The Antarctic

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 254, 17 March 1913, Page 5

The Antarctic

DR. MAWSON'S EXPEDITION. I ARRIVAL OF THE AURORA. "THE HELL-HOLE OF WIND." By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Hobart, March 1.5. The Aurora lias arrived at Esperam-e Bay. .Mr. Eitel, the secretary, landed and furnished an account of the expedition. The Aurora left Hobart on Boxing Day and on arrival at Tarooma embarked 21 Greenland dogs.Captain Amundsen's presentation to the expedition. The Aurora did not secure wireless communication with Dr. Mawson's base at Adelie Land until two days before reaching there. At the request of the Federal .Government the Aurora took Captain James Davis to test the whaling potentialities, but not a single right ■whale was observed on the voyage, and no land was discerned, despite the keen watch which was kept. They found the forty miles long ice barrier charted last year, but sixty miles westward of Adelie Land it disappeared. The Aurora passed less than thirty hours in pack ice before reaching the main base, confirming Dr. .Mawson's assertion that it was possible to visit the trase in an iron steamer.

The base at AdcJie Land was sighted on January 13. They observed one wireless mast erect and the other lying on the rocks, explaining the sudden stoppage of the wireless messages. The nine occupants were overjoyed to see the vessel. The stamp of hardship was noticeable, though all were in robust condition. Dr. Mawson was absent on a sledge journey, but was expected back in two days. The other two parties were also shortly due.

The most interesting scientific results undoubtedly consisted of the meteorological data which was gathered during the winter. They show that their quarters in Commonwealth Bay were in absolutely the windiest corner of the world. An idea of the wind force might be obtained, by remembering that a velocity of fifty miles an hour constituted a full gale. The records showed an average velocity for the ten months of 52 miles per hour. The maximum of 202 miles per hour was actually registered on the gust recorder. The highest average for any single hour was between ninety and a hundred miles per hour. Some of the gales lasted for several months. Correll, during a blizzard, was lost for two hours, in traversing ten yards from the camp to the meteorological screen. Hodgeman was also lost for two hours and a-half, in returning from the magnetic hut, which was under two hundred yards away. The men had to crawl about on their hands and knees. Adelie Land had well earned the title of the "Hell Hole of Wind." The keynote of the scientific results was undoubtedly the velocity and continuance of the wind, though much other striking scientific work was achieved. Terrible winds and low temperatures were recorded, the thermometer reading minus 29 degrees Fahrenheit, Five sledging parties had been despatched. Bage. Webb and Hurley returned three day* before the Aurora arrived. Their objective was to reach the magnetic pole from the north. They arrived within fifty miles before insufficiency of food compelled a retreat. Hurley's resolution to abandon the search for a lost depot and proceed foodless to the next, saved the party from disaster. Madigan, Dr. Maclean and Correll traversed 550 miles eastwards interesting geological discoveries, but failed to locate one food depot and spent two davs foodless in sleeping baas.

Dr. Mawsdn stated definitely that he ■would return on January 13. Xo apprehension was caused at first when he failed to appear, but eventually sledge parties went searching. The Aurora cruiser] sixty miles along the eastern coast. .All the members of the shore partv agreed to remain another year to search for Dr. Ilawson while the ship proceeded to the rescue of Wild's party. 'Madigan. Base. Bickerton, Hodgeman. Maclean and Jefferies were left behind.

The Aurora departed on February 8. The vessel was victualled for onlv one year owing to the shortage of funds. Some of the stores were landed at the main base for the relief partv. consequently if the vessel w:is caught in the ice those on board were in daiu"*r of starving. Eight, hours after sailinsr a •wireless was received: "Returned to base aflfely. Xinnis and Mertz dead. Return pick up shore party immediately.—Signed. Mawson." The Aurora returned, but a «troii<r hurricane prevented communication with the land. The ship flagged a message. ''Send instructions." The signal was observed by the shore partv. but no attempt was made to reply. The hurricane increased to such intensity that the Aurora began heaving her anehors. but lost them, and was unable to keep her ground.

Captain Davis summoned those on board ami explained the situation. He said tlie delay was Jeopardising tin- lives of the partv at Wild's base. Ail sympathised with him. knowing flip terrihle strain caused liv the rf=noii-i!iilit'-. and unanimously supported Ins deci-ion to Htart immediately fur Wild's ha-", leaving Dr. Mawson and the relief party to be brought npxt rear. >lr. Eitel said that if ever blame wa= laid at the captain's door for desertinc the main base, every member would stand shoulder to shoulder with him. Volunteers had offered to row the whaleboat ashore, but the captain h.id refused to allow the men to risk their lives, for there was little doubt but that thev would have been swamped bv th" high seas running. The Aurora pu-hed on with full speed ahead, and sighted the barrier ice thirtv miles from Wild's base, and on the 23rd found the party of piffht all safe. Thev took aboard specimens «ml instruments and a few stores, and sailed at nine o'clock at night for Tlobart. WILD'S TARTY. WHY THE AURORA LEFT. Received 1*!. .">.."< p.m. TTohart. March Ifi. Air. Eitel's narrative state- that while the Aurora, after her arrival at the main base on Jannarv 13. anchored on the Ice of an ice cliff, a -tropu file Arose. The windlass having been negligently left open, the heaviest cable glided

into the water, not bavin? heep mad' fast, leaving thpm dependent on a much % lighter cable. Rickerton. Wlietter and Hodgeman were instructed to proceed In motor sledge as far as possible, and return along the west coast. The motor.

I towing two ordinary sledges, (lew up a 17 degrees slope at the rear of the camp ,at nearly forty miles an hour. The enIgine became incapacitated thirteen miles out, and they continued the journey I afoot, covering over thirteen hundred miles. They returned on .January 18. .Subsequently they retrieved the motor. "We had hoped," lie said, "that the Aurora would he able to proceed on January 20 to relieve Wild's party, who were located on the ice harrier. 1000 miles westward by a sea route, though only 1133 miles as the crow flies, as it was feared that the ice barrier might become detaclied from the land ice. Our anxiety to rescue them before the sea was frozen over may be imagined. The fact that Dr. Mawson was recalling the ship when lie and the shore party were in complete safety, thus endangering the lives of those on the ship and at Wild's base will probably be criticised, but Dr. Mawson was such a thorough leader that we were confident he would provide a satisfactory explanation. There was nothing in the nature of a sudden panic about the decision to desert Dr. .Mawson. The only reason was that we believed Wild's party would perish. There was every reason to believe that the brief season of summer calms was over for another year. On the nigh! of February !). one day after the Aurora's second departure. Dr. Mawson attempted to communicate by wireless. All that could be deciphered was the words : 'Please wait, cable Ninnis, Mertz' and the word vrev.'sse' repeated several times. We understood this to mean that before complying with the news eontracts we should cable to tiie relatives of Ninnis and Mertz. stating that they had been killed in a crevasse. This is another instance of Dr. Mawson's thoughtful- ■ ness. Wild's party accomplished 1524, miles of -ded'jfe journeys, not counting relay work. They formally took possession for Britain of the whole area from Kaiser Wilhelm Land to longitude 101-30 east, 'longitude 07.30 south. This lias been named King George V. Land.*' Captain John King Davis, master of the Aurora, gives the following live reasons for leaving Dr. Mawson's partv: — The main base was in perfect safety, being fully equipped in every way for a second winter: the short summer in Aiielie Laud was evidently over: further detention of the vessel would have seriously endangered the chance of relieving Wild, who was 1500 miles distant, navigation being extremely difficult on account of tbe constant snow storms and the growing darkness; the only other vessel penetrating the south i in this region was frozen in on February 22: file Aurora was not provisioned , for a winter among the ice. because they had landed most of their spare

nores for the relief party at the main base. "As a seaman." be added, "knowing the difficulties we encountered in getting to and from tbe second base tbe previous year, T felt that nothing would exonerate me if I further delayed my departure. Being unable to communicate with Dr. Mawson it was clearly my diitv to act as I was convinced he would wish me to act were I able to inform him ,of the situation of the western party."