SHACKLETON'S EXPEDITION.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 March 1916, Page 4

SHACKLETON'S EXPEDITION.

MISHAP TO AURORA, ■ ' , |THE .VESSEL RETURNING. v TARTY LEFT BEHIND. By Cable.—Press Association—Copyright Received March 26, 5.5 p.m. ,„ ~. . tbndon, March 25. copyright in Australia and New Zealand by the Australian Press Association, in Great Britain by the Daily Chronicle, and in America by the New York World.] A wireless message received from Lieut, Stenhouse, second in command of the .Aurora,, states that the vessel reached Cape Crozier on January 0, 1915, where it was intended to establish a depot for the,winter journey from our base, but the conditions were so DRd that it was impossible to effect a landing. The Aurora proceeded east along the Barrier and up the Sound. We encountered great difficulties from ice, but Eventually made a landing. A party of three men with dogs started on Jan-1 uary 24 foi the bluff to lay out a depot, taking stores with them. Next day Captain Mackintosh, accompanied by two members of our party, left the ship for a sledge trip with dogs. The vessel was driven by a blizzard from her moorings on May 0 while Captain Mackintosh, five of the crew and four scientists were on shore. The vessel became locked in the packice and drifted for ten weeks. She then loct her rudder and the hull was strained. She was released from the ice on March 14, and i 3 proceeding to New Zealand.

Lieutenant Stenhouse continued: "When driven from her moorings, the Aurora became locked in pack; ice. Th s set north along the coast and around Cape Adare to the west of Balieny Islands. After escaping serious injury for over ten weeks, misfortune overtook her on July 2L We were then about 90 miles south of Coulman Island. The Aurora was heavily nipped by the enormous ice pressure, and lost her rudder, whilst the hull was severely strained. It was not until Match 14 of this year that the Aurora got free of the ice. This was in latitude 64.30 south, longitude 161 east, after a drift to the south and eastwards of 1200 miles.

On January 31 six' men started southward, taking a mote* sledge with an aeroplane engine. All this time the Aurora was lying at her moorings off Cape Evara, after many attempts to find a safe harbor had failed. Owing to the extremely bad season, the party returned from the south, and on March 4 embarked from Hut Point. A week later the ship was still off Cape Evans and four of the staff went ashore to do scientific work. A violent blizzard on May 6 drove the Aurora from her moorings. At this time Captain Mackintosh and his two companions, as well as the three men who had gone to the bluff to establish a depot and the four members of the scientific staff, were ashore. We saw no more of them. The names of those left on shore are: Captain Mackintosh, Messrs. H. Wild, Joyce, Cope, Stevens, Rev. A. B. SpenCerSmith, and Messrs. Richards, Hayward, Jack, and Gaze. We sent a wireless appeal for a relief ship during the winter, but I cannot say if it was received, as we had no acknowledgment. We have lost oui anchors and are short of fuel. We expect to arrive early in April, RELIEF MUST BE SENT< WILL THE SUPPLIES LAST* FOOD LEFT BY SCOTT. Received March 28, 8.5 p.m. London, March 25. The Aurora's misadventure is the absorbing topic. The inability to pick up Sir Ernest Shackleton was almost the only contingency that was not foreseen. The organisation of a relief expedition in the autumn is already being considered. Even if Sir Ernest Shackleton, meeting with insuperable barriers, was forced to retrace his stops to Weddel Sea and return to Buenos Aires, relief must be organised to rescue Captain Mackintosh and his companions. If Shackleton succeeds in crossing the question remains whether the stores are sufficient to maintain the whole party for a year. Lieutenant Stenhouse's message throws no light on what stores were landed. Presumably Captain Mackintosh on hia journeys southwards, stocked various depots of Captain Scott's expedition, in which large stores were left behind and will probably be available.

Kelmie says' Shackleton is not short i.f food and there arc plenty of seals and jienguins.

The Daily Chronicle, in an interview with Commander (second in command of tiie late Captain Scott's expedition), said an abundance of food and fuel was left in Scott's hut at Cape Evans, but there was little clothing. With Shaekleton's resourcefulness there was little doubt that the party would survive the winter, providing that they readied Cape Evans in reasonable health. Succour must be sent, and as no ship can reach Ross Sea. until the end of December, the vessel should leave at the beginning of August, Tiiere is every confidence that financial Btipport will readily be found. The Chronicle adds that the relief expedition is a clear call of honor, and the Government must and will step into the breach. AURORA'S HULL STRAINED. Melbourne, March 25. The navy authorities have received a wireless message from the Aurora, stating that the hull is severely strained. The ship was released from the ice on March 14. Gaze, Richards, Hayward, and Jack were left ashore. The wireless appeals for help sent in the winter were not acknowledged. The ship is proceeding to Port Chalmers with a jury rudder and short of fuel. She ex-.' pects to arrive early in April. No mention is nade of Shaekleton's overland party. LADY SHACKLETON OPTIMISTIC. Received March 2fi, 5.5 p.m. ' London, March 25. Lady Shackleton, interviewed after receiving news of the accident to the Aurora, said she was optimistic as to her husband's welfare, although resigned to another year's absence. Miss Shackleton displayed more anxiety, her only doubt being whether there were sufficient stores,

SIR DOUGLAS MAWSON. " Douglas Mawson, fntwiewd. pomts out that Sir Ernest ShUtfi iDtentiw upon leaving South S)l fTw unV" 16 Winterin 8 •fettlon™ the \Vedd e ll Sea which Lieut. Finehner establjshed two years earlier and there froez-in the Endurance. Whether h. succeeded in this is unknown. The ™f? r \ m * anwhile was to "proceed to MMurdo Sound and wait for Ntaekteton until there was danger of freezingm again. Then she was to wtmn with or without Shacklcton and party We do not know whether the Aurora ever got there, but there should have been no difficulties about it a 8 the navigation is not difficult. It may.b,! that Shackleton, meeting with difficulties In the early stages, returned to the Weddell ,Sea and it is possible he may not reach the Ross Sea side. Asked "if Shackleton failed to reach the Ross Sea.side which apparently ho did not, there vu | ground for anxiety as to his. safety, Sir D. Mawson said he saw no need for undue alarm. Shacklcton .apd his party might bo heard of any day aboard the Endurance, which is expected at Buetioi Aires shortly. There was a chtnce.iiow. ever, that the Endurance will not ar» rive at present. She may be frozen up another year. The four men may have been left ashore to keep a lookout for Shackleton, or it is possible they were landed for some purpose.or other and it has been impossible to-pick th«m up. It may be necessary to send a Relief ship to pick them up. This could not be dene till next year. Ho considered the 'aiHsage from Buenos Aires referred only to the earlist part of the expedition. •'

PREMIER RECEIVES NEWS.

THE GOVERNMENT TO ASSIST, By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Mr. Massey to-night received- a wire. less messagt from Lieut. Stenhouse that the Aurora i s proceeding .to Port Chalmers disabled, after an enforced ten months drift in the ice from the winter quarters. After receiving fuller details Mr. Massey communicated with the Marine Department to ascertain what assistance could be offered to the explorers. The matter will be considered by Cabinet to-morrow. The Government will offer all possible facilities to Lieutenant Stenhouse when the Aurora reaches Port Chalmers and the extent o{ the necessary repairs is ascertained. CAPTAJN MACKINTOSH'S PARTY. Captain Aeneas Mackintosh, "R.N.R., who is in command of the Ross Sea party, was a member jf the. Shackleton expedition of 1007-!), as a second officer of the Nimrod, and was subsequently with the land party. The officers, the staff, and the crew of the expedition, that left aboard the Aurora, (which is only half the party) were as followi! Aeneas A. Mackintosh, R.N.R., commanding the party. J. R. Stenhouse, R.N.R., chief officer, S.Y, Aurora. ' ' A. H. Larkman, M.1.M.E., chief engineer, S.Y. Aurora. A. Stevens, M.A., B.Sc., lecturer in geography in the University of Glasgow, geologist and chief of the scientific staff. Rev. A. P. Spencer-Smith, 8.A., F. R. Hist. S., chaplain and photographer. J. L. Hope, 8.A., M.8., Cambridge, surgeon. A. Keith Jack, M.Sc, of Brighton, Victoria, physicist and assistant Biologist. R. W. Richards, of BallarativVictoria, physicist. ' '■'• , Irvine 0. Gaze, of Melbourne, commissariat officer. Ernest Joyce, of Sydney, in charge of dogs. , A. H. Ninnis, cousin of the explorer who lost his life in the Mawson expedition, in charge of motors. H. E. Wild, brother afjfrank-Wild (with the main party), in charge of stores. V •■ V. G. Hayward, secretary. C. C. Maugher, carpenter. —. Hooke, wireless operator. James Paton, boatswain. S. Attyn, W. Kavanagh, A, Warren.