The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-08-13

Any one seeing him Tor the tlrst time
would say, "Here is a resolute man."
One Of his hobbies is a love of the
poets, and his taste is fine, as he
knows by heart all the greatest Of
! Msredith's, Wordsworth 5, Tenyson's
and Browning's poems. He is not
Habove owning that he too has paid his
tribute to Parnassus, though as
minor poet, he has not yet appeared
in print.
In 1907, after overcoming every
kind Of difficulty, he organized his
famous expedition to the Antarctic,
which was to make so much history.
The Nimrod was bought-a little
whaler Of ancient date but stout in
hull-and admirably equipped. The
experience acquired in the Scott ex-
pedition was turned to excellent ac-
count. Lieut.. Shackleton took much
lighter clothing than has been usual
with Polar explorers in the past, as
he had found furs to be a distinct
mistake, and the king, when he in
spected the Nimrod upon her depart
ure, was so surprised at the thinness
Of the clothing that he asked whether
it would really be warm enough for
the fearful cold of the South Pole.
Other departures from precedent
by which Lieut.. Shackleton showed
his resources were the substitution Of
Manchurian ponies for dogs and the
specially designed motor car, the
first ever landed on the southern
continent. This was not an unquali-
fed success, though it was most USE
full for laying depots and conveying
stores.
In July, 1907, the Nimrod left the
East India docks. II have made my
WILL" said Lieut.. Shackleton, as the
little vessel crept out Of the Thames
amid tears and cheers, "but don't
imagine that such course betrays
the slightest foreboding on my part. "
Nor was his confidence misplaced. As
we all know, not a single life was lost
his expedition, thus making what is
really a new record in an exploration
Of such magnitude and danger. At
Cowes the Nimrod was inspected by
the king and queen and the queen
handed the intrepid sailor a silk flag
which he was to plant in her honor
at the furthest point south that he
reached. Proceeding by Cape Colo
ny and New Zealand to the Antarctic,
the Shackleton expedition effected
landing at Cape Royd in early 1908
and at once began its work of fexplora-
ton.
After long record Of work during
1908, on October %, Of that year the
preparations for the rush to the Pole
were completed. A party consisting
of Lieut.. Shackleton, Lieut.. Adams,
Mr.. Eric Marshall. and Mr.. Wild left
the base of operations with four
ponies, Depots had been previously
laid for a considerable distance to
the south so as to give supplies for
the return journey.
Each man in that Polar climate,
where the bitter blizzards blew almost
continuously, had to do his daily
march, dragging heavy loads, on 20
ounces of food. What this means can
be understood from the comment Of
Mr.. Bernaechi, another we'll known
Antarctic explorer, who tells us that
the proper allowance is So ounces.
The temperature fell to 7G-degrees Of
frost, and the rarifed air tried the
daring explorers to the utmost.
! On January 9, 1909, they made their
last days march to the south. At
latitude 88 degrees % minutes only
ntnety-seven geographical miles from
the South Pole, the nearest point to
either Pole that man n2d aCCalne0,
they halted. The air was compare
lively clear as they gazed upon the
mysterious region around the Pole.
HNo mountains were visible,' tele-
graphed Lieut.. Shackleton. eve saw
now a plain stretching to the south,
at an altitude Of over 10000 feet.''
: Reluctantly they retraced their
steps and the billiards now blowing
i behind them helped. them back. But
I so closely had they cut the margin Of
safety that again and again food ran
out just as the depots which they
had left on their aG:ance were
rca ached.-London Mail.s