The Ely miner., 1912-04-05

ter1nS the Draln.
First Antarctic Telephone Lines.
At the end of the month, telephone
communication was established with
Hut Point through fifteen miles of
proved extremely useful for reporting
the number parties, pending changes
of weather. Lieutenant Evans, Gran
rebuild cairns They experienced tenn,
peratures between minus 60 and 20, and
Forde's hands were badly frost bitten,
But ana FapSy PePg oder
Evans, travelled west on Sept. l6,
ascending Ferrar Glacier. We found
by stakes planted by Wright that the
seven months. Later, forty-fve miles
northwest of our stations, we found
part of the glacier tongue broken in
March with the forge depot left by
Campbell intact.
Owing to work at the station and
the need of increasing exercise for the
take further spring journeys. The
western geological party, consisting of
Taylor, Debenham, Gran and Forde,
in a few days for Granite Harbor.
All plans and preparations for the
southern journey are now complete and
despite the accident of last sea season we
have great hope of success. The neces-
Sity of getting the utmost out or our
remaining ponies has decided me not
to expose them to great cold. We shall
tended.
The motor sledge party. consisting of
Lieutenant Evans, Bay. Lashley, and
motor sledges, dragging fuel and for
age: The motors experienced unex.
pected difficulty on sea ice where 1T
but were last seen going well on the
surface of the barrier beyond the base
camp Of last season. They have, there
fore, placed the possibilities of motor
h1VOnd nnPStiOn.
party, consisting of myself with Will
son, Oats, Bowers, Cherry, Garrard;
Wright Evans ana
Independently of the success of the
motors, ponies will be worked with
light loads in easy. marches to Corner
Camp with full loads and easy marches
to One-Ton Camp and with such pres
sure as necessary thereafter. Dog
teams starting will rejoin us at One
Ton Camp and help to advance loads.
By these means we hope to get thirty
units of food to the foot of Beardmore
Glacier, unit being @ weeks provla tEa
divisions of four men and twenty-one
units of provisions, hope to extend
the advance to the required distance
if the weather conditions are not who'll
ly unfavorab1e. OF the ten remaining
ponies one is unreliable and one doubt
full, the remainder being in very fine
form. Officers and men are in splen-
did health, and eager to go forward.
Owing to my decision to postpone
there Is an obvious chance that the
most advanced southerly party will be
unable to catch the Terra Nova before
she is forced to quit the Sound I'm
der these conditions, having regard to
important scientific work done and far
cilities offered for further work, L
have decided to maintain the station
for a second year. The majority of
the shore party will probably remain:
our returning from our journey on
home news, and the extent of fresh
transport provided. I shall greatly re-
greta the departure of any member, as
we have lived in the happiest social
accord.
Pointing probably returns with
large batch of Photographic material
to which a second year might add lit
tie of Importance. Owing to Pointing,
the Photographic results of the eXc
pedition are remarkable record OF
our Pole life. Plans arranged Tor the
scientific work of the expedition have
succeeded so far almost in their en-
tirety.
left Hut Point on the eve of Noyem-
ber 2, having decided to march by
night and rest during the day to give
temperatures. We reached Corner
Camp this morning. Travelling south
for sixty miles we followed the tracks
of the motors then found the ma
ceeded onward as directed, were de-
layed by blizzard on the, Sth, but
ing of the 18th The dog teams had
caught us up some days earlier and
the whole party proceeded in company.
A days rest was given the animals at
One-Ton Camp, which we left on the
18th. Having regard to the weight
of the loads, the heavy surfaces and
limited number of animals, L decided
to march fifteen miles only every night;
This distance has been maintained
eight nights and so far as we can
foresees it should be continued. The
II & nn
keeping condition remarkably well.
The first pony has been shot for eX-
pediency but could have Travelled fur
ther. The animals have ten pounds of
oats and three pounds of oil cake
daily. We are hopeful of getting the
mems food supply to the Glacier ac-
ficuity, but should be a day or two
later than anticip" ted.
We found the motor party waiting
tSGe Se The Tw9 soe Ge aeT eaaEe of Se
abandoning of the motor was the over
heating of the air-cooled engines. Time
did not permit of the defects being
taken in hand. The system OF propul-
sion of the motors proved entirely sat
isfactory. The machines dragged heavy
loads over the. worst part OF the bar
ices. Considering inadequate trial,
their success has been remarkable.
With the experience now gained re-
liable tractor could be constructed that
would travel anywhere in this region
and save the sacrifice OF animals we
are building snow cairns at intervals
parties and leaving weeks provision
at every degree of latitude TO the bar,
rier The surface was extremely bad
and trying to the ponies up to one
good since. The greater number OF the
ponies have been dragging over $50
pounds.
minutes: After the return of the mo-
tor party from latitude 81 degrees 10
minutes we. pushed steadily south
hopeful for better weather conditions.
A second pony was destroyed at iati-
tude 81 degrees 10 minutes, third
at latitude 50 degrees 40 minutes, and
two more at the SD parallel None
of these animals were exhausted but
were sacrificed to tighten loads and
give food for dogs. AS we proceeded
were frequent, the sky continually
overcast and land very rarely visible.
Under these circumstances 1t was most
difficult to keep a straight course and
continued to pull splendidly. The ex-
cellent condition they retained under
severe work attribute 1T fstfate entirely dsel to
In spite of delays we reached lati-
tude So degrees "a minutes within
twelve miles of Mount Hope on Dec.
A. We could have reached the glacier
with five ponies on the following day,
but for the intervention of south
erly gale which lasted four days, dur
ing which we did not sight land, al
though only a few niles away. The
wind was very violent at times,
prodigious amount of snow fell, and we
had continually to dig out ponies and
tents. The temperature rose to plus
3, the snow melting on our equipment
and completely soaking everything
with water. No such prolonged storm
has hitherto been recorded in these re-
gions in December.
Hard Work I'm the Deep Snow.
af4 go hn CT al or
inches of wet snow covered the orig
inally soft surface. We could not have