Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-03-12
SOUTH POLE ATTAINED.
The Honor Belongs to Capt. RoaId
Amundsen of Norway,

| Amundsen of Norway.
| Information came from Hobart, Tas-
mania, last Wednesday, that Capt.
Roald Amundsen had arrived there in
his vessel, the Fran, and reported the
location of the South Pole on Decem-
ber IA.
Capt. Amundsen at once cabled his
story to the London Chronicle and the
| New York Times, In accordance with
an agreement that he had entered into
with those papers before he started
on the trip along the latter part of
1910.
In his story, Capt. Amundsen tells
how he started on his southwark jour-
ney over the ice on the 10th Of Febru-
ary, 1911. He was accompanied by
eight Norwegians, all experienced in
arctic work. With his men and large
number of dogs he went into winter
quarters about the middle Of April,
and remained there until the 9Th of
September, when he entered upon the
dash for the pole.
Travelling is described as very good,
/ but the work Of ascending a mountain
wall to a plateau that Is 10000 feet
above the sea level taxed the perse-
verance and endurance of the party to
the utmost. The plateau having been
ATTAINED however, and the country be-
ing reasonably level, travel was not
especially difficult, considering condi-
tions that prevailed in the Antarctic
regions.
The pole was attained on December
IA, and the party spent four days in
the vicinity making observations that
will leave no possible doubt as to To-
cation. etc.
The first news that was published
in London was to the effect that Capt.
Amundsen had cabled from Hobart,
Tasmania, that Capt. Scott, British
explorer, who had started out at about
the same time as the Amundsen eXpe-
dition, had attained the pole. This
was on March 6. The next day, how
ever, there came another cable from
nothing Of Scott, because he knew
nothing of him. Capt. Amundsen had
no idea how the first story got out.
The Fran is still at Hobart, Tas-
mania. There Is a newspaper at Ho-
bart, but Capt. Amundsen would give
lit no information as to his trip nor al
low any of his men to say word.
His men were kept on the Fran. The
Hobart newspaper complained very
bitterly at the captain on account Of
his attitude, but 1t appears that the
captain had sold his copyright to the
London and New York papers and was
trying to be as good as his word.
In addition to sending the story to
the newspapers referred to, Capt
Amundsen also cabled his king, Haa-
kon. of Norway, Of his discovery, and
received from the king congratulations.
Including Amundsen's expedition,
there have been four expeditions in the
Antarctic seas for nearly two years,
and It is quite possible that there NAV
be reports to the effect that some one,
or perhaps all Of the other expeditions
have also attained the pole.
Capt. Amundsen's story was devoted
entirely to a description Of the pro-
gress of his march to the pole, and his
manner of living. He spoke OF the
mountain scenery and the high table
lands; but had nothing to say Of the
animal life he encountered, and did
not say whether or not he paid any at
tention to minerals
It Is reasonably certain that when
he gives further details about a trip of
hundreds of miles over a land that has
never been trodden by human foot be-
fore, Certainly not since the rotation
Of the earth was changed from west to-
east from north to south, If such an
event ever really occurreD there will
be recited some curious and interest
ing facts.