THE RACE FOR THE POLE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 12 February 1913, Page 5

THE RACE FOR THE POLE

CO \IPARTSON~QF~ TR AN SPORT SOURQtfS. The anticipations.of Professor David as to the movements of Scott and Amundsen throw an interesting light on probable factors in the poleward race. Professor David aaid : , "Captain AmundseU {* r:«rtainly very strong in his transport fae'iHtWU, ' It is said that he Has with him 116 Gfowulaii'l dosjs. These are heavier and morepowerful animals than Captain Scott's do«s They'weiyh pach. about 601b to 701b. a* against the 40ib to 501b, which is the average\ Weight of Uu< Silurian do"-s. The"ll6 Greenland dogs w>mMbe°capable of pulling fully six t&ft«. The combined strength of the eight ponies and 30 docs, of Captain Scott's would pull about foiir tons. If the two motor sledges can be eih'p]P.y«d success fully, thev may drag an aa<MtJOnal weight of "ten tons as far south .as tfio Beardmore Glacier.

MANUAL .STRENGTH

"It- i« staled tliitt the Amundsen party : consists of eight men, A man of aver- j age strength can sledge aboiit- 2cwi over j a fairly good surface of snow and icje. | so that the pulling power of •sen expedition is about IGewt. Scott has more men. and he proposes- to" take about 16" men, including himself, on hi* journey to the South Pole. The pulling power'of thece 16 men is equal to about ton. But on the whole the advantage of transport is with Captain Amundsen's expedition. "It may be said that both from Captain Amundsen's winter quarters, as well as from Captain Scott's, the route to the pole may be divided into three stages. The first portion of the journey is over an undulating but nearly level surface, alternating with soft snow—the plain of the great ice-barrier. From Captain Scott's winter quarters to the lower end of the Beardmore Glacier this stage would be about 350 miles in length. Its length from Captain AmundI sen's quarters is as yet an unknown quantity. However, he would, no doubt, 'as his winter to much further east than Captain Scott's, not attempt to reach the pole by the Beardmore Glacier, but would try a.nd pioneer for himself a new path by some unknown glacie r south of the winter quarters.

MOTORS MAY COUNT IN FIRST STAGJfc.' "It is possible that on his first stage of the journey Captain Scott may have a. Flight advantage of transport, if motor sledges work satisfactorily. The next stage for both parties will be the ascent of the large and heavily crevassed glaciers. Captain Scott will no doubt follow his original intention and ascend the Beardmore Glacier, which rises' in a distance of 100 miles to the altitude of SCCOft. This is the most dangerous and difficult' part of the journey. Ponies and motor cars are no use for negotaitincT the crevassed glacial ice, and Cantain Scott purposes to transport his sledges along this stage by means of the pulling oower of men, and dogs. The skdge dogs normally travel at. a wolfs trot' of about six miles an hour. _ The sledges may become entangled in the pinnacled glacier ice, and it may be ne- | cessary frequently to unharness the dogs and use men alone.

THE BEARDMORE GLACIER. "Captain Amundsen may have a slight advantage over-Gaptain Scott in striking his glacier .somewhat nearer the South Pole than is the Beard-more Glacier. In this care Captain Amundsen would have a greater distance of easy ice barrier, surface to travel than Captain Scott. On the other: hand it has a disadvantage compared with Captain Scott's route -in view of the fact that no one has seen, much less pioneered', a passage any closer to the south of the Beardmore Glacier. Captain Scott, of course, has the advantage of Shackleton's maps and experience for meeting the great difficulties of the BearSmore Glacier. The threo stages of the journey for either party will be over a very high plateau, which is swept bv violent blizzards'. The south geographical pole probably reaches an altitude of 11,000 ft, and at ShacMeton's farthest point south the plateau had already attained' an altitude of 100 miles from the Pole. •THE FINAL STAGE. "For Captain Scott this last, stage would be atbout 350 miles, and for Captain Amundsen perhaps from 280 to 300 miles. In travelling over the plateau 'the greater strength and number of Greenland dogs possessed by "Captain "Amundsen would give him an advantage. -There is every possibility of a splendid race between the. two splendid racers:

"The comparative distances in the three stages would be as follows-: — Fircjfc stage, Captain . Scott 400 miles. Captain Amundsen 450 miles; second stage, Captain Scott 120 miles, and perhaps the same length of glacier travelling, would have to be covered 1 by Captain Anuindssiu In, the last, ov, plateau Captain Scott would have 340 miles to cover, and Captain Amundsen about 220 miles. Captain Amundsen has also the advantage in having his starting point 70 miles neaiser the South Pole."