The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1910-04-07
SURE SOUTH
WILL Be FOUND
Sir Ernest ShaCkletOn Says
Next Expedition viii Succeed.

DEPENDS ON THE FOOD SUPPLY
Antarctic Explorer. Who is Lecturins
In United States, Was Obliged to
Turn Back For Lack of Fifty Pounds
of Provisions-Compares Chances of
American and British Expeditions.
When the Cunard liner Lusitania ar
rived at her pier in New York the
other morning the chief object of in
clean shaven man, slightly above the
average height and well built, wear
ing q blue serge suit and q derby hat.
He was Lieutenant Sir Ernest Shac-
kleton, the antarctic explorer who went
within Ill miles of the south pole
and came TO the United States to de-
liver a series of lectures on the Far
thest South"
In an interview with the reporters
Sir Ernest declared that he would not
take command of any expedition to
the south pole until Captain Scott had
| made his attempt TO reach that goal
| and was confident that the latter
would get there if his expedition was
properly equipped.
Food Supply Important.
'"The success of an expedition to the
| south POLE" said Sir Ernest Shackle-
ton, depends on the stamina of the
men, their equipment and, most i'm
| portant of all, the food. If we had
| had fifty pounds more solid food we
| should have reached our goal. as the
| conditions for travelling were good
and the III miles that separated us
! from it were over practically fiat ice.
! AS far as we could see with our strong
glasses there was no obstruction ahead.
Our range was only four or five miles
on the horizon. but a barrier of ice of
any considerable height would have
been visible between our position and
the south pole There might have been
rise of 100 feet or so, but nothing
that could not have been surmounted." F"
What do you mean by solid food?''
he was asked.
by that" replied the explorer, 81
mean cheese, pemmican and plasmon
biscuits. Those do not contain mois-
ture. The pemmican we carried was
different from the American kind, as il
was composed of 60 per cent of LARD
and the best parts of beef.
From Nov. IA, 1908, to Feb. 23, 1909
our party was always hungry, except
on Christmas day, when we divided
four ounce plum pudding into foul
parts and licked the spoons. We hat
another luxury that day in tin of fro
zen sardines which contained seven
teen fish. After taking four each W.
tossed our knives on the ice for th'
odd one. We started to take a tin o.
jam with US, but as it weighed TIVE
pounds we left it 121 miles from base
which was 750 miles from the pole
Our breakfast consisted of pony steaks
Cut Trousers to Reduce Weight.
"To reduce our weight as much as
/ PoSSlOiC We Sul t"Chty Aioii
the legs of our trousers. which may
seem strange, but every ounce tells or
trip like that. At first we had thirty
two ounces for man day, which
gradually got smaller until our rations
were reduced to sixteen ounces man
teau, but after few days i saw that
1t was not sufficient to keep up our
strength, and it was increased to TWEEN
ty ounces
Sir Ernest went on to explain that
their clothing was made of noted
wool, with boots made of reindeer skin
prepared In peculiar way by the Lap
landers. who soak the hide in brine
and then chew it to make it soft. and
wolfskin gloves.
II realize that have lost caste with
thousands of small boys because was
not picturesquely garbed In furs," said
the explorer with smile, ''but we had
to study weight, and the garments
were windproof and equally as warm
as furs."
i SaPtdtU oCoAtS SPPoTtuuSieS oeesoSs
do you think Captain Scott has a
better chance than the proposed Amer
ican expedition he was asked.
Il should say yes. His opportuni-
ties are better The side he will tackle
is known. while the other is unknown
Captain Scott will have the same sort
of equipment that we had, but he will
have a much bigger ship. The govern
ment has given him grant of 100000
and he will start well prepared. He
will follow the same route did, as
followed his. The American expedi.
ton. of course. would enter an un-
known territory. 1t would have tC
make base in the Falkland islands
or somewhere else near. AS for Wilkes
Land. that has been sailed over by
English ships, and Frenchmen who
have been down there to look at II
| hauo Ynt baau nhla N And II Vas