ON ELEPHANT ISLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 October 1916, Page 6

ON ELEPHANT ISLAND.

RESCUE OF WILD'S PARTY.; HOW MAROONED MEN LIVED. The Daily Chronicle published the following interview which its special correspondent had at Puuta Arenas on September 0 with Sir Ernest Shackleton and Mr. Frank Wild, who gave him "the first full iccount of the rescue of the marooned men on Elephant Island and of their life there." They described (says the correspondent) the island as being as inhospitable as it well could be. It had precipitous cliffs over 2000 ft in height, against which dashed tempestuous seas. It was contantly enveloped in a shroud of fog. When the small boat, the James Caird, left the island on April 24 last with Sh Ernest and his five men who set out to South Georgia to find help, Wild and his party were soaked to the skin, and a fortnight elapsed before their semi-frozen clothes could be dried, for the stock of dried blubber and penguin-skins which they had accumulated had to be reserved for fuel for cooking.

For the first three weeks several of the party suffered from frost-bite and were ill from exposure. All, however, slowly recovered. "The ice-hole in which shelter was taken on landing soon became unbearable owing to the snow. Wild, realising that existence would be impossible under the conditions which had set in, turned the two remaining small boats upsido'down, supported on rocks to form a roof, and fixed the spare canvas at the sides to make walls. Chronometer cases sewed for windows. Upper bunks for half the party were provided' by the thwarts, the remainder having to be content with beds made from pebbles collected from the beach. For light they had nothing better than a blubber lamp, while a cooking-stove was extemporised out of an old oil tin. When Sir Ernest left there were rations for six weeks, but, realising that rescue might be delayed long beyond that period, Wild determined to exercise the most stringent economy. He decided to husband the bovril ration which was to form the staple sustenance. The stocks of tea ana cocoa having been exhausted months before, this was the only form of hotbeverage they possessed, and it was thus issued once a day. Twice weekly it was given out to each man without water as a meal. MAROONED MEN'S DAY. It was necessary to utilise every scrap of seal, as, owing to the formation of an ice-foot on the beach, seals were unable to land. In an endeavor to provide a landing place for the animals a channel was, with great labor, cut in the icefoot and constantly kept open, but this work was only rarely rewarded by a catch. Life on the island was one monotonous round "of storms and fogs, the only variation being dangers arising from breaking ice and driving seas. The following was described as the course of a typical winter's day, after the blubber supply had been assured; before that ther? was only one hot meal daily:— When dawn broke, at eight o'clock, the cook set to work to prepare breakfast, a task that, with the primitive cooking arrangements at his disposal, was a long one; and it was not until 10 that the meal was ready. It consisted generally merely of penguin fried in blubber, with a drink of water. Breakfast over, snowdrifts were cleared and penguins were caught ashore. Whenever the sea was free from ice a man was detailed as a look-out, for no one doubted that the party would be rescued in time. One cheerful optimist, indeed, rolled up his bed every morning with the expectation of the rescue ship with Sir Ernest arriving, at any moment. The morning's duties having been carried out, at one o'clock lunch —biscuits with raw blubber—was, served. The afternoon was occupied by regulated exercise over a track of a hundred yards in length. At five, when darkness fell, all were ready for dinner, the menu consisting of penguin breast, with a sustaining hot drink made from one bovril ration. Lacking tobacco, the men smoked grass taken from the padding of their boots, while pipes were carved from birds' bones -and wood. At 5.30 all turned in.

On Saturday the evening was marked by a concert, the feature of which was banjo playing by Hussy. This was the only musical instrument the marooned men possessed. Sir Ernest took it off the Endurance just before she w'as abandoned "as a mental tonic." KING'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION. The King's Birthday was celebrated with as much eclat as possible, the Union Jack which His Majesty presented to Sir Ernest to carry on the expedition being hoisted, and the Royal health being loyally drunk in hot sledging ration. On one occasion there was an unexpected addition to the bill of fare. Some undigested fish were found in the stomach of a seal, and were greatly enjoyed. This was the only fish obtained. At the beginning of August they secured a welcome change of diet. The ice began to melt and the rocks were exposed. Limpets were gathered in large numbers, and a great deal of seaweed was available and made a valuable vegetable. The health of the party during their prolonged stay on the island was maintained as far as passible by constant watchfulness on the part Of the two surgeons, Dr. Macklin and Dr. McIlroy, in consultation with Mr. Wild. THE VELCHO ARRIVES. In July Wild came to the decision that, failing relief by the end of October, he would try to make Deception Island, where whalers are generally to be found in the summer, in the remaining small boat, the Stancomb Wills. Accordingly most of the supplies of biscuit, sugar, and sledging rations were put aside with this end in view.

Two day before the rescue a heavy south-west blizzard swept the sea clear of pack ice.' On August 30. Wild told me, most of the party were just sitting down to a seaweed and limpet lunch when there were shouts from Hurley and Marston, who were outside the hut, that a ship was in sight. She was apparently steaming past the camp, and Wild started making smoke signals to attract her attention. Within five minutes suspense was over, and tha Yeleho was seen winging round directly for the spot where the party were clustered. A boat was dropped and rowed rapidly towards the shore. Three ringing cheers greeted its approach, and as soon as Sir Ernest, who was in the boat was within hail a chorus of "All well!" reached his ears, and must have gladdened hi? heart. Navigation was difficult amid the rocks, but one by one, as chance offered, the men were taken off. By two o'eljjck all were embarked, dnd the Yelclio's head turned tor home. "When was the war over?" was the first question which Wild and his comrades put to their rescuers. They had heard nothing of the outside world since October, 1914, when the Endurance left Buenos Aires,