THE ANTARCTIC TRAGEDY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16193, 20 March 1913, Page 6

THE ANTARCTIC TRAGEDY.

Commander Evans is made to say in a cablegram from Melbourno that he could “hardly believe” Captain Scott could havo reached his main base in M’Murdo Sound oven if he had succeeded in attaining tho depo* near which he and his two companions died. This statement, which may possibly havo been misunderstood by the. reporters, is one of opinion, hut it is not easy to follow Commander Evans’s line of reasoning unless wo aro to assume that he is in possession of information not yet disclosed to the public. The season was not so far advanced as to make travel on tho Barrier impossible when the final disaster overtook the southern party. It seems obvious, in the light of the facts presented in the official narrativo of the expedition, that if Captain Scott had possessed a good supply of food and fuel when the fatal blizzard swept down he and his comrades could havo waited for tho end of the storm, and then made the final stage of the journey. Rest and abundant food would havo overcome the exhaustion which had been produced by prolonged effort and both could havo been secured at the One Ton Depot. The circumstances of the tragedy probably will not be made clear until the expedition’s complete narrativo is published later in the year, hut in tho meantime tho suggestion attributed to Commander Evans is rather perplexing.