Historic sledge on display soon

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33046, 13 October 1972, Page 14

Historic sledge on display soon

One of the earliest motor sledges to be used in the Antarctic, that designed by Sir Ernest Shackleton, will go on display in the Hutton Hall of the Canterbury Museum in four or five* weeks. At present, the sledge is being prepared for display by Mr G. Bagot, of the museum’s staff, with the voluntary assistance of a member of the Association of Friends of the Canterbury Museum, Mr D. Becker. Mr Bagot emphasised yesterday that the sledge was not going to be restored: the aim was to halt the corrosion and deterioration that had been taking place. Mr Becker has spent many hours trying to remove thick layers of rust from the sledge’s metal-work, and stabilising the light plywood which comprises the “bodywork”: the plies were separating badly, and much regluing was needed. The light frame and bodywork of the sledge is about the same strength and weight as a large tea-chest: the machine has even been referred to as the “tea-chest tractor.” Mr Bagot said yesterday that he and Mr Becker had been astounded at the condi-

tion of the sledge’s fourstroke two-cylinder Simplex engine. There was virtually no internal corrosion at all, and the inside of the engine showed so little wear that the sledge had clearly had little use, he said. The main engine problem—at least, until yesterday—was rusted-up valves. The engine’s carburettor and inlet manifold are missing, and this had allowed water to get into the valve-gear. But when the Christchurch firm, of Peter Hallifax, Ltd, was told by “The Press” yesterday of the museum’s trouble with rust it immediately made a gift of a large tin of Plus Gas anti-rust fluid —and two of the four valves were free within minutes of the fluid’s arrival. The other main engine problem is missing parts: the magneto and oil-feed mechanism are missing. The owner of the Yaldhurst Motor Museum, Mr A. T. Cooper, was told of this problem yesterday by “The Press,” has inspectd the engine, and is now helping to find suitable parts. “In 100 years, when the internal combustion engine is a thing of the past, someone might want to start the Simplex engine and see how it works,” Mr Bagot said yesterday. “At least it would be good to have it in such order that they could do this if they wanted to.” Mr Becker was as glad as

Mr Bagot to see the anti-rust fluid arrive: rust was up to a quarte-inch thick on many of the sledge’s metal parts and controls, and some were still “frozen” with rust, he said. Two of the “scoops” on the sledge’s paddlewheel-like drive wheel have rusted away completely: they were the scoops on the bottom, sitting in the snow and slush, when the sledge lay abandoned at Cape Evans for about 40 years. The engine for the sledge was made in 1907, and the machine itself was built about 1912 by the Arrol Johnston Company, in Scotland. Shackleton had used an Arrol Johnston car in the Antarctic, with little success, during his first expedition there in 1907-1909. The sledge itself was shipped from England to Hobart in 1913, and became part of the equipment of the Ross Sea party' for Shackleton’s Imperial Transantarctic Expedition of 1914-1917. The Ross Sea Party arrived at Cape Evans in the Aurora on January 16, 1915, and the sledge was among the stores unloaded. Later, when sledging parties were out laying depots for Shackleton’s use on his proposed traverse, the Aurora was blown out to sea. Ten men were left stranded. Three died, and the others were rescued by the Aurora in January, 1917.

The sledge—which at best moved only at about half walking pace — was not a success, and was eventually abandoned at Cape Evans. As far as is known, its longest trip was from Cape Evans to Hut Point—about 12 miles. The vehicle’s primitive leather-faced clutch kept burning out, traction was poor, and the paddle-wheel and other parts started to break up under the strain. One member of the Shackleton party, Ernest Joyce, described the sledge as a “useless toy”; and it was certainly not popular with the men. It lay at Cape Evans until 1957, when it was brought to Wellington by H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour. It was placed in the Dominion Museum, but was transferred to 'Christchurch and the Canterbury Museum in December, 1970. At that stage, the Simplex engine was still lying in a corner of the Scott Hut at Cape Evans. The then commander of the United States Navy’s Antarctic Support Force (Rear Admiral D. F. Welch) offered to bring this back from the Antarctic so it could be replaced in the sledge, and this was done early in 1971. Some of the engine’s missing parts may be still lying in the Scott Hut, but getting them might not be easy. Even if they are there, they might be hard to recognise.