of ridges and crevasses, which occurred frequently, and at first gave some trouble, but we rose rapidly in altitude. Probably the difficult places were more snowcovered than farther eastward. The advantage of this course was mainly felt on the third and fourth day, when, owing to our altitude, we got a splendid view of the distribution of land masses, the fringing ice sheet, and the arrangement of ice falls. Since leaving the depot our marches have averaged over 15 statute miles a day. On Christmas Day we were close up to the 86th parallel. The prospect of Christmas fare gave us an excellent march of 17 miles, but the effect was not so happy on the following day. The surface grew more difficult as we approached the 87th parallel. On New Year's Eve, in lat. BGdeg. 56min., we put in a depot two units of provisions, rebuilt our sledges with new short runners, vi—eh was a remarkable piece of work perfomed by the seamen of the party under the most adverse conditions. Although it cost us nearly a day's march, the change amply repaid us, and we have been able to keep up our average. LATEST NEWS. LaO MILES TO GO. We are now within 150 miles of the Pole. I am going forward with a party of five men, sending three back under Lieutenant ,Evans with this note. The names and descriptions of the advance party are: Captain Scott, R.N.; Dr. Wilson, chief of the scientist staff; Captain Oates, Inniskillen Dragoons, in charge of ponies and mules; Lieutenant Bowers. Royal Indian Marine, commissariat officer: Petty Officer Evans, R.N., in charge of sledges and equipment. The advance party goes forward with a month's provisions. The prospect of success seems good, providing the weather holds and no unforseen obstacles

arise. It has been very difficult to choose the ad-vanee party, as every one was fit and able to go forward. Those who return are naturally much disappointed. Every ene has worked kis hardest. The weather on the plateau has been good on the whole; the sun has never deserted us, but the temperatures are low (now about minus 20deg) and the winds pretty constant. However, we are excellently equipped for such conditions, and the wind undoubtedly improves the surface. So far all arrangements have worked out most satisfactorily. It is more than .robable that no further news will be rweived from us this year, as our retun must necessarily be late. —(signed) R. Scott. [On January 3 Captain Scott was 150 miles from the Pole. Captain Amundsen reached the Pole on December 14, and so far as can be seen Captain Scott ought to have been there about January 14.] THE TERRA NOVA'S PASSAGE. Wellington, Last Night.

Leaving for the north the ship with difficulty steamed through new ice at the entrance of the sound, having at times to back and charge full speed to make any impression at all. This early closing of the season was probably ■ caused by the extremely late date whereon the ice broke awav. The pack thus formed late in the season by heavy bay ice some feet thick, not only kept the temperature of the ice low, but prevented the newly-made ice from being broken up and dispersed by the wind and sea. It was now seen that it would be impossible to again return to McMurdo Sound this season. The ship was thus prevented from obtaining the latest news of Captain Scott. On March 6 and 7 the ship again attempted to pick up the northern party, byk found that the ice : had thickened to such an extent in their vicinity during the last few days that she was unable to approach the. position. It was clear that winter conditions nad , already set in, and further waiting was , useless ,and the ship would be in danger of being frozen in for the winter. As a result she was finally unable to relieve ■ the northern party, and a course was ; shaped for New Zealand. THE NORTHERN PARTY. The northern party, consisting of Campbell, Levick, Priestly, Abbott, , Browning and Dickason, will proceed south along the coast to the winter quarters at Cape Evans, via Butter i Point, the Discovery's quarters at Hut Point being distant about 200 miles. They are provisioned and equipped with a view to this possible emergency arising. There are several depots on the coast 1 south of Granite Harbor, whilst seals and penguins will provide ample fresh food. The ship made a good passage under sail to New Zealand waters, encountering a heavy storm on March *23, which lasted three days, but caused no damage beyond washing away the starboard lifeboat. A '■ r "'-'PLEMEXT. As the Campbell party was not picked up, only a complete report of thenprevious movements can be given. They landed at Cape Adare on February 18, 1911 the ship sailing the following night. Their hut was completed on 3, with only one interruption from a gale. Its site was in the middle of the Adelie penguin rookery, which occupies a very dry spot on a moraine, which extends far up the mountain side. Ihe hut is thus surrounded by countless numbers of penguins during the whole summer. The first blizzard of hurricane force was experienced on March 19, when the anemometer broke, after recording a wind velocity of 84 miles an hour. During the winter these severe gales were not uncommon. They shook the hut violently, and on one occasion the porch was blown away. Otherwise, f~.r minor mishaps, the hut stooj wuii, being stayed by wire ropes passed over it and securid by two buried anchors. The sea finally froze over the bay. During the last week many short sledging trips were made to the bay. It was intended to start the main journey at the end of August over the sea ice towards oape North, but a heavy buzzard on August 8 toofc all the &ea; ice ouit to the northward of the moraine and the west side of Robertson Bay. The sea having refrozen, Camp'bell and party left on September 8, sledging tlieir way over the sea ice. A very had surface was experienced, necessitating relay work and slow progress was made. West of Cape Barlow the thin sea ice was found already coasting. As the coast here affords no spot suitable for landing or for retreating from beyond Cape Scott to Cape Adare, except over the sea ice, the ice being obviously aho.it to go out again, they were compelled to retire to Robertson Bay. The remainder of the time until the whole of the ice went from the bay, beginning in November, was occupied in making hedging trips about the bay for collating geological specimens, photographing, nrveying, etc. During the last two months they were confined to the moraine and the mountains immediately behind, until relieved on January 4, 191*2. The northern party were able to make good geological collections during the whole period while they were occupying the hut. Continuous meteorological, magnetic and other observations were taken, which are of particular value, as they were simultaneous. Similar ones were taken at Cape Evans. They enjoyed excellent health throughout. WESTERN GEOLOGICAL PARTY'S REPORT. Part of the western geological party, consisting of Debenham, Wright and petty officer Evans, in charge of Griffith and Taylor, landed at Butter Point, below the Ferrar Glacier, on January 27, 1911. A depot was made at Cathedral Rocks on January 31. They then sledged west fifteen miles and down the glacier, entering a. dry valley. A snug camp was made in an alcove thirty feet deep, excavated by the sain into the glacier. This alcove shows the tremendous melting power of the sun in these regions. 2400 feet above the glacier Debenham discovered l an extinct crater of late glacier age, also late basalt flows 80 feet thick. On February 4 th4e sledge cooker was deported, and Wile party portaged five days' food and gear down the snow of a free dry valley to the sea. They lived on cold food without great discomfort. A lake four miles long, with 'only the surface frozen, was discovered'. The gravels below a promising region of limestone, rich in garnets, were washed for gold, but only magnetite was found. They returned down the Ferrar glacier on February 13. While crossing the new harbour, the ice whereon they were 'sledging suddenly commenced to float out. A ouick rush across a mile of cracking floe, 'iihstt brought the sledges to the foot in time. They then steered south for the Koetlitz glacier. The route up the middle glacier lay over a most difficult surface, the , party constantly falling through thin ice ' into pools of water two feet below.. On February 24 they reachpd the west 'coast of the Koetlitz glacier, near Heald Island, through a field 'of HVVj monoliths. A week was spent in this vicinity. A large subterranean stream originated hero and flowed under the ' moraine and glacier for 25 miles to the ' sea. It formed a well-used route for ; numerous seals, and their blowholes occurred at intervals along its course. There were several eaves encrusted with 1 beautiful ice crystals, which were fe

vestigated by Wright. They returned from Koettlitz glacier along the edge of an almost impenetrable pinnacle of ice north-east of the Eailey Isles. Oh March 18 they suddenly emerged on the open, water of a 'bay newly formic through the ice, which forced 1 them to enter the pjinnacles. It took two days to negotiate six miles of this- surface, whereafter they were enabled to sledge on the sea: ice again. A violent blizzard, lasting 48 hours, kept them camped on the edge of the barrier, just where the ice had broken out the week before. At the first Ml they made for Castle Rock, and, crossing a promontory, descended to Discovery Hut on March. 14, having been out six weeks. A remarkable feature was that 'this party encountered very little strong windi and l no blizzards whale on the western shores, though at Cape Evans (very bad weather was experienced' during the same period. THE WESTERN GEOLOGICAL PARTY'S REPORT.

The western geological party, tin charge of Griffith and, Taylor, with Debenham, Gran and Forde, again left headquarters on November 7, 1911, for Granite Harbour. The sledging loads were exceptionally heavy, totalling 14001b, and necessitated relaying. A speed of five piiles a day brought them to their destination on December 1 at the cape, nine mile's from Grainite Harbour. A ■stone hut was built and a .blubber stove installed. For over two months seal meat was the staple food, blubber being almost the only fuel used while on the coast. The first week was devoted to exploring the northern shores. A furious blizzard, resulting in two f.eetj of snow, prevented them from sledging farther north. Duitng the next fortnight they sledged around the west harbour, finding neat masses of marble, remarkably large, in interesting contact with topaz. At their headquarters thousands of wingless insects, of two different species, were foundi clustering half frozen, under almost every pebtte. On December 27 they rted exploring the western lijigh lan-" They passed tremendous ice falls or, ■:> Mackay glacier. By portaging the rot the sledge and! gear up 1000 feet c? granite cliffs and .steep boulder-covered slopes. They found numerous well-preserved fossils, probably of crustacean origin. Debenham discovered specimens of bituminous coal, and these were (almost certainly derived from a well-marked out-crop in a sandstone formation. Beautiful polished pavements characterised the vicinity, forming the most remarkable examples of glacial action hitherto seen in Victoria Land. The work done last summer by the geological party in, connection' with this season's work has resulted in a survey 'of some detail, both geological and topographical, of the whole coast north of Mount Morning to Granjite Harbour, including what atpipciws to be a good new route to the inland plateau behind Granite Harbor. On January 8 they returned to the stone hut to await the ship's arrival, but over 30 miles of fast sea ice remained 'between the edge of the open water. After waiting for weeks, until only ten days' a,va|ilable sledging food remained, they decided to retreat over the Piedmont Glacier to Discovery Hut or Butter Point. No specimens or personal gear could "be carried, Some twenty foot crevasses were crossed l -on the first day, but then {a route was found) at 1000 feet level which avoided the larger crevasses. They found that all the sea ice had broken out south of Dunlop Island. After coasting around the open water for the .next- ten days, the party were crossing Blue Glacier when they were picked up by the ship on February 15. It is highly probable that the Terra Nova will be able to obtain the specimens l from Granite Harbor in 1913. SUMMARY OF THE SCIENTIFIC WORK, The general plan arranged for the scientific work of the expedition has been carried: out so far almost entireljy by self-registering meteorological instruments, which have given a continuous record of the pressure, temperature, wind velocity and direction. These have been checked every four hours, by eye observations. The upper atmosphere has been investigated by means of small balloons, which have shown the direction of the upper currents to a height of pis miles. The temperature .up to five miles was almost unbroken. A record of the magnetic elements has ibeen obtained, a.ndi absolute magnetic observations have been made every week. Selg-regastering magnetic instruments were installed, in a room excavated on the side of sie small glacier. This eliminated' changes of temperature, which are serious considerations in this class of work. . All through the winter the aurora was observed every hour, but very few brilliant displays occurred.. Atmospheric electricity has also been studied. The vexed problems regarding the origin, of Alpine topography when Europe and other temperate .regions were undergoing am age of ice, are .being studied' in the examples offered by the retreating glaciers in IVJttoria Land, where the ice age still obtains. The /mainland! offers a rich field for petrology, with abundance of ■mineral-bearing quartz veins, but of no •economic .value. Specimens, of coal of economic value, and well-preserved fossils, have been found near Granite Harbor. At the winter quarters ftn excellent field exists for ice work in the miles of glacier in, front of the but. Pemlu<duluin observations for the value of gravity have been carried' out. A tide gauge has given a continuous record, and marine and biological work have ■been carried out throughout the winter at a hole kept open an the sea ice for nets. Water samples, sea temperatures, and quantitative and qualitative observations of minute organisms at various seasons are giving interesting results.' £The parasitology of all, seals, penguins ancT other birds and fish available, have already given good results. Some new protozoa have been found. The above has fully occupied' the .time of the scientific staff, and indicates an ample field for further research. The biological work has been carried out on the ship, including the use of seven trawls, wherefrom a large collection of the deep sea fauna of Antarctica have been obtained. A number of catches with a tow net haive been obtained;, 'which show the vertical distribution of transparent flowing ■organisms of the sea. Continuous meteorological observations- have been taken on the .ship, linking up Australasia and Antarctica. The natural history research ha.s been greatly assisted by the use of the cinematograph. Many thousands of feet of film have been used in securing permanent .animated records of interesting bird and animal life in. these regions, every phase of seal, penguin, and .skua. ,gull life being illustrated. Some remarkable cinematograph films have been secured, showing for tlie first time the killer whale, the wolf of the seas, in its natural element. '