Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-24
Shackleton's Achievements.

Shackleton Of the British navy. COM
mander Of the Antarctic expedition,
which returned on the barkentine MINI
rod to Invercargill. New Zealand. yes
terday. succeeded in getting within Ill
miles Of the pole,
He reached the south magnetic pole,
the point which explorers declare will
be of great value to navigators in
southern waters. 1t giving a tangible
point on which to base the magnetic va
riations Of the compass.
Story Told by shackleton.
1.-The main results of the expedition"
says Lieut.. Shackleton. ARE good
geological collection. We discovered s
distinct mountain ranges and more
than 100 mountains. We surveyed and
photographed many glaciers and found
signs of former greater glacification.
The south pole is doubtless situated on
plateau 10000 to 1000 feet above
the sea level. The new mountain alt;-
tudes range from 5000 to 10000 feet
approximately. The violent billiards
in latitude 80 degrees show that if the
so-called polar calm exists it must be
the geographical pole"
Lieut.. Shackleton, in a cable report
from Invercargill, thus describes his
experiences:
'The southern party-Adams, Mar
shall, Wild and with four ponies
Sir Philip Brockiehurst and Messrs.
Joyce, Marson, Armytage and Priestly,
left Cape ROyd October 20. 1908. We left
Hut Point November B. with ninety ne
A~.w yfcSo N0 Hov@ m
white Island from November for four
days by a blizzard. The supporting
party returned on November Z. Owing
to the bad light among the ice
crevasses. Adams and a pony were
nearly lost
I'VE reached. on November Is, the
depot laid out in September. In latitude
20 degrees SO minutes, longitude 1913
degrees east. We took on pony the
maize and provisions previously left
there. and commenced reducing our
daily rations. We travelled south along
meridian 1853 over varying surface,
high ridges and mounds of snow alter
mating with soft snow. The ponies Of
ten sank to their bellies.
Ponies Are Killed.
'Tn latitude 81 degrees minutes we
shot the pony Chinaman. then made a
depot Of oil, biscuit and pony meat. The
remainder of the pony meat we took on
to exc our dried rations. On November
% We reached the discovery expedition's
southernmost latitude. The surface was
now extremely soft, with large undula-
tons The ponies were attacked with
snow blindness. On November g the
pony Grisi was shot. We made depot
in latitude s. degrees As minutes, longi-
tude ITO degrees. The pony GUAM was
shot on November 30.
Steering south and southeast, we were
now approaching a high new range of
mountains. We found on December 2 the
barrier Influenced by great pressure. and
the ridges OF snow and ice turned into
land. We discovered a glacier 10 miles
long and approximately 40 miles wide,
running In south and southwesterly
direction.
1--WE started on December to ascend
the glacier at latitude SO degrees 80 min
utes. longitude 172 degrees. The glacier
was badly crevassed. as the result OF
high pressure. The surface on December
6 was 80 crevassed that 1t took the whole
day to fight our way 600 yards. On De-
cember Z the pony Socks. breaking
through a snow lid. disappeared In a
crevasse Of unknown depth. The single
tree swapping, we saved Wild and the
sledge. which was damaged. The party
was now hauling weight of go pounds
per man.
1.-THE clouds disappearing on December
8 we discovered new mountain ranges
I'D the glacier over the treacherOus snow
covered crevaSSeS, we frequently fell
through, but were saved by our harness.
and were pulled out with the Alpine rope.
second sledge was badly damaged by
knife-edged crevasses. Similar conditions
obtained on our way up the glacier from
December Is, which reached an altitude
OF $500 feet. In latitude IS degrees 10
minutes we made a depot and left every
thing there but our food, instruments and
camp equipment. and reduced rations to
twenty ounces per man daily. We reached
on December Is plateau. after crossing
Ice falls at an altitude OF 1900 feet.
thence rising gradually in long ridges to
10000 feet.
Blizzard Shuts Out View.
Finishing the relay work. we discarded
our second sledge. There was a constant
southerly blizzard. wind and drifting
snow. with the temperature ranging from
81 to 20 degrees of frost. We lost sight
Of the new mountains December 81
Finding the party weakening from the
effects Of the shortage OF food and rare
fed air and cold. decided to risk maxi
ing depot on the plateau. We pro-
ceeded January with one tent. utiliz-
ing the poles OF the second tent for guild