The Polar Tragedy

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 230, 17 February 1913, Page 5

The Polar Tragedy

LIEUTENANT CAMPBELL'S SJORY. A FORCED UAIU'JI. % Telegraph—Press Association. Christcliurcli. Saturday. Campbell left Cape liobens on October 30, and marched to Butter Point, finding the surfaces very 711 uch improved. They found and took on tile food depot at Gape Bcrnaedii. At the Nutter Point depot a. note was found telling of the attempt that Atkinson had made to relieve Lieutenant Campbell. The signing of the note by Dr. Atkinson gave rise to mueli anxiety and doubt. For this reason the party then commenced a forced march direct to ('ape Evans, hut, after going about nine miles, found the ice so new and rotten that they were forced to return in their tracks and make the detour of jYlaomurdo Sound. [ Even then momc of the leads were so rotton that the siedge hud to be taken across at. the rush. Arriving at Hut Point a note was discovered from Atkinson, giving the sail news of the loss of the southern party, and of the start of the search party. The. whole party, even to Browning, who was still unlit, expressed the keenest disappointment at

being too late to take pari in the search. THE SCIENTIFIC SIDE. ON'C'E A TEMPERATE CLTMATE. •

INT ERESTINt I DEDUCT lONS. The general geological work done by the three parties, southern, western and northern, is likely to prove of great, value, especially as furnishing evidence relative to the former connection be-

tween Australasia and South America though t.lie Antarctic Continent. The collections and notes made by l.ho several parties upon Beardmore Glacier arc far better than was to be expected under the conditions. Thi.s is the farthest south outcrop of rock on the route selected. There was no geologist in the southern party, but in spite of this collections were made with great judgment. From a height of 8000 feet fossil plants and coal were brought back, being collected from almost the same place as the coal discovered by Sir Ernest Sliackleton. The plant impressions are very well preserved in sandstones and shales, and probably belong to late Palaeoyoic or early Mcssoyic times. Lower down the glacier another find, of fossils was. made, consisting of corals of primitive form, typical of the early palacyoic age. Numerous igneous rocks were also collected. These collections were chiefly made by Dr. Wilson and Lieutenant Bowers under adverse conditions. Their notes are necessarily not. at present available. Until experts have had access to this material it is unwise to make/ definite inferences, hi genera! terms it may be said that there is proof of temperate conditions of climate being obtained in the Antarctic at two periods of time in past ages.

The western party, under Griffith Taylor, made two journeys to the mainland of Victoria Land for purely scientific purposes. A geological and topographical survey was made from Mount Discovery to Granite Harbor, and material gathered for a thorough description of the Antarctic physiography. Ice phenomena were especially observed, and several measurements of the movements of glaciers made. In the case of the Mackay Glacier this amounted to 80 feet for one month. At. Granite Harbor coal was found in the beach sandstone formation. It proved to be a semi-anthracite of medium quality. and is probably of the same age as the coal from Beardmore Glacier. It was practically inaccessible, and consequently of no economic hie. Associated with it were fossil impressions of stems and charred wood, also plates probably of a. fresh water crustacean. New mountains, up to feet, were found and surveved.

Priestley, geologist of the northern party, spent the fir.st vear making an extensive collection of rocks in the vicinity of Robertson Rav. Associated with the Cape Adare volcanic scries there was found an erratic bearing agglomerate. many of the boulders being started bv ice action. A somewhat similar deposit, was also amongst the rocks dredged from the Pay of Whales. During the second sea.son ihe party made a journey along several glaciers between Mount Xansen and Mount Melbourne, and made a valuable, collection of igneous,and sedimentary rocks. Kossils in the shape of la rye wood stems were found lUlil lir.iSl.yhi. (•■•irk. again are probably referable to the beacon sandstone formal ion. ami similar in age to the fossils found bv the other parties. Tliev traversed and surveved a la rye piedmont glacier of the barrier tvpe. formed bv the union of several glaciers between Mounts Nansen and Melbourne, and held in place by a group of islands.

With regard to the fossils found ill i!ii' sou'lli if is important to note thill: Air. Lillie. biologist of (lie shin, in the oast two year*. Ims made collections in Mow Zealand of fossil plants which may connect with the Antarctic specimen.-.

ASCEXT OF AIT. ERUBUS. Tn December, 1012. a party of six, under Priestley, made an ascent of Aft. Embus for geological purposes. Thev had good weather but low temporal ures (SOdeg. below zero) at the summit. A different route to that of Professor David was followed, and the old crater visited, the altitude of the lip being 10,000 feet. The sledges were hauled to a height of 1)500 feet before packing became necessary. A detailed survey of the whole mountain, except one side, was made. At the height of 10.000 feet two of the. parly were overcome by mountain sick miam] were left lo continue the survey of the old crater. The oilier four reached (lie summit and built a --lone cairn as a record. A strong wind prevented the hypsometer being used for calculating the altitude. (Ira>n, ascending the final slope after the oilier ban left, was caughr in the fumes of a mild eruption, and was partially suffocated, but managed to yet clear by himself. A detailed geological survey of Ros- Island from Cape Annitage to Cane Rc.yds has been mivrle. and affords evidence of the greater age of volcanic deposits than was formerly supposed.

SPTENTIFIP ()I;S.I;RV.\TIO\B. Observations (hroiurhoul. flu; year were marti 1 nil tlic physical conditions of the ice in all its forms bv Wright. Tie was also responsible for all flic meteorological observations. masrnetic measurements aiul flic study of atmospheric electricity. Tlis lime was much occupied with pendulum observations for the measurement of the force of gravity. Tlic general hvdiwjraphic work ivas parripd out by Kelson. who also built another ijrloo for tlio planting of polleefions. Oiviiif.' to lack of sea ice bis work in f.liis direction was necessarily limited. ITis first i«loo on the sea. ice went to sea will; some of ]iis jrear. Cherry and Oarraud took over (lie preparation of all skins from seals and penguins. A new line of sounding- for scientific, purposes was ran from Banks Peninsula. to T/it. f in. R. Loiu:'. 70 W.. and thence south to Lnt. 7-1 S. A shoal of 158 faf-homs depths was found in Hie middle of the P,o=.s Sea. within a short

I distance of soundings of 200(1 fathoms. Extensive marine biological collections were made by Lillie. It is worthy of note that the Polar party's meteorological observations were continued to March 12. when the thermometer was broken. SCOTT'S STOUY. London, February 14. The story of Captain Scott was read ill the schools I hroughout the country, liefore it was read the livmn "Rock of Agfts" was sung. I'llK SCOTT KL'XII. London, February 14. I lie members of -the Stock Exchange have opened a fund for the relief of those dependent on the lost explorers. Dannevirke, Saturday. The JJannevirke Ticrough Council placed on record its appreciation of the gallantry of the Soiih i'ole heroes, anil pledged itself tn support the fund to relieve the burden of the dependents of those left.

IX MKMOiirAM. .SERVICE AT ST PAI'L'S. AX IMPRESSIVE C'EREMOXi. London, February 14. St. Paul's w;is crowded two' hours bifore the memorial service began. The King drove without an escort, in the uniform of an admiral. • Mr. As ( |iii(li (Prime Minister, Colonel Seely (Secretary for War), members of ilie Cabinet., leaders of the Opposition), and the l/iv(] Mayor were present, as well as the relatives of the dead explorer., and the representatives of learned societies. Captain Collins represented Sir George Rcid. The service began with the liymn "Rock of Age?," and the height' of solemnity was reached when the Dead March in -'"Saul" was piaved by the band. The introduction of the names of the five explorers into the collect "We humbly leave in Thy, Fatherly keeping . . made a deep impression. Tlie service closed with the congregational singing of "Jesn, Lover of my soul," followed by Beethoven's Dead March. There were crowded .services at Devonport Dockyard and Portsmouth. Messrs. .Redmond and O'Connor represented the Nationalists at the memorial service at St. Paul's. Memorial services were held in St. fiiles', Edinburgh, and at Gestingtlirope. Captain Oates' native village.

PORT CHALMERS MEMORIAL. Duncdin. Saturday. At the Harbor .Board's meeting last night a suggestion was made that a memorial be erected at Port Chalmers, as marking -Scott's final point of departure from Xew Zealand. The chairman expressed the opinion that there would be 110 lack of subscribers to such a memorial.

MEMORIAL SERVICES IX AUCfCLAXD. Auckland, Last Night. Memorial services in connection with Captain Scott's expedition were held in all the churches to-day. OVERSEAS CTA'P, MEMORIAL SERVICE. Dnnedin, Last Night. The Dnnedin branch of the Overseas Club held a memorial service for Captain Scott and his comrades, to-day, in the Octagon TTal! which was crowded to the doors. The local M.lYs, the Mayor and City Councillors, and representatives of all the churches were present. The speakers were the Revs. W. Grav-Dixon. and W. Slade. both of whom referred feelinglv to the noble work of the explorers. The service was opened with Chopin's Funeral Maeli and closed with the 'Dead March In Saul, plaved by the Tvaikorai "Band. MESSAGE FROM THE KING. Received 10. .1.") p.m. London, Febrnarv 15. The King: in a message t 0 Captain Scott's mother, states that he knew her son intimately, and mourned his death as a friend as well as a distinguished naval otlicer. The Geographical Society has received (lie Commonwealth Parliament's and West ral ia's condolences. GOVERNMENT PROVIDING FOR DEPENDENTS. X. Received 10. 5.5 p.m. London. February 15. Nearly CliO/JOO is required to meet the outstanding liabilities of the expedition and to relieve Captain Scott's estate. Captain Scott largely pledged his own and his wife's fortune to carry out the expedition. Lord Curzon. writing' to (he press, states that he has the highest- authority for stating that the-.Government will make provision for the dependents from national funds. SOME MEMORIAL SUGGESTIONS. Recoiled 10. 5.5 p.m. London, February 15. The Geographical Society voted £IOOO to the memorial fund. and the Gaekwar of Tiaroda £2OO. Lord Curzon suggests the erection of a Scott memorial on half of the Geogra;)h'"al Society's site facing Ilyde Park. Sir Joseph Ward suggests a naval scholarship in ui"i»or.v of Captain Scott, all sons of the Empire to be eligible to compete. ' f'.VI'T UN AULXOSEN'S PREMONITION. Received 10, 5.5 p.m. London, February 15. The Times' correspondent states that Captain Amundsen in September expressed his fears for Captain Scott's safety, but refrii'ni,-! from publishing this for fear of causing anxiety to the relatives. Til EV N For XDI ".1) RI T lOR S den 1 ED. Received 17. 12.40 a.m. London, February Hi. Tn denying New Zealand and Australian reports. Scott's mother, who is aged S5. and his relatives declare that they are satisfied that every possible effort was made to assist the southern party. THE EARLIEST EXPEDITIONS. The Antarctic has loomed large for several years now in the scientific and geographical horizon. The credit of being the lirst 1o cross the Antarctic circle belong to the famous Captain Cook, who passed that point on .lanuar.v "17, 1773. Vlis progress was barred at 71deg. ISmin S. by an impenetrable barrier of icebergs. of which he counted no fewer than !>7, towering above his ship like a range of mountains. "Rellinghausen, ill IS2O. fell a degree short of his illustrious predecessor. but the record was beaten three years later hv Weddell. an English naval otlicer. who penetrated as far as 74deg. 20inin. S. Tn the year IS3O a more im-

i '•* portant expedition, although failing to I reach as high a point of latitude, was 'i that undertaken by John Balleney, and which led to the discovery of three islands ill latitude G6deg. 44min. S. »nd longitude lftSJdeg. llmin. F,. Expedition# were also sent about this period to the South Polar regions by the Governments of France and the United States, but the one great name which up till the last year or two has adorned the page of Antarctic exploration is that of Sir James Ross, who was instructed by the British Admiralty to subordinate everything else to the prosecution and investigation of a series of experiments in I terrestrial magnetism, the investigation of the position of the Pole,, and the attainment of it if possible. On September 25, 1839, the two ships Erebus and ! Terror, which had been fitted out for the expedition, left the Old Land, but it whs not until December of the following year that they crossed the Antarcticcircle. For over twelve months the expedition remained in the Antarctic, and to Sir James Ross belongs the credit of giving the world the lirst true idea nf tli" South Polar regions. He landed on Pi ssession .Island, but Vlerr Borchgrevink many years later claimed to have been the lirst man v'iio ever put foot upon the great Antarctic Continent. Sir James Ross went within 710 miles of the Pole, and other expeditions, conducted or inaugural ed by Englishmen, Scotsmen. Norwegians, and numbers of other nationalities have followed. The Belgiea, which carried as surgeon Dr. F. A. Cook, who not long airo claimed the discovery of the North Pole, was the first vcsel to experience the terrors of the Antarctic night in IHOS. She went down on the South, American side of the. globe, and was followed by Dr. J. E. Chariot, in the Francais. who took another expedition in I'JtlS and worked in WeddeH's and Ross' <|mirlers till 1010.

j XEARING THE GOAL The years from 1001 to 1904 have teen called the international polar years, for in that epoch interest in the Antarctica received an entirely new life among the nations, and four great expeditions were sent out to make discoveries there. The most; important of these was the British expedition under Captain Scott in the ship Discovery. He pressed forward in a line more favoritble for advance into the highest latitudes, viz., in the meridian of New Zealand, and readied the gulf which has been known ever since its discovery by Sir James Boss in 1842. From the winter station there was a sledge expedition of !)4 davs made towards the Pole, .and the till then highest known southern altitude was reached at 82.17. More magnificent and successful was the advance in 1908-1000 of Sir E. Shackleton, who, almost at his own cost, ventured in the ship Nimrod to go from Xew Zealand to the scene of Scott's labors in the English national expedition. After an unexampled brave advance by sledges, in which his privations were very great, he succeeded in coming within 120 miles of the South Pole in latitude 88deg. 23 mill. Here at a height of over 9000 ft he made the record up till that time of southern latitr.de. The details of the fitting out of the Scott expedition ar< known to most of our readers. Tin British Government placed £20,000 at his disposal, and the Australian and New Zealand Governments gave liberal contributions, and on November 29, 1910. Captain Scott started on/what has proved to be his last perilous voyage, leavingNew Zealand in the Terra Nova for Victoria Land. After an extremely difficult passage the first division of the expedition was safely landed at ,McMurdo Sound, not far from the Erebus volcano, about 26 kilometres from tlie winter station of the Discovery. Afterwards the Terra Nova went on to the opposite land, and on February 2. 1911, reached Cape Colbeck, in Edward VIT. Land, on the eastern side of the Ross Sea. A suitable winter station could not be found, however, till they reached Balloon Bay at l(i4deg. W. Here they were surprised to meet with the Norwegian expedition landed from the Fram under Captain K Amundsen. This expedition had started in order to cross the North Pole from Beliring Strait to Greenland, and was supposed to be on its way round the Horn to San Francisco when it was met with in the English field. Tt is now known that Amundsen decided to make this unexpected and quite secret venture in order, through the L'rrrtt sueecss which he confidently expected would result from it, to raise the means, which were "difficult to obtain in Norway, for defraying the cost of a drift voyage across the North Po]e. Amundsen made a bold dasli southward, ivi-.d, unlike his rival, was favored by propitious conditions of weather. 'Success attended his bold venture, and he reached the goal of so manv daring adventurers' ambition on December 16. 1011. Captain Scott, 'on the other hand, whose expedition was organised with a view to more continued and deliberate work in the. South Polar area, did not reach there till thirty-three days later— Tanuary iB.