ANTARCTIC EPIC

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22629, 18 January 1937, Page 6

ANTARCTIC EPIC

SIK DOUGLAS MAWSON GREAT ORDEAL RECALLED TERRIBLE JOURNEY ALONE Everyone fft once associates the nnme rf >ir Douglas Mawson. now in Auckland for the Science Congress, with Antarctic exploration, tint except to those who have read his hook, "The Home of the Blizzard.'' the details of his amazing journey during the 1911-14 expedition are not perhaps so as other stories of the Antarctic, although the incredible hardships he overcame make it une of the most amazing in the history of the polar regions.

Sir Douglas (then Dr. .Mawson), had visited the Antarctic before the 1911 expedition, of which he was leader, having accompanied Shackleton in 190< and reached the south magnetic pole. The base he established in 1911 was at Adelie Land, where the climate is the worst yet known, with an average wind velocity of oO miles an hour throughout the year. Autumn sledging proved impossible, but in November, 1912, five sledge parties started in different directions, to explore as wide an area as pos.-ible.

The leader and two companions, Dr. X. Mertz, an expert skier, and Lieutenant B. L. 6. Ninnis, of the Poyal Fusiliers, using dog sledges, set out on a long journey to the southeast over very difficult ground, including many rises to nearly 3000 ft., with intermediate descents nearly to sealevel, where there were heavily erevassed glaciers. Here, in spite of all precautions, difficulty was frequently experienced through dogs- or sledges breaking through snow bridges. Once Lieutenant Ninnis fell through the covering of a crevasse, but he was rescued. The First Tragedy In spite of spells of bad weather, with winds up to 70 miles an hour and terribly rough and broken surfaces; the march continued until December" 14, a hue sunny day which ended in tragedy. The day before the loads had been rearranged, so as to dispense with one sledge. Dr. Mertz was ahead breaking trail, followed by Sir Douglas with one sledge and team, and Lieutenant Ninnis behind with the second sledge, on which, for safety, most of the food and indispensable gear had been placed.

On looking round, Lieutenant Ninnis' companions found he had vanished. They, went back and found a gaping hole where the sledge, team and driver had broken through the crust over a crevasse. Two dogs could be seen wherfe they had crashed 011 to a shelf 150 ft. below, but everything had vanished into the dark unfathomable depths of the crevasse. They called for hours but got no response and their rope would not reach even to the shelf. Desperate Situation Faced

The plight of the survivors was desperate. The tent and poles, ice axe and spade were among the gear that had gone.^There was one and a-half weeks' food left for them and nothing at all for the dogs. Thes - were 316 miles, from the base. All improvised shelter was made from a spare tent cover and part of a sledge. To add to their troubles Sir Douglas was attacked by suowblindness, but he recovered after treatment.

There followed days of staggering over the rough broken surface in poor light in driving snow beaten up by the raging winds. Uue by one the dogs dropped in their tracks from sheer exhaustion. They were killed and eaten partly by the two men and partly by the team. They were so famished, however, that their flesh gave little nourishment and it had to be cooked for hours to become digestible. In spite of the utmost efforts it was often impossible to cover 12 miles a day. Soon the men had to do most of the pulling of the sledge and on December 28 the last dog was killed A sail was improvised with the tent cover but condibecame so atrocious that the two men were often forced to give up the march and camp after going only two or three miles. Second Companion Dies On January 1 there were signs that Dr. 3lerU was becoming weaker and he was forced to spend the day in his sleeping bag. His companion fed him from the slender supply of provisions available apart from the dog meat, but day after day he was forced to rest and little progress could be made. Sir Douglas tried pulling him on the sledge, but Dr. Jlertz became too cold. By January 7 he was delirious and could not get up. He died early next morning • and Sir Douglas was left alone, 100 miles from the base. He sawed the sledge in half and threw away all but the barest necessities, but for two more days the blizzard made travelling impossible. The skin on his hands, feet and othpr parts of the body was in terrible condition, and he had to stop frequently and apply dressings. Day after day he staggered on. sometimes covering five miles, sometimes only one. , Fall Into Crevasse One day he crashed through the snow over a crevasse, but the sledge held iirip above. He was suspended by the sledge-rope 1-111. below the surface. With great effort he pulled himself painfully to the surface, but just as he reached it a further portion gave way and he was precipitated again to the full length of the rope. When he reached the surface finally he lay iur an hour unable to move. After this ho made an alpine ladder for towing the sledge, and although he fell into crevasses several more times, the sledge always saved him and he was able to climb to the surface by. the ladder. He vyas often tempted to give up the struggle, and to lie in his sleeping bag and eat the remaining food, but he fought on against the terniic winds and at last reached the extensive plateau beyond which was the hut. Here he made more rapid progress, and on January 29, after three weeks of travelling alone, the miraculous happened. He found a cairn of lood left by one of the search parties. His troubles were far fro ill over, however. He had thrown away his crampons and could not walk in the blizzard on the slippery ice of the coascal slopes. Ho endeavoured to sail on th° sledge and also improvised crampons out of nail-studded boards which lie lashed to his feet. End ol the Journey On ■ February i ho reached an icecave wlpch was used as an outer depot for the base and here found a little more food In his weakened stato lie could make no headway against the winds, however, and was forced to remain inr shelter for a week. At length he determined to force a way through the blizzard and on February 8, more than a month after his last companion died, he came in sight of the headquarters of the expedition. The ship had sailed that same day, but six men had stayed behind to search for their leader and they had ample stores to last until the ship returned the following summer. Sir Douglas was safe and so ended one of the greatest feats of enduranco in tho history of exploration.