Nelson Evening Mail. THE ANTARCTIC TRAGEDY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 11 February 1913, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. THE ANTARCTIC TRAGEDY.

THE news that the great Antarctic explorer. Captain Scott, and his party perished at the Pole comes as a stunning shock to the whole world. Anxiously millions of people have been awaiting news* of these brave men and now that it is known they have perished, the world sorrows and world sympathy will go to the widows in their terrible affliction. But the story of magnificent courage in the face of appalling difficulties, is one which will go down- as inspiration to noble effort for all time. For a few months some anxiety has existed in regard to Captain Scott's party. When Lieutenant Evans and his two colleagues were dispatched back to headquarters by Captain Scott when he was within 127 miles of the Pole, there was not the slightest suspicion of any member of cither party being in any hut the most robust «tale of health. But despite this fact it has to be rcineiinbered that Lieutenant Evans, about a fortnight after parting with Captain Scott, was attacked by scurvy, and but for the extreme heroism

of his two comradesj there \vas iio doubt that he would have forfeited his life in the cause of geographical exploration 1 . Biifc Lieutenant Evans consoled himself with the thought that whenever he and his party had to subsist on tinned meat alone, Captain Scott and his men were provided for by fresh meat at fheir winter quarters. We particularly do not wish to detract from Amundsen's great featj but the fact remains that his was a dash for the Polo, whereas Captain Scott was engaged in more scientific work, such as the Tounding of the boundaries of the great ice barrier, and completing other scientific work iii a manner never before surpassed or equalled by any previous Antarctic expedition. And it has to be remembered, too; that Amundsen, whilst, of course, undergoing terrible privations and undertaking enormous risks.; had a tei 1 - tain extent of good fortune. He struck out for the Pole along an unknown route which had the advantage of being 70 miies shorter than that taken by Scott, and he was just able to avoid bad weather which he feared would overtake his rival on the journey. It was Scott's intention; to- travel from M'Murdo Sound to the Pol?, a distance of 860 miles along the old track traversed by .Shackleton by way of the Beardmore Glacier, but it was considered there Was ample time for the journey. The first decade of the present century has seen mally remarkable developments in Antarctic exploration. lii 1900 Mr Borchgrevlnk, carrying the British flag on the Southern Cross performed the achievements which are narrated in his book "First on the Antarctic Continent,'' but he penetrated only some 50 miles further south than Sir James Ross had done 60 years before. Then Captain Scott, of the Discovery Expedition, eclipsed, this "far south" record by some 200 miles, and later Shackleton carried the Union Jack another 400 miles to the south, and within 97 geographical miles of the Pole. And Amundsen's dash for the Pole is green in the memory of all, and whilst it was regretted that the Union Jack was not the first flag to be hoisted there, all joined in congratulating the daring Norwegian on his gi - eat achievement. But the world sorrows for the loss of one of the greatest explorers of modern times and for the brave men who constituted his party. The Polar regions- have claimed many victims, but there have always been men strong enough and brave enough to face the dangers in the great cause of scientific exploration.