Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-03-31
ALMOST
WINS SOUTH POLE
LIEUTENANT sHAckLEToN AND
PARTY COME WITHIN III
MILES OF GOAL.
PART OF CREW REACHES LATl.
TuDE 7a.25-IMPoRTANT
DISCOVERIES MADE.

London, March 24.-Lieutenant H.
HI. Shackleton, of the British navy,
commander of the antarctic expedi'
ton which returned on the Barkentine
Nimrod to Invercargill, New Zealand
yesterday, although he did not achieve
his object, succeeded in getting within
III miles of the pole. The Nimrod
expedition left England in July, 1907,
and after reaching the ice fields and
making the most elaborate prepare
tons, the main expedition started on
sledge journey which occupied 126
days and traversed 1,70S miles south
wards. The explorers reached lati-
tude 1928 and longitude 1872 west,
which was estimated as III miles
| from the pole.
AT the point where the expedition
was compelled to turn back the land
was 5000 feet in altitude, trending
southwark in vast field of snow, no
mountains being in sight.
A second party pushed forward to
the southern magnetic pole at latitude
1925, longitude 154 west. The Brit
ish flag was left flying at both points.
The ascent of Mount Erebus was ac-
compliished with difficulty, and geo
logical discoveries of great Importance
were made. The results attained
have thrown much light on the past
history of the antarctic continent The
expedition suffered no loss of life.
Tells Of Expedition.
The expedition reached point 354
miles nearer the pole than that at
tanned by the Discovery expedition of
which Lieutenant Shackleton was an
officer. The main overland expedi-
ton commanded by Shackleton left
Cape Boyd October 20, 1908, and frav-
eled over rough ice, mountains and
snow for days at a time. On Deem
Der 2 they discovered a glacier 12O
miles long and probably 40 miles
wide. An entire day was required to
get 600 yards up the glacier the dan
gers from crevasses being so great.
December 8 new mountain ranges
were discovered, and ten days later
the party reached an altitude of $500
feet Continuing their ascent, toward
the close of the year they reached an
altitude of 10000 feet. The tramp
was continued until January 8. when
the party started on the return trip.
Because of snow having blown from
the ice, the descent of the glacier was
extremely hazardous Sickness at
tackled the party and by February
all were Frustrated with dysentery.
At the end of the week the journey
was resumed, and February 10 they
mad reached "Chinaman depot" Food
was scarce, but discarding everything
except the camp outfit and geological
specimens, and despite a raging biz
card and so degrees of frost. thew
tramped on. The next depot was
reached February 20, and in three
days came in sight of a depot on
Minna Bluff. There news OF shin
was received, and they made a forced
march to reach the vessel which +bov
did March A.
summing up the results, Shackleton
says:
The main results of the expedition
are a good geological collection. We
discovered eight distinct mountain
ranges and more than a. hundred
mountains. We surveyed and photo-
graphed many glaciers and found
signs of former great glaciation. The
south pole is doubtless situated on
plateau, 10000 to 1000 feet above
the sea level The new mountains,
aitltudes range from 5000 to $1,000
Ieet approximately. Violent Biz
zards IN the latitude of SO degrees
SHOW that if the so-called polar
calm exists it must be small in area
or not eoincident with the geographi-
cal POLE