The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1909-04-23
EQUIPMENT OF
pole HUNTERS.
Motor Car Ponies Dogs
Heavy Wooden.
Latest Expedition Being the Most
Successful in History Was
led by Lieut.. Thackleton

becoming its proud proprietor is diff
ficult to say, but for many years tie
finding of one or the other of them
has been the highest ambition of all
who have felt the peculiar attraction
OF the magnetic regions.
Lieutenant Shackleton's experience
with Captain Scott in the Discovery
expedition of 1904 VIXEN he reached
the highest latitude ever attained in
the Southern regions-S2 degrees II
minutes-admirably fitted him to head
the next British expedition, which sail
ed in the Nimrod from Lyttleton, New
Zealand, on New Years Day of last
year.
His experience led him to think that
by the use of Q special motor car c
successful dash might be made, for the
South Pole; and the car which he
took with him was really extra special
To begin with it had interchangeable
wholesome set with plane tires for
flat ground; another, with knobby
tires'for snow; end a third, set with
four-inch spikes, placed in pairs, and
calculated to get a grip on ice. For
quick running over ice or snow, the
front wheels could be rendered i'm
movable, and placed on broad runners
something like skies.
Water for drinking and washing pur
poses was constantly supplied by this
wonderful car, through en- arrange
ment by which the rot exhaust gases
were made to act upon a snow tank,
which could always be kept filled with
snow. TIE same gas kept a warming
pan in the floor of the car at a COM
Portable temperature
Rubber in those cold regions would
quickly perish and become useless, so
the tires were made Of hickory and
steel!-the letter specially treated to
withstand TIE intense frost.
Another novelty which Lieutenant
Shsckleton introduced inc polar enter
prise consisted of Marchurianl ponies,
of which Re took IS, IS a standby
against a possible motor breakdown.
He also took tie furt-er precautio2 Of
carrying a number Of dogs.
Before this expedition heavy fuis W
always considered Necessary in Polar
regions, but Lieutenant Siackleton
replaced these for himself end lis par
ty by suits Of pure wool, eaca weiga in
30 pounds with outer suits of mackin-
tosh. He considered that, witt TIE cd
dition of reindeer fur boots and
gloves Of wool and dogskin, they were
taus fitted to wit stand for many
months at . time some GO degrees
of frost.
Wien the party in tie Nimrod ex-
petition reached Mt. Erebus-the lead
er's idea of establishing a base on
King Edward Wis Land having been
frustrated by the terrible gales and
Billiards encoutel ed-they set up
house which had been built in sections
In England. The wells We're of wood
and were double, the four-inch space
between the shells being filled witt
graduated cork. 1t was 80 feet long.
is feet wide and 9 feet high.
Costing $4,000 tie expeditions
equipment included from so to 60 tons
of provisions packed in HOO cases.
OF great importance emory these were
1000 bottles Of fruit, seven and a
quarter tons of dried vegetables and
700 pounds Of cocoa.
For scientific reasops cocoa was the
staple drink Of tie praty throughout
the time spent in frozen regions. The
fruit and vegetables We're, of course,
to prevent scurvy and this success
has been seen In TIE excellent health
which the expedition has enjoyed
Having left Is Of the party at the
base witt provisions sufficient for two
years, the Nimrod returned to New
Zealend in March, 1908, and reported
that Lieutenant Shackleton hoped to
make . bold attempt to reach the pole |
from lis wintering quarters. In tie
autumn the vessel returned to pick up
the exploring party to bring them
home.
Three or four of the wintering party
in tee neighborhood Of the |
hut making short geological and other
scientific expeditions but the remain
der pushed forward in three parties
ample provisions.
Zach party carried one or more mug
sleeping sacks, capable Of accommo-
iating tnree men, each in q smaller
bag lined with reindeer fur" They
llso had small tents, very low. so as
o offer little resistance to the eighty
winds witch sweep these
egions.
Low as these tents are. however,