AMONG THE ICE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 36, 10 February 1917, Page 9

AMONG THE ICE.

{Copyright in Great Britain oy the "Daily Chronicle,' , and copyright in the ■ JJnited States, by the "XewXork World")

; A TERRIBLE JOURNEY. HEROIC SELF-SACBIFICE. STJBVIVORS' STRUGGLE FOR IJTE. RETURN OF THE AURORA. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. . A second copyright report of the hisiory of the ill-fated Ross Sea party beWin* to his expedition was given tonight = by Sir Ernest Shackleton upon toe arrival of the Aurora. It contains duller details of the terrible journey of the late Captain Mackintosh's party and of the heroic self-sacrifice of those Who struggled on when Mackintosh, Bmith. and Hayward fell iIL The report .. is as follows: — ! sfOa llareh 14, 1915, three days after * tlifi Aurora left Hut Point, Cope, Jack end Hayward arrived from the Barrier Trith two dogs. On March 22 Mackintosh, Joyce and Wild arrived. They were badly frostbitten, and all the doge --•were dead. Consistent bad weather, with furious blizzards and temperature of minus 30, militated againet progress. Despite all difficulties, however, they : laid a depot SO degrees south. Open I water or thin ice prevented the party :.- sefcching Capt Evans unta June 1, and when they arrived they found the v Aurora had gone from her position. The ' party had ample provisions, consisting ' or matches, fresh meat, blubber for fuel, I sledging provisions, and kerosene, which J had been landed. The main coal sup- • pfr iad tieen landed, but was washed away by a wave from a capsized ice~*beis. The only serious, result of the - efcip's disappearance was a shortage of iclothing, which iad not been landed. ! i ':" .EXTENSIVE SLEDGING. • f The winter passed, tie usual blizzards heing experienced. Joyce and Wild occuJpied their time in making clothing and i-jnr .boots from materials ]eft by the -Scott expedition. Jack, Richards and - Stevens were employed on scientific t work, and Cope, Hayward, and Gaze • Innted seals. In. view ot the loss of all •-• except four dogs, ilackintosti made a I programme of early extensive sledging, which etarted on September 1. Five ' journeys were made from Hut Point. On. October 9 the nine men, in three tmits. started sledging to stock the Bluff depot established 79 degrees south. 1 Four journeys were made, after which all the unite proceeded south. •.-The first party consisted -of Mackin- ; tosh, Wild and Smith, the second, in charge of Joyce., consisted of Hayward, ■Richards, Cope, jack and Gaze, who had the four dogs. After reaching 80 degrees south Joyce sent back Jack, Gaze and Cope owing to their being worn out. This party reached Hut Point on January 15, 1916, covering 150 miles: in. nine dare from SOdegv pouth. Mackintosh up the January- 22. ' ' ~ At S3deg. south Spencer Smith sud-~ broke down from scurvy and was left in a tent ■ with, provisions. On \~. January 26 the last depot was laid at '"■ -Hount Hope. Here we found two of I .Captain Scott's sledges, the only traces found of the Scott expedition, though the party followed the same track. The snowfall had evidently been heavy on , the Barrier. ATTACKED BY SCORVY. - On January 29 they picked up Smith •who was helpless, and he was laehed on the sledge in a sleeping bag. Scurvy symptoms generally appearing, the greatest possible epeed was made hoane- ■ wards. Mackintosh was badly attacked bnt continued pulling in the trace. De- - -spite the lost traction power, and the ..weight of the sick man, progress wae "rapid for the next ISO miles. Then the jl. strain telling, combined with the bad surface and weather, the length of the marches grew shorter though the num-■-ber of hours marched was greater. At ■ 80deg. south, owing to the condition of " tfie party and the knowledge of the bad yeather conditions in this area, extra . fooH was taken from the depot. The - precaution was fully justified, for within 30 miles of where Scott perished, the ... party was overtaken by a furious bliz- ; , ard under similar conditions 11 miles '. from the safety of the.Bluff depot. The t_ blizzard- raged from February 17 to : ' March 1, and the temperature reached 30 below zero. For the first six days the party, remained camped. Then, as fnel and. provisions were practically exlaasted - and the men were weakening rapidly in. their frozen sleeping bags, camp was 'broken on February 23. FIGHT AGAINST DEATH. After -three hours' digging the buried sledges were got out, and they started in a blinding, drift, to attempt to reach the depot 11 miles away. Now began the fight against death, which called. . forth qualities of self-denial, endurance ' and comradeship worthy of the highest traditions of the Polar serviceSoon after starting Mackintosh fell in - ins tracks, having endured to the limit ai his powers. He was left with Smith, with Wild to attend to them, whilet Joyce, Richards and Hayward, with the four starving djogs, etruggled on to reach the depot. A few biscuit crumbs and tea, was the only food left. On r February 26. in a momentary clearance of the drift, the depot was sighted, and the party returned with food and oil. Hayward had now broken down. The buzzard continued, and Joyce and Bichards, with the doge, had to'do the - -Polling. On February 29 they arrived I at the camp and found the party with- | put food, but full of appreciation of ; Wild's self-denying care. Thr sick men ] wing quite helpless, immediately a start, ■was made again for the depot. Meckel; mtosh and Smith were lashed on the j pledge, and Hayward staggered along i °esde. On .March 1 the blizzard and ttrfft eeaaed. but the wind continued- i Oa March 2. they left the depot, with stores replenished. MACKINTOSH DROPS OUT. Mackintosh, Smith and Hayward were Bow lashed on the sledge, and the pulling party were helped by a sledge sail. «n March 9 the wind dropped, rendering tne sail useles. The three men who pulling were unable to move the - sledge with their ekk comrades. Mackintosh, seeing the gravity of the situa™°n, decided unselfish to remain be«nd to give the other sick men a -chance to reach safety, a decision in Keeping with hk behaviour throughout. Gn the Sth they left him in a tent JH rah three weeks' provisions, 40 miles I ' £ oni safety. The party pushed on with •aayward and Smith. AH were now weakening from scurvy, and low tent £ Peratures prevailed, but the -weather -• -■'--■ ._■•-.

•DEATH OF SMITH. On the 9th Spencer Smith died, after 47 days' sickness. He remained cheerful to the end. On March. 11, Hut Point was reached. Fresh meat and dried vegetables were procured, end on the 14th, after a bad ■ blizzard, Joyce, Richards and Wild etarted back for Mackintosh. On the 18th all were safe at Hut iPoint. The lives of Mackintosh and Hayward were saved by the devoted efforts of their comrades, and by the endurance and work of the four dogs, Curmer, Con, Towser and Oscar, under the worst conditions of weather and temperature, with short food and sometimes none at all. The party had practically been sledging from September 1, 1915, to March IS, 1916, covering 1,560 statute miles. In spite of abnormal difficulties they laid a depot at Mount Hope, thus carrying out the object of the expedition. Scurvysymptoms' rapidly disappeared after a regime of fresh meat and vegetables. By .the end of April all were welL . I consider the scurvy due to the length of time the party were without fresh food, combined with the abnormally heavy eledging, undertaken without the help of dogs or other tractive power. The dearth of clothing and comfort, caused by the unexpected breaking away of the Aurora, undoubtedly had its effect upon the health of the party. A CALM PERIOD. From March IS until the end of April sea ice was steadily forming between Hut Point and Cape Evans, only to be blown out iy each succeeding blizzard. At the beginning of May a calm period ensued, and ice formed to a thickness of four inches. On May S Mackintosh and Haywaxd decided to cross the sea ice to Cape Evans. The weather was fine when they etarted at 1 p.m., with no equipment. They were overtaken by a sudden blizzard at 3 pan., when they would be approximately four miles from Hut Point. On May 10 the remainder of those at Hut point, being anxious for the safety of these two men, followed Mackintosh's tracks to the north, and found them abruptly terminating in open water. WOR6T FEARS REALISED. Their worst fears were realised when, on January 15, they arrived at Cape Evams, and found that Mackintosh and Hayward had not arrived. After daylight returned searches were conducted for any traces, but none were found, of the missing men. The loss of Mackintosh and Hayward was due to the break up and driving north of the young ice under the influence of the blizzard. The remainder of 1916 was spent mainly in eledging stores from my hut to Cape Royds, in view of possible detention for another year. January 10, 1917: Aurora arrived at the fast five miles from Cape Evans, and picked up the seven' survivors all well, and learned of the loss of Mackintosh and Hayward eight months previously. Whilst jecognising the hopelessness of success in finding any traces, the Aurora remained until the 19th. During the nine days an examination was made of the Jinsearched part of McMurdo Sound, as far north as Granite Harbour. I was landed. by Captain Davis with .search parties, but I discovered no traces, nvither whilst close into the coast was anything to be found by ship. lam deeply grateful to the Imperial, Dominion, and Commonwealth Governments -for coming to the assistance of the members of my expeditions who were left in the' Antarctic, and to "Captain Davis and [the - officers and. crew of tie Aurora.

A SURVIVOR'S STORY.

"DEMON OF.ILL-LUCK." (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. An idea of the privations of the party at Hut Point was given in a story related to a reporter by R. W. Richards, physicist of the party: The serious outbreak of scurvy necessitated the party making for Hut Point with all possible speed. The men had long been without fresh meat, and as fresh-stores were obtainable at Hnt Point, no effort was spared to get there as soon as possible- The journey was a terribly trying one. During the latter portion of the journey a furions blizzard struck the party. It was the worst experienced, and lasted for 14 days. Provisions "were all but exhausted, and matters were mad* worse by v the fact that Captain Mackintosh, Smith and Hayward had become so bad they had t\ be "lashed to the sledge. The three men and the four remaining dogs had to complete the terrible journey. On March 9, two days before the party reached Hut, Point, Smith, died,, and was buried. It was same time later that Mackintosh and Hayward left Hut Point for Cape Ev*ns, as it was known that at the depot there, conditions were much better. Mackintosh and Hayward were never seen again. 16 was-presumed that they perished on the broken ice. The remainder of the party at Hut Point knew their best hopes of reaching Cape Evans lay at the period when there was a full moon. Their first hopes were .blighted by a storm, while the demon or ill-luck ordained that when the party set out on the occasion of the next full moon, there was an eclipse. However, the party reached the haven of safety at Capo Evans on July 15, but in spite of careful search on the journey no trace was found of either Mackintosh or Hayward.

AURORA AT WELLINGTON.

EXTHUSIASTIC WELCOME. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLTNGTOX, Friday. On the arrival of the Aurora this evening a welcoming party, consisting of the Hon. W. H. Herries, acting-Minister for Marine, the Mayor. Mr. J. P. Luke, and other prominent citizens, went out in the tug Karaka to meet the Aurora. As the tvvo vessete drew alongside three lusty cheers were given for the party aboard the Aurora. Then three more for Sir Ernest Shackleton and Captain Davis, and hearty welcomes were shouted. In a few minutes the welcoming party were aboard the Aurora, and there was general handshaking and congratulating. The survivors of Captain Mackintosh's party were then called for, and as they came forward they were introduced to the assembled citizens. All were looking surprisingly well after their trying experience. . The Aurora drew alongside the ferry wharf shortly after 7.30 p.m., and there a large crowd was gathered, and the air rang'with cheers and shouts of welcome. The Ross Sea party were shortly afterwards taken to the Grand Hotel by motor-car, where they were entertained at supper. An official reception and presentation to Sir E. Shackleton will take place on Monday.