IN SPITE OF BLIZZARDS

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 213, 6 September 1916, Page 7

IN SPITE OF BLIZZARDS

WILD'S PARTY HUNG ON STORY OF THE RESCUE. SHACKIiETON COMING SOUTH XO COMMAND AURORA, am) RESCUE ROSS SEA PARTY. (Reuters Telearams.! (Received 9.10 a.m.) I ONDOX, September 5. °io rescuing the eleven men who Shackleton in a dispagh to it. "Daily Chronicle. aated l unia SnwSenbcr :\ *ays:-" The fourth fttempt to rescue roy comrades on EleSS lid succeeded. All arrived sale Kcll. On this occasion 1 set a course thrt enabled the steamer Velcho to apS Lh the island from the north-W«t \l e ice having worked towards the nrtheast We reached L.eutenant Kp on :5 °- after T?*l in a fog through numerous stranded icebergs We immediately started on the return journey. "With Lieut. Wild lies the credit of lavin* kept the party together, in .trench and safety, under the most tryin- and most difficult conditions. 1 canU speak too highly of Mr. Crean and Smtenant Worsley. who have seen tiling through with mc. The following is Lieutenant Wild's report, which was cabled by Sir Ernest Shackleton: - "On April 23. the day after the departure of the boat, the inland was beset with dense pack ice, and the party was confined to a narrow spit of land, 250 yards long by 40 yards wide, surrounded by inaccessible cliffs and iceladen seas. We were forced to abandon the ice-house, owing to tlw snow making it We therefore made a dwelling of two boate. supported on rocks, as far as practicable from the 6ea. The weather continued appalling, and the vitality of the whole party was lowered by exposure. Messrs. Blaekboro, Hudson. Greenstreet. and Dickinson became ill, and several of the others were froat-bitten. A blizzard in May swept much valuable gear into the sea. and we were m danger of being swept away by .the heavy seas, due to the blizzard, which attained a velocity of 70 miles an hour. Fortunately, an ice foot was formed on the seashore, and this protection meant the saving of us from total destruction. The adjacent glacier 'calved' on several occasions, causing heavy waves. Once blocks of ice were hurled /•within 15 feet of our dwelling. "We drastically economised our food, snd had only one hot meal daily, until we. strengthened our reserve of blubber. Our valuable stock of bovril and other rations was used for two meals weekly The season was late, so we were kept in anxiety regarding the meat supply, lrat we periodically replenished it with email penguins. Seals were unable to land owing to the ice foot. i There was less wind in June onwards, but we were under a constant fall of fog and snow. Blackboro's toes were amputated. The three previous attempts at relief synchronised with the times the island was with ice. We were able to collect eeaweed and limpets at the beginning of August, and these provided a valuable change of diet. Heavy seas and ice prevented fishing. A gale on August 28 drove the pac-k ice from the island, and through the lifting fog on August 30 wp saw the Veleho approaching. I wish to place on record the good moral of the entire party. The King's cable to Sir Ernest Shackleton was as follows:— "I most heartily rejoice at the re3cne of your comrades, and congratulate you on the result of your determined efforts. I admire the conduct of Lieut. Wild, which was so instrumental in maidtaining their courage. I hope and trust you soon will bring all saielv .iiome." THE MAROONED PARTY. AT LEAST TWENTY MEN. (By Telegnraph.--Spe<:ial to "Star.") DUNISDIST, this day. Captain Stenaouse. of the exploring vessel Aurora, said that he had been enable to cable his congratulations «> the marooned party on Elephant '•Island, because the "Daily Chronicle's" did not state -whether it had *een wirelessed from on board the *cleno, or -whether that vessel had returned to Pnnta Arenas. The party eoMisted of at least 22 men, and they were in charge of Mr. Prank Wild, Tho is probably the -most experienced W all the Antarctic explorers. Mr. Eeeond in command of the expedition. So far as is known the Diswvery, which left Plymouth on August *0» wae not equipped with wireless. THE RESCUED MEW. The party rescued from Elephant "land comprised:— Captain Frank Wild (who was with 'he Mawson expedition), second in coin"'and of the Endurance, in charge of provisions. George Marston, in charge of general stores, artist. Mr. Frank Hurley, of Sydney, photo-' E r apher. Captain Orde Lees, R.M-L.L, in charge of motors. Lieutenant F. Dobbs, Royal Dublin answers, in c ij ar g e sect j on o f dogß , Lieutenant Courtney BroekJeburst,; iitb. Hussars, in charge of section Of: Jamee Wordie, 8.A., Cambridge, geologist. I 1 R j W " Janies - B -A- Cambridge, B.Sc.J London, physicist and magnetician. Leonard EL Hussey, B£c., London,! assistant magnctician and meteorologist. £*• Studd. Cambridge University and wmbprne School of Mines, geologist. Mr. Jeffrey, chief officer of the Enonrance. iff. Cheetham, third officer and %oatman. . Mr. Greenstreet. >ine men of the crew, consisting of «*£aval men, trawling men from Hull, mtvtuhjf, and from Labrador.