SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON.

Otago Witness, Issue 3247, 7 June 1916, Page 48

SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON.

AT FALKLAND BSLANB3. STORY OF GREAT HARDSHIPS. LONDON,,May 31. Lieutenant Sir Ernest Shackleton is safe at the Falkland Islands. The Endurance crew is at Elephant Island, between Capo Horn and the South Orkneys. June 1. The Daily Chronicle publishes a message, signed "Shackleton," dated at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, May 31 : "Have arrived here. The En durance was crushed in the middle of Weddel Sea on October 27, 1915. We drifted 700 miles with the ice until April 9, 1916: We landed at Elephant Island on April 16, and I left on the 24th, leaving 22 men in a hole in the ice cliffs. I proceeded for help to South Georgia, with five men, in a 22ft boat. At the time of leaving the island all were we!], bub there is urgent need of a rescue." Sir Ernest Shackleton's telegram reached London at midnight, and was immediately communicated to the K'iig, who has taken the deepest interest in the expedition, and ako to Lady Shackleton and other relatives of the explorer, who entertained the gravest fears for the party owing to the absence of tidings of the Endurance. The news was only made known to the public when the late editions of the Daily Chronicle were sold in the streets. The posters created a sensation amongst men and women going to work. Huge editions were eagerly bought up. The full story of Sir E. Shackleton's journey in a 22ft boat will be eagerly awaited ; it will also explain the circumstances necessitating the abandonment or failure of the trans-Polar journey. News of the safety of Sir E. Shackleton and his five companions will not lessen the public demand that everything possible shall be done on behalf of the men left on Elephant Island, in Pioss Sea. Mr Asquith, in reply to Mr Eugene Wason, in the House of Commons, given before Sir E. Shackleton's telegram reached London,shows that the Government realises the necessity for immediate action, and is fullv prepared to pledge the public funds.

The news was received so late that it v.-as impossible to interview explorers, including Sir Douglas Maw son. PROPOSED RELIEF EXPEDITION. LONDON, May 31. Mr Asquith proposes to ask Parliament to provide funds for the early despatch of a Shackleton relief expedition. A THRILLING NARRATIVE. LONDON, June 1. Sir Ernest Shackleton tells a long and thrilling narrative of the adventures of his party. " The'Endurance left South Georgia on December 6, 1914. She encountered heavy pack ice off the Sandwich group on De-c-ember 8, and was forced to take a devious course through 1000 miles of icebergs. We sighted Coats Land on January 10. The ico was becoming heavier now, and was 50ft thick. Many of the ice floes were 150 square miles in area. "It was decided to land at the earliest opportunity and send the Endurance back to civilisation. We discovered a new laud with 200 miles of coastline and great glaciers discharging into the sea. We named it Cairo Coast. "A series of abnormal circumstances commenced. We observed a great migration of thousands of seals northwards, this being an unaccountable phenomenon at such a time of year. Then we experienced hard north-easterly gales. We sheltered behind large icebergs amidst the surging pack. Eventually we found ourselves closed in by the ice. It never reopened. In fact, summer conditions were non-existent. The temperature, contrary to all experience in the Antarctic in February, remained below zero. This is the probable explanation of the migration of animal life.

" There were sig«3 of the ice opening in the ■ middle of February. Therefore, despite a shortage of coal, we decided to attempt to break out. But there were 49 degrees of frost by the end of February, and the old and young icepacks became cemented together, so that it was impossible either to land or to extricate the ship." " We drifted across the Weddell Sea embedded in the ice pack, fearing always that the pressure would crush us in. Twenty dogs died. When the ice pressure increased in June and July, 1915, the peril increased. Immense blocks of ice were thrown about, and great ice ridges • 0.2. This prepared us for the worst. A great crash occurred on August 1, when the pressure drove the Endurance bodily out of the ice and hurled her before the gale. She stood the strain, but her redder was damaged. Another even mure severe crushing took place in September. We emerged from the floe in the middle of October, 1915, drifting to New South Greenland. But we were again caught in the ice flee. The vessel was (hen leaking badly, and the pumps were kept work- '•• On October 16 the pressure threw the Endurance out on her beam ends upon the ice. Such was our predicament—all hands camped on the ice, 303 miles from land.

"We left the Endurance and began to sledge northward daily. We abandoned our journey, which was full of dangers, and returned to our camp near the ship. We drifted northward upon the floe for two months. The Endurance sank on November 20. "After sledging northward for nine miles, which took five days, the broken ice compelled us to establish Patience i Camp. Here we remained for three i months. " We continued our northerly drift upon | a small floe. We shot five* dog teams | owing to the shortage of food. We crossed ! the Antarctic Circle in January in the | direst straits. We sighted the South Shetj lands on April 7, and launched three boats jon April 3, when the ice opened. We I rowed northward through the mazes of the i ice pack, and camped on an ice floe for ! the night. We reached the open t%a. on I April 10, but the heavy swell forced us I to retreat to the pack ice. We waited two days, and then rowed westward." " Several of us were suffering from exposure and shortage of water. Owing to i the impossibility of waiting for food, we | finally gave up hope of reaching Reception i Island, and headed northward for Elephant I Island, sighted on April 14, 40 j miles distant. A strong wind hindered \ our progress, and Hudson and Blackbore j were severely frostbitten. A furious gale I blew all night, in which a boat named j Dnnley, which we had decked, disappeared. " Wo reached Elephant Island on April 115 Our equipment was sodden, and seve- | ral of the party were on the verge of i physical and mental collapse. j "We first landed at the point of an , inaccessible cliff, but re-embarked, went ] westward, and landed through a surf-cut I hole in the ice on a slope above the reach I of the waves. " Owing to the seriousness of the situa- ! tion, the shortage of food, and inadequate protection against winter, I decided to . endeavour to reach South Georgia for help. I left Wild (Mr Frank Wild, second in command, who voyaged with Captain 1 Scott, Sir E. Shackleton, and Sir D. i Mawson on three expeditions) in charge at \ Elephant Island. I called for volunteers, | took the largest boat, and departed on < the 24th, with Worsely, Crean, MacNish, ! Maoarthy, and Vincent. We passed ' through stream ice day after day, and proi grossed towards our goal, but encountered constant snowstorms, and a gale swept | over us for a fortnight. The crew were j frostbitten, but cheerful, despite our great difficulties. We were constantly compelled | to break the ice off the sides of the rudder. "We sighted the cliffs off the west coast : of South 'Georgia during the clearance of i a snowstorm on the 14th. Another hurriI cane blew on May 9, and threatened to j drive us on to the cliffs, Our only chance I was to set a reefed sail. The wind sheered i at the moment of our most serious crisis, I enabling us to clear the land." [Crean, mentioned in the above cable | as a member of the party that made the i adventurous journey from Elephant Island j to South Georgia, was one of the two men who by their devotion, pluck, and endurance saved the life of Captain Evans on the ill-fated Scott expedition.]

ATTEMPTS AT RESCUE FRUSTRATED. LONDON, Jane 1. "The gale restarted on the 10th. The party were at their last extremity, and I decided to land and endeavour to cross to a whaling station on the east coast. The party were too weak to haul up the boat, and the only course was to hold on to her all night. We cut off her top side on the 11th, enabling us to haul her up. Vincent and MacNish were unfit to march, so I too!-: Crean and Worsley and began to cross on the 19th. " The interior of the island was unknown, therefore T took three days' provisions and a cooking stove. It was a rough, laborious march, with glaciers, ridges, and snow fields to a height of 4000 ft. We reached Stromness whaling station on the afternoon of the 20th. It was THE FIRST TIME the island had been crossed. We received every assistance from the manager, who despatched a whaler the same night to bring round the remainder of the party. Generous Norwegian whalers obtained a volunteer crew, equipped the whaler, and started southward on the 26th, in the hope of rescuing my crew. Repeated attempts to get southward were frustrated by ico, though a larger vessel could have succeeded Owing to a shortage of coal we reluctantly turned northward to seek assistance at the Falklands." A SUPPLEMENTARY NARRATIVE. LONDON, June 1. Sir Ernest Shackleton has furnished the following supplementary narrative of the experiences and misfortunes of the party with him :--- " Wo prepared to winter in the middle oF February, it was a mild winter, but with the usual blizzards. The lowest temperature recorded was 67 degrees of frost. The Endurance drifted in a south-westerly direction. The most southerly point readied was 77 degrees latitude, 35 degrees west longitude. She continued to zigzag and drift across Weddel Sea in a northwesterly direction initil she was IMMOVABLY FIXED in the ice packs. Meanwhile we were carrvhig out general scientific work. In view

of the possibility cf ice pressure I plared the sledging stores on deck and trail.el the dogs for emergencies. Twenty dogs sickened, and some dogs on April 14 disappeared, but returned after 109 days..

" There was a moment of grave anxiety about the middle of April. The ice pact drove the ship towards a stranded berg, and she was saved only by a sudden change in the drift. The MENACE OF ICE PRESSURE began in June, the ice drifting up to a height of 20ft close to the ship. The pressure became more intense in July, and there were ominous signs that the ship would not escape. The ice rose in ridges 40ft high, and was grinding into floes. Ahead, ice blocks weighing 20 tons were thrown about, communicating shocks to the ship. Preparations for the worst were eventually completed. " On August 1, while examining the floes during a blizzard, the ice split under my feet. I had just time to rush the dogs aboard when the pressure took us, and with a great grinding crash the Endurance was HOVE BODILY OUT of the ice and flung before the gale against masses of piled ice. The vessel stood the strain, and fortunately the pressure ceased at mid-day, and the ship heeled over, half out of the water, showing a split rudder. "Thenceforth the Endurance was the focus of active pressure. A hard nip caught her in September, bending her sides and buckling her beams. Eventually she rose clear. We broke free of the floe in the middle of October, the distant water sky giving hope of ultimate safety, " We were now drifting across what is reputed to be Xew South Greenland, but soundings showed 1900 fathoms of water. Then came renewed pressure, damaging the stern post. The Endurance was now leaking dangerously, so we got up steam, and the main engine and all the pumps were working continuously under heavy pressure. On October 16, for a space of 10 seconds, the Endurance was thrown out of the ioo on her beam ends. The temperature was below zero and the pumps were freezing. The ice floes commenced strewing on Uctcber 26, causing the ship's sides to open, so we lowered the boats, sledges, and provisions on to the ice. THE END CAME on the 27th. A terrific pressure culminated in the tearing out of the stern and rudder posts; the main deck broke upwards, and icebergs pierced the ship. The water overmastered the pumps and extinguished the fires. I ordered all hands upon the ice. The pressure continued near the snip, and we therefore moved the equipment away. " I must hero record the- excellent morale of everybody. The crack opened through the camp at midnight, and the pressure continued. There was a cold wind, with 48 degrees of frost. We moved our camp on the 28th The ship was sabmerged to the upper deck; her fore mast and main mast were twisted, and cut by the pressure. THE PARTY'S POSITION WAS SERIOUS. "We were at degrees south and degrees west. The nearest land and any prospect of food was Paulet Island, 346 miles distant. We reorganised the equipment, saved all the scientific records photographs, and films, and started on the 50th, ' relaying' northward, seven dog teams dragging the provisions on sledges, and the men hauling boats in half-mile relays. Our progress was a mile daily. New cracks and high-pressure ridges impeded our progress, and the danger of crossing open cracks was increased by the presence of ' killer' whales, which did not hesitate to attack one falling into the water. "After the fullest consideration, finding it impossible to move cur large party acros? the working ice, I decided to camp in the vicinity of the wreck, and salved the stores. I determined to depend spon thenortherly drift, and, summer breaking, we reached a heavy floe on the 31st, and there made our ocean camp. We salved mors stores, cutting through the main deck, and prepared three boats for a sea journey. The Endurance sank on November 20. We drifted during November 60 miles northward. During December the drift was equally disappointing. Northerly gales frequently drove us back after good progress. We 'left the ocean camp on December 23, and marched all night and all day through deep snow, hauling the boats. It'was necessary to cut through the pressure ridges. The party with the boats advanced nine miles in five days, when rotten ice made it impossible to proceed further. Sometimes various units were isolated on separate floes. We were, therefore, FORCED TO RETREAT and establish ' Patience Camp,' where we passed January, February, and March, slowly drifting north on ice floes great and small. Under attack from a neighbouring iceberg and gales, our floe was finally reduced to 100 yards square. We shot five dog teams during January, owing to shortage of food. It was also necessary to put the party on stringent rations because of the dearth of seals and the limited hunting radius. Wo crossed the Antarctic Circle in January, and passed February WITHOUT HOTE OF ESCAPE. The winter commenced in the middle of March, with low temperatures, long nights, and heavy blizzards. " Our tents were worn out, there was a shortage of fuel, and the possibility of reaching Paulet Island had disappeared. We were drifting rapidly northward, and on March 23 sighted the distant peaks of

tfoinville Island, the northern extremity of West Antarcticus An IMPENETRABLE ICE BELT precluded any attempt at crossing landward. We sighted Clarence Island, the most easterly of the South Shetlands, on April 7. Here we had a narrow escape. A great berg missed us by 200 yards, and the swell on the Bth .caused the floe on which we were camped to split into pieces. As the ice opened we launched three boats. The tide and 'rip' of the driving ice almost finished the expedition. We made northward, rowing through masses of ice pack, pulling boats up ice floes. At night a heavy swell set in, and at midnight the floe split under the tent, and we pulled out a n*an from the water before the floo closed. The whole party awaited daylight on a rocking ice floe only 100 ft long. Wo made westward through rents and reached the open sea, where we met a high swell and were forced to retre-at to the pack ice. We DRASTICALLY REDUCED OUR EQUIPMENT, because the sea was* too heavy for deeply laden open boats. The berg began to split during the night, and dawn showed that it was undermined. We were surrounded by surging pack ice, undulating in a heavy swell. Our opportunity came at noon on the 11th. The ice opened suddenly, and we flung our boats into the sea and proceeded westward. . We rowed throughout the 12th. Our position was anxious, because observations showed that despite our efforts to make westward, since the 9th the current had been drifting us eastward. Several of the party were suffering from exposure, so I decided on the 13th to run northward and strike Elephant Island, because it was hopeless to make Deception Island. In passing through the open pack ice one of the boats was holed above the water line. A gale was blowing, the boats were weighted down, and the occupants drenched by freezing spray. The crew of one boat, named Stencombe and Wills, were suffering greatly. Not having water, it was impossible to get warm food "We sighted Elephant Island on the 14th. A high cross driving gale and snow, and particularly low temperatures, impeded progress. The larger took the smaller boat in tow, and we succeeded in landing on the morning of the 15th on a small beach at the north end of the island, under inaccessible cliffs. An immediate .landing was necessary, owing to the exhausted condition of the party, which had had neither water nor hot food for two days. "An inspection of the beach showed that it was covered by the high spring tides, so it was impossible to remain. I sent Frank Wild on the 16th in search of a safer landing, and the party proceeded westward. On the 17th we were nearly blown to seaward by strong winds owing to the weakness of most of the party. We landed again, through a heavy surf, and found the beach untenable, owing to the heavy gales, but we cut a hole in an ice slope above the reach of the waves. " I had no hesitation in leaving Wild in charge of the main party on Elephant Island. His judgment, ability, and experience have been a valuable asset of the expedition. The weather was

APPALLINGLY BAD. There was a constant blizzard blowing. The carpenter covered a boat, and James Caird made sledge runners out of box lids and canvas, in preparation for a 760 miles voyage from Elephant Island to South Georgia, during which the South Antarctic maintained its evil winter reputation. After a hazardous landing, I made my way across the island, and reached the Norwegian whalers' station at Stromness on May 26. On that day and two succeeding days the whalers made attempts to get a ship through to the relief of the men on Elephant Island, but the ice prevented them, so I decided to proceed to the Falkland Islands and obtain assistance. The party on Elephant Island had five weeks' provisions on full rations, exclusive of the possibilities of obtaining seals." PROFESSOR O&ME TRIBUTE. MELBOURNE, June 2.) Professor Orme Masson considers that Sir E. Shackleton has achieved a feat not contemplated as possible. He expects that Sir Ernest will lead the relief party to Elephant Island. It is uncertain whether the island is approachanle during winter. WHAT HAS BEEN BONE. LONDON, June 2. Sir E. Shackle-ton's expedition's work Includes the discovery of 200 miles of new coast line, a complete hydrographical survey of Weddell Sea, the elimination of New South Greenland from the map, continuous magnetic and meteorological observations, important geographical records, kinema records up to Ootober 30, and a photographic reoord throughout WHALER'S ATTEMPT TO 00 SOUTH. LONDON, June 2. Sir Ernest Shackleton, describing his voyage from Elephant Island to South Georgia, says i " Only thrice during the voyage could wo get a sight of the sun for observation purposes. On the sixth day we were forced to jettison much of onr equipment to relieve our top weight, because the boat was heavily iced up. Our entire equipment and sleeping gear were •oaked through, and everybody was super-

ficially frost-bitten. We never had an idea "beyond breaking the ice from the sides of the rudder, baling water, and scraping ice out of the boat all day and all night. I wish to record the cheerful attitude of my companions under these conditions. We lost our sea-anchor on the eighth day through the ice cutting the rope, "We sighted the cliffs of South Georgia during a break in a snowstorm. We stood °in closer, and observed seas spouting over uncharted reefs. We therefore hauled off for the night. The wind increased to a hurricane on May 9, and enormous seas were running on the land on our leo. We saw nothing until the afternoon, when, between squalls, we found we were drifting towards the cliffs. Only one chance remained. We again set the sails, taking in the reefs. Fortunately our boat stood the strain, but she was kept afloat only by continuous baling. The wind shifted just as matters were at a crisis, enabling us to clear the land. "In view of the condition of our party, it was decided on May 10 not to attempt to go round tho island, but to beach the boat and try and cross to the east coast.

" We managed to beach the boat at dusk in a small cove, but we were too weak to haul her up. So we hung on all night, and cut away her top sides on May 11. Then we were able to haul her up. " The bay became filled up with ice, and on May 12 we launched the boat again, and on May 15 we reached the head of King Haakon Bay. We started overland across the unknown interior- of the island, taking three days' provisions and our cooking stove. In 36 hours' continuous marching we covered 30 miles, struggling over glaciers, a mountain ridge, and snowfields. This good progress was assisted by moonlight nights. This is the first time that South Georgia has been crossed. "I wish here to put on record the practical sympathy of Messrs Sorlee, Hanson, Bernsen, and Jacobs, the managers of the four whaling stations. Realising the urgency of the case, they hastened to equip a whaler Captain Thorn volunteered to command her, and he obtained a volunteer crew. Hard work enabled the whaler to be ready for sea by the morning of May 23, and we started south. On May 26 we entered a large area of pancake ice. Owing to the unprotected condition of the whaler we were compelled to stand northward, but we renewed the attempt on May 27, trying further westward. Still finding streams of pack ice to the south-east and .south, we again got northward to clear them. We made a final attempt to the southward on May 28, but found the ice too formidable for our little 80-ton whaler. We therefore reluctantly decided to turn northward and seek assistance from the Falkland Islands. This decision greatly disappointed our generous Norwegian friends." . ELEPHANT ISLAND PARTY. LONDON, June 2. Mr Hugh Robert Mill, D.Sc, librarian to the Royal Geographical Society., interviewed, said the retreat of Sir E. Shackleton was only comparable to the boat tvoyages of William Barentz from Nova Zembla and of Leigh Smith from Franz Josef Land. Even if Sir E. Shaekleton failed to force his way to Elephant Island before the Antarctic spring, there was hope, as Frank Wild was the most experienced of all Antarctic explorers and the best equipped for finding food and fuel in the Antarctic fishes, beasts, and birds Mr Mossiman, a member of Captain Scott's expedition, considers the prospects of relieving Mr Wild and his party hopeful. It is unlikely that ice would be found as far north as Elepliant Island if approached from the north-west, because the northerly winds scatter the pack. The whalers at the Falkland Islands may be suited for relief. The Argentine corvette Uruguay, which rescued Nordinskjold in 1903, might make the attempt if ready to start from Buenos Aires immediately. The voyage would take a fortnight. AUSTRALASIA'S OFFER. MELBOURNE, June 5. Senator Pearce (Acting Prime Minister) has announced that the commonwealth and New Zealand Governments have offered to pay, on a population basis, half the costs of an expedition to relieve Sir Ernest Shackleton's party. This means that Australia will pay four-fifths of the contribution. COMMENT BY CAPTAIN STENHOUSE. Captain Stenhouse, of the Aurora, in the couns of a brief conversation with a. member of our staff observed that there was little he oould offer in the way of enlargement upon the particulars supplied in the cabled message. In regard to the fate of tho Endiuanoe, .'mplying that fortune had dealt hardly with the expedition on both sides of the Antarctic, he expressed himeelf with sailor's philosophy. Like the Aurora the Endurance had been caught in the ice, but whereas tho former vessel, after a long drift, had managed to extricate her6olf in a badly-damaged condition, the Endurance had suffered so badly that it was impossible to keep her afloat, and her company had to take to the ioe. Had the Aurora been moro severely crushed than she was the experience of her crew must have afforded a parallel to that of the Endurance The abnormal conditions encountered had prevented Sir Ernest Shackle ton from effecting any landing at all from which to commence his projcctcd_ journey across A n t&rotica, and tho experiences of the Endurance, coupled with those of the Aurora, would naturally be a blow to the leader of the expedition.