ANTARCTICA'S TOLL DR. MAWSON'S EXPEDITION TWO DEATHS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 48, 26 February 1913, Page 7

ANTARCTICA'S TOLL DR. MAWSON'S EXPEDITION TWO DEATHS

LIEUT. NINNIS AND DR. MERTZ. By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright. SYDNEY, 25th February. The Australasian Antarctic Expedition,' under Dr. Douglas Mawson, which left Hobart On 2nd December, 1911, in the Aurora, stopped at Macquarie Island, on the way south, and erected a wireless station) a party being left in charge thereof. Very heavy weather was experienced by the Aurora, and it was not until 19th January, 1912, that a landing was effected in Commonwealth Bay, at the western extremity of Adelie Land. Yesterday wireless communication was 'established between the expedition's Adelie Land base and Macquarie Island, and Professor David received a wireless message from the island intimating that two members of Dr. Mawson's party, namely, Lieutenant Ninnis' and Dr. Mertz, are dead. No details were given as to how the explorers met with their death. Last night Professor David received a second wireless message from Macquarie Island stating that the Adelie Land wireless plant was again working, And adding that Dr. Mawson and several of his men had missed the Aurora owing to an unfortunate circumstance. The operator was then trying to receive a long message from Dr. Mawson, but the conditions were very bad, and the message at this point became broken. This afternoon Professor David received the following additional wireless message : "Ninnis and Meftfc are both dead. All the others are well. *Dr. Mawson arid six others will probably winter in Adelie Land. Very successful sledging has been accomplished." Professor David says that it is difficult to reconcile the messages just received with earlier wireless reports which stated that the Adelie Land wireless station had been dismantled, and that Dr. MaWsoh and all hands had left, on the Aurora for Mr. Frank Wild's base. Mr. Wild, in charge of the second portion of Dr. Mawson's expedition, consisting of about eight men, wintered at Termination Glacier, some 1200 miles west of Dr. Mawson's headquarters at Adelie Land. WHAT THE PROFESSOR THINKS. SYDNEY, 25th February. Professor David thinks that possibly a fatal accident happened during the progress of embarkation, as, for instance, the springing up of a blizzard, but he Btates that it would be idle to speculate as to what has really happened. # Professor David described Lieutenant Ninnis as a fine, fearless British military officer, of much the same type as the heroic Captain Oates, -who so heroically sacrificed his life with the Scott expedition. Professor David stated that Dr. Mertz was a medical man as well as a scientist of high attainments. Both men, added the Professor, were of fine physique, and were looked upon as very valuable members of the expedi* tion.