THE SOUTH POLE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 64, 11 March 1912, Page 5

THE SOUTH POLE.

AMUNDSEN'S FULL REPORT PUBLISHED. STAYS FOR THREE DAYS AT THE POLE. MINUTE HOURLY OBSERVATIONS TAKEN. THE POLE SITUATED IN A VAST PLAIN. INTERESTING DISCOVERIES. (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.' (United Press Association.) London, March 9. The Daily Chronicle has received advice from Hobart that Captair Amundsen started his dash for the Polo on September 8. This was too early, the temperature falling to between minus 50 and 60 degrees (centigrade), and the par A returned, the dogs suffering badly. Captain Amundson, with foui others, made a fresh start on September 20. Blizzards spoilt the pleasure of the trip between the 82nd and 83rd degrees. Ho passed Shacklcton’s “furthest south” on December. 8, and reached hit destination on the 14th, with all hands in good health. Ho planted the flag and named tin spot “King Haakon VII. Plateau.” Ho took minute hourly observation? for three days, and then started homewards on the 17th. The party averaged 25 kilometre? daily going, and 26 on the return. (A kilometre is five-eighths of a mile.) Captain Amundsen determined tin extent and character of the Ross Bar ■rier, and also discovered the connec tion between South Victoria Lam and probably King Edward Land, witl their continuation in mighty mouu tains south-west stretching in-all pro Inability across the continent. STORY OF THE DASH. London, March 9. The Chronicle has again surpasses its rivals in the matter of Polar exploration. It secured a great scooj in Dr. Nansen’s story cf his Polar ex padition in 1896, and it publishes to day an exclusive account of Captaii Amundsen’s, telegraphed from Hobart.

Between February 10 and April 11 Captain Amundsen established depots in the 81st and 82nd deg. Th< surface of the barrier was smooth ant finely, adapted for dog driving. Then were no sastrugi, only local crevasses none of which were dangerous, ex ccpting two. The weather also war excellent, with light breezhs alternated by calm. ,T. , -> WORK AT THE BASE. • After fixing the depots, h<M returned to his base, finding that the Fran had departed, after sailing farthest south, namely 78.41 degrees. Before the arrival of winter, Cap tain ..Amundsen, had stored .60,00( kilos of seal meat (GO tons). He had also built bis winter quarters, where in the Lux. lamp furnished light and also maintained the temperature o tho quarters at 68deg. Fahrenheit. He spent the four months of win ter changing his outfit, which he found too clumsy. ASTONISHING METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. On tho trip to establish the depof he obtained astonishing metecrologi cal observations. There were onh two moderate storms, and the wate-i remained open throughout the winter THE JOURNEY SOUTH. On September 8, Captain Amundsen commenced the journey south. Hi was, however, forced to return, owing to the continuous fall of the temperature affecting the dogs, several oi which died.

SPRING CAME IN EARNEST and about the middle of October r party of five, with four sledges .and 52 dogs, and supplied with foui months’ provisions, started -south. A party of three went eastward t( explore King Edward Land. CAIRNS AS GUIDES. I lie southern party erected cairn; at intervals in order to serve as guide; on the return. The 82nd degree was reached or November 5. Here the dogs gol their last full meal, and were rested for Una c days. Everything went like a dance. The? coveed c-'l kilometres daily, establishing depots av every degree, and reached flu- Klrc degree on the 9th. INVESTIGATING ROSS BARRIER. The party investigated Ross Barrier and arrived at the 85th degree on November 17. On leaving they marched duo south, reaching the place when the land and the barrier connected. There were a few big crevasses, indi eating the limits of the barrier. THE HEAD DEPOT. Hero Captain Amundsen established his head depot, and with sixt\ days’ provisions commenced tho ascent of the barrier, which was mosl imposing, with summits ranging from 2900 to 15,000 feet from the ground. -It, however, rose in easy slopes, which tlio dogs negotiated without any difficulty. A few steep) glaciers wore encountered, where the going was hard, and they wore forced to make long detours, owing to the BIG CREVASSES. On the first day they climbed 2000 ft., and camped the second day at- a height of 4500 feet. Next day they descended by a glacier which divided tho coast mountains from the mountains further south. A LONG ASCENT. Then was commenced the longest ascent, a glacier which was much broken, narrowed between two mountains 15,000 feet high. On the fourth day from the Barrier they reached

A VAST PLATEAU and camped at an altitude of 10,GOO feet. Here they were compelled to kill 2-1 dogs, retaining 18 for the dash south. Bad weather delayed the departure for four days, and the party were unable to start till November 25. FURIOUS BLIZZARDS and dense snowdrifts were encountered, and their faces were badly frozen. Gradually descending, they passed tho 86th degree, and momentarily saw A MIGHTY MOUNTAIN shiuo through the snowdrift. Captain Amundsen established a depot at the foot of the Devil’s Glacier, where there were many towering peaks, beautifully illuminated by the bright sun. The Devil’s Glacier was negotiated in three days, and was quitted on December 3. Onward the ice plateau resembled A FROZEN SEA. It sounded hollow to the tread, and one man and two dogs fell through. The party reached the greatest altitude, 10,750 ft., on December 6, in 87.40 degrees. From 88.25 degrees the plateau gradually sloped downwards, and after five days’ easy travelling THE COAL WAS SIGHTED on the afternoon of December 14 in a beautiful light and with a southeast 'breeze blowing, and the temperature minus 23 degrees Celsius (centigrade). Tho ground was also perfect.

At three o’clock all gathered round tho silken flag on

A VAST PLAIN, which was alike in all directions, mile after mile.

During the night they circled the camp and for three days took a series cf careful observations of the position of the Pole, as close as it was humanly possible with sextant and artificial horizon.

A little tent was erected on the precise spot, and surmounted with the Norwegian flag and the Fram’s pennant. Ho named the place “Polheim ” The distance from the Pole to the winter camp was 1400 kilometres. The return was accomplished under favourable conditions, the party reaching their base on January 25 with two sledges and 11 dogs The entire length' of. the newly discovered mountains, which they named Queen Maud Ranges, is 850 kilometres. The expedition to King Edward’s Land confirmed Captain Scott’s discoveries. . OPINIONS OF SIR ERNEST ■* ' ; SHACKLETON. " ’ SERIES OF.,CONGRATULATIONS. (Received 11, 8.5 a.rai) London, March 10. The “Chronicle” congratulates the Pacific Cable Board on the expeditions and excellent transmission of the cablegram, filling a page.Mr Stead congratulates the “Chronicle” on demolishing Cook at the North, Polo and establishing. Amundsen at the South * Pole.' Sir Rmost Shackleton, in an article, said Amiitidsen undoubtedly reached the geographical Pole with easy travelling in fine weather. He adds that the plateau christened Haakon is the same as he (Sir Ernest) named Edward VII.

PROFESSOR DAVID HIGHLY DELIGHTED. SLOPE IN THE PLATEAU. (Received 11, 9.15 a.m.) Sydney, ' March 10. Professor David considers Amundsen’s the most wonderful story ever brought back by an explorer. The most striking fact is that Amundsen did not use Shackleton’is old tracks by way of the Beardmore Glacier, but did a sporting thing which was by far the most important in the interests of science. Ho struck south from his winter quarters. The party wore extraordinarily favoured regarding weather. Amundsen mentioned that one man and two dogs fell though the ice. In the case of Shackleton almost every one fell through the lids of crevasses every day. Evidently the Devil’s Glacier was far more favourable than the Beardmore for sledging from the point of view of speed. Amundsen’s famous march had seldom been equalled and never surpassed. The discovery that from 88.25 degrees to the Pole the plateau sloped downwards is scientifically extremely interesting. It shows that there are no important ranges of mountains such as would check the outflow of ice lying midway between Adelie Land and Weddel Sea.

AMUNDSEN AT LAST GIVES AN INTERVIEW. NOT MUCH TO ADD. (Received 11, 8.00 a.m.) Hobart, March 11. Late last night Amundsen consented to ho interviewed and declared that there was not much to add to the cable. His ha,so was four hundred miles from Scott’s. He did not knew whan Scott made his dash for the Pole. Amundsen camped nearer the Polo than Scott, as the later preferred dry land for travel. Amundsen elected to make his way over the harrier and he sincerely hoped that Scqtt reached the Polo. He might have done so before him, since he only achieved it in his second attempt. He added that he had received hundreds of congratulatory messages, including one from King George. CAPTAIN SCOTT’S EQUIPMENT. Wellington, March 10. In an interview, Mr J. J. Kinsey, New Zealand representative, for Captain Scott’s expedition, expressed the

I conviction that Captain Scott reached tho Pole before Captain Amundsen. Man for man, and equipment for equipment, Captain Scott’s was tho hotter party, and Captain Scott had greater experience on the ice. If Captain Scott reached the Pole it was not at all likely that he would return immediately, because he was determined to complete the exploration programme ho had mapped out. Captain Amundsen might have found •another glacier, giving access to the Polar plateaus east of the Beardmore glacier.

NO MONOPOLY.

SECRECY EXPLAINED. INTERESTING STATEMENT BY DR. NANSEN. Tho London Times of April 26, 1911, published the following article: — In an interesting letter which wo publish to-day, Dr. Nansen discusses the expedition of Captain Amundsen to the Antarctic regions, and gives us in tho explorer’s own words his reasons for undertaking it. Dr. Nansen understands that Captain Amundsen has been blamed in the English press for not having given notice of his intention to go south when every one expected him to go North:, and adds that some people are even disposed to think his action unfair. A change of plan so sudden and apparently inexplicable could not but cause surprise. But while surpriso was natural and inevitable, and was quite as general in other countries as in this, Dr. Nansen would be entirely in error if he supposed that public opinion in this country charged Captain Amundsen, who made a very favourable impression upon these of us who had the pleasure of meeting him, with, doing anything dishonourable or unfair in entering upon ground of which no one has any monopoly. The President of the Royal Geographical Society expressed the English viow with great exactness when lie declared about three weeks ago “that no explorer obtains any vested right merely by exploration, and that all foreign competition in tho Antarctic region should be welcomed wherever it might appear.” Only after that explicit declaration did he mention his “regret that Captain Amundsen did nbt “give an opportunity for discussing his Antarctic proposals before he left Europe for the South.” There is, therefore, no need to defend the Norwegian explorer from any charge of unfair intrusion, while, on the other hand, the explanation of the secrecy attending bis movements row given by Dr. Nansen ,is both welcome and interesting. Wo learn that whenriri'the autumn of 1909 hews arrived of tiie journey of Cook and Peary in the Arctic regions, 'it became clear to; Captain AmhndSen that the wind,. was taken cut of his sails. He came to the conclusion, which was afterwards justified by events, that there, was no longer any chance of obtaining the rest of the money, some nine thousand pounds, needed for the long Arctic voyage he was then contemplating. CHANCE OF PLANS. Ho never thought of abandoning his object, hut he saw that he would have to change his plans. To reach the South Pole was, "in his view, the only bit of Polar exploration left of a kind sufficiently spectacular and sensational to reawaken public interest and bring him the money he needed. Though not in possession of funds for a voyage of five years or so, such as he contemplated in the Arctic regions, he thought himself sufficiently equipped to make a dash for the South Pole, in the hope that he would by success in that direction obtain funds to carry out his original intentions. But lie isoems to have had no hope of obtaining the consent of his friends and supporters, so he kept his plans secret, and started ostensibly for the North Polo via Cape Horn and Behring’s Straits, and told no one of his real intentions until the reached Madeira last August. If those who found the money do not object to this diversion of it to purposes they had not contemplated, we do not know that anyone else has much concern with tho matter. When he communicated his plans to Dr. Nansen, he expressed Ids regret that he could not have informed Captain Scott, and declared his intention not to land near the English expedition, saying “they, of course have the first right, and we shall have to be content with what they leave ns.” They have left plenty of room, for the South Pole is a long way from tho open sea in every direction. So far as can he understood from rather vague messages, the bases of the English and Norwegian expeditions are in fact a long way apart, and their routes to the Pole must be totally distinct, although they have met and exchanged courtesies. We can only hope that both will reach the goal, reaping by the way observations of all kinds which must be quite different and will usefully supplement one another.