The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-12
IMPORTANT
| DISCOVERIES
Made by Amundsen According
to His Messages
BESIDES THE SOUTH POLE
The Norwegian Sends Cable Saying That
He Happily Reached" the Goal and
That He Was About to Leave
for Buenos Ayres
BESIDES THE SOUTH POLE

Buenos Ayres, March l2.-Capt. Road
Amundsen has sent the following cable
from Hobart, Tasmania, to Pedro Chris
topherson, a wealthy Norwegian, who
lives in this city:
Il am thankful for your generous help
and have the pleasure of announcing
confdentially that happily reached goal
and made important geographical dseov.
cries. | am about to leave for Buenos
Ayres."
Washington, March l2,-"Dog meat is
delicious sometimes" said Admiral
Robert j.. Peary, the discoyerer of the
north pole, yesterday, discussing the food
eaten by Amundsens party in their dash
to the south pole. "For flavor and bou.
qudt, it doesn't compare with tender
loin steak, but dog meat is fine when
| you're cold and hungry--and have moth
ing else to eat.
"A bit from the hind leg Of a sledge
I dog rivals Il chunk of gutta percha.
There's nothing tougher on earth No,
dog meat is not fried, as a rule; 1t is
boiled, and then boiled. But it can be
compared in flavor to bear meat or to
that Of any carniverous animal OF
course it is nothing like the meat OF
grass-eating animals.
1--WE eaten dog meat repeatedly, on
almost all of my trips. And every other
explorer has probably done the same.
Meat can be carried on the hoof' that
way. The dogs are useful to draw he
sledges until they are needed for food for
the men and for the other dogs re.
! tanned
Peary ridicuIed the idea that Amund-
sens observations of the south pole were
| inaccurate because he used only a sex
tant and artificial horizon and not
theodolite.
"The sexgant and artificial horizon are
the recognized instruments used by all
explorers in such work" he said "They
are accurate enough. The theodolite is
much heavier and too bulky for use eX-
cept at a temporary base or headquar-
tiers. The lighter instruments were used
by the British arctic expedition, hansen,
myself and many other explorers"
Peary also pooh poohed the idea that
Amundsen might not have reached the
exact bottom OF the earth.
His accounts state that he stayed
three days" said the arctic explorer
running radii in all directions from his
principal point. jus. like | did at the
north pole This is assurance that at
some point the correct position was at
tanned. Accuracy within few feet is
only possible at great obseryatories with
instruments set in concrete"
Henry D. Baker United States consul
at Hobart Tasmania. has sent the fol /
lowing dispatch to the state department.
"Amundsen authorizes me to convey
the information to the United States
government that he was at the south |
pole December IA to IL and all the party /
returned safe
London, March l2.--Antarctic experts /
here are much interested in the report /
that Capt. Amundsen admits that his +
route to the south pole was much easier I
than that taken by Sir Ernest Shacklc i
ton when he made his unsuccessful dash /
and was compelled to turn back when I
within Ill miles of his goal
Capt Scott planned to follow the same T
rou.e as that taken by Shackleton, and I
before the start of the rival antarctic (
expeditions serious doubts were expressed +
as to Amundsen's chances Of making (
the pole over theoretical and entirely /
unknown route across the ice barrier. II +
was assumed that the obstacles Amund
sen must face might eclipse any Of the
terrors Of the journey described by Shac-
kleton; for as he was to cross the vast
ice plain from region not definitely
known to be part OF the continent, the
possibility OF the routes playing out
in the pack ice of an interior sea was 10
be considered
It is evident that Amundsen iourneyed
under the most favorable weather condi.
tions. The fact that he remained for
three days in the vicinity of the south
pole indicates a temperature and calm
atmospheric conditions with which Shae-
kleton was not favored. For more I'M
weather than that which the
Engishman confronted could scarcely be
imagined.
It is not impossible that while the
Amundsen party was gliding along in
the comparas i've lowlands of the ice
plain the hurricanes to and from the
oceans were sweeping high over their
heads. When they climbed tp the top of
the plateau itself. however. they appear
to have been blessed with an unusually
balmy season.
Amundsen, who with the Belgica expe-
dition in 1898 had been frozen in for
year, close to Alexander |. Land, prob
ably OWNED all these advantages for
route such as he took long ago and they
doubtless influenced him in underta king
it, For Alexander l. Land. though hun
dreds Of miles to the east of King Ed !
ward VII. Land, from which he set out,
is a part of the same general region OF
ice packed lowland.