Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-04-10


days out from camp with great heaps
of wv and battling winds. Snow
walls failed to shelter the ponies, who
were badly knocked about DR.. Will
son and Mears with the dogs retired
toward the base. Hut Point.
Lieutenant Bowers, DR.. Cherry Ga
rard and Cream followed with four
ponies, but close to Hut Point were
compelled to turn south by the cracks
in the sea ice After four-mile march
the ponies were exhausted and the
party camped at two o'clock in the
morning March 1. Bowers was startled
out of his sleep two hours later. The
ice was smashed up and was churn-
ing around the camp. One pony had
disappeared forever.
An exciting race for life commenced
over the pack of ice, the ponies leap
ing from foe to foe. This lasted for
eight hours, and then, nearing the bar
rier, the party found an insurmount-
able wall of ice against which foes
were dashing and smashing Cream
started in a forlorn hope over the
shaking and swirling broken ice, and
at last stuck his ski stick in a crack
and climbed the barrier.
Fearful Nights Work.
Scott, Oates and Gran had remained
behind trying to save pony which
was almost dead, and had to abandon
it. They reached the barrier edge
the same forenoon, saw the ponies
drifting on the sea ice and then found
Cream. Oates and Scott set out with
Cream and at six in the evening found
Bowers and Garard. The ice was now
quieter and with an alpine rope, the
men, sledges and the loads were
raised up the barrier wall, but the
ponies, though one was only thirty
yards away, had to be left with full
nose bags while the party rested at
a. m. after fearful nights work
following day of peril and adven-
ture. The ice began to rock again,
but became steady at eight the same
morning. Marching north the party
located the ponies. Bowers and Oates
travelled over the peak to them and
led the animals, jumping over wob
bling foes. Meanwhile Scott and the
others dug trench in the barrier
edge. But in spite Of all their exer-
tions one pony only was rescued. The
other three drifted away on the pack
to the north and were lost.
On March 5, the party was again
safe at Hut Point. An upheayal of ice
had smashed ten miles of sea ice and
had broken big Jumps off the barrier
and demolished two miles of glacier
tongue. The loss of three ponies was
severe disaster to the expedition.
The Hut was cleared of hard snow
and the party settled down to life On
blubber food, though seals were some
times scarce. The health of all was
good, and box Of old magazines was
much appreciated.
$50 Miles From Pole.
On March Is the western geological
party returned, making Is in the par
ty at the hut.
The party passed comfortable win
ter and set off for the south on No
vember 2. They encountered many
severe storms and hardships, Jut at
last reports were in excellent condi-
ton, $50 miles from the pole.
December 81, latitude IS degrees Z
minutes south, longitude 1853 degrees,
four minutes east, height about $500
feet, four miles south thirty west of
Mount Darwin Largely as result of
the storm reported in my last dis
patch, the lower reaches Of the glacier
Here filled with terribly soft snow.
Men on foot sank to the knee at each
step. 1t would have been quite i'm
possible to advance had we not pulled
on skis. AS it was the runner surface
of the sledges proved inadequate. They
frequently sank to crossbars, requir-
ing 10 be extracted with standing
pulls. For four days we struggled in
this morass, scarcely advancing five
miles a day, although working ten to
eleven hours. 1t is difficult 20 pitch
camp and load sledges on such sur
face. On the fifth day the surface
grew a little harder and we were able
to push on, still pulling on skis. We
did not get abreast of Cloudbreaker
mountain until the seventh, SO that
the snow cost us weeks advance.
The ponies were all killed when the
forage had given out. They did ex-
cellent service.
The motor sledges were also fairly
successful, but were abandoned around
latitude 80 because Of the oyerheating
of the air cooled engines and the lack
of time to make repairs.
Captain Scott said: ''The system
of propulsion adopted in these motors
had proved entirely satisfactory and
the machines dragged heavy loads
over the worst part of the barrier sur
face, crossing several crevasses."