The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-03-15


returned OF the oath. of Aug. he met
the men sound in mind and body
ready to set about the task that had
to be solved.
Already, the day before, we had
brought our sledges to the starting
place for our march toward the South.
Only in the beginning of September
did the temperature rise to such an
extent that there was any custom OF
setting out.
First Start for the Pole.
On the 9Th of Sept eight men, with
seven sledges, ninety dogs and pro
visions for four months started. The
ground was perfect. The temperature
was not bad. The next day it ap-
peared that we had started too early,
as the. temperature of the following
days fell and was kept steady between
minus SO and 60 celsius (58 degrees
and 76 degrees) below zero Fahren-
heit. Personally we did not suffer
at all from this cold. Our good furs
protected us, but with our dogs it was
q different matter. 1t could be easily
seen that they shrunk from day to day
and We understood pretty soon that
they could not stand the long run to
our depot at 80 degrees south. We
agreed on returning and to wait for
the arrival Of spring. The provisions
were cached and off we went for the
6,,x hn nf hn
of few dogs and couple of frozen
heels everything was all right. Only
In the middle of October spring came
in earnest. Seals and birds appeared.
The temperature was steady between
20 and 80 celsius (6S degrees and Sc
degrees Fahrenheit).
The original plan that all of us
should go toward the south had been
changed. Five men had to do this
work, while the other three were to
start for the east and visit King Ed.
ward VII Land. This last mentioned
trip was not included in our program,
but owing to the fact that the English
had not reached it, at least this sum
mer, as was their intention, we agreed
that the best thing to do was also to
make this trip.
On Oct. 20 the southern party start
ed; five men, four sledges, fifty-two
dogs and provisions for four months;
everything in excellent order
The Journey to the Pole.
We had made up our minds to take
the first part Of the trip as easily as
possible, in order to give ourselves
and the dogs rational training and
on the 23rd we made our depot in 80
degrees south. We went right ahead
in spite of the dense fog. An error of
two or three kilometers happened
once in a while, but we We're caught
by the flagmarks, and found these ON
our way without difficulty. Having
rested and fed the dogs on all the seal
meat they were able to eat We started
again on the Goth, with the. tempera.
ture steadily between minus 20 and
30 celsius a degrees and ,22 degrees
below zero Fahrenhei0. .-.......-
From the start it was the intention
not to drive more than thirty kilo-
meters day, but 1t appeared that this
was too little for our strong, willing
animals. At 80 degrees south We be-
gan to build snow cairns of mans
height in order to have marks on our
return trip. On the 31st We reached
the depot at 81 degrees and stopped
there one day and fed the dogs on as
much pemmican as they wanted.
We reached the depot at 80 degrees
on the 5th of Nov, where the dogs for
the last time got all they wanted &c
eat. On the 8th, southwark again.
with a daily march of fifty kilometers.
In order to tighten our heavy
sledges We established depots at each
degree of south latitude.
Like q Pleasure Trip.
The trip from SO degrees became a
pleasure trip, excellent ground. fine
sledging and an even temperature.
Everything went like dance On the
9th we sighted South Victoria Land
and the continuation of the mountain
range which Sir Ernest Shackleton
mentioned in his chart as running to-
ward the southeast from the Beard.
more glacier; and on the same day
we reached SO degrees and established
here depot No. 4. On the 18th we
made the interesting discovery that
the Ross barrier terminated in blight
toward the southeast at sc degrees
outn LATITUDE a.. degrees west
longitude formed between the south
east mountain range running from