Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-03-13
DISCOVERS SOUTH POLE
Continued from Page -.


grees on the 5th Of November, where
the dogs for the last time got all
they wanted to eat. On the Sth,
southwark again, with daily march
of fifty kilometers.
In order to tighten our heavy sled
ges we established depots at each
| degree of south latitude.
The trip from 50 degrees to SO
degrees became a pleasure trip, ex-
! cellent ground, fine sledging, and an
even temperature. Everything went
! like a dance.
On the 9th we sighted South Vic
toria and the continuation of the
mountain range which Sir Ernest
Shackleton mentioned in his chart as
running toward the southeast from
the Beardmore glacier, and on the
same day we reached SO degrees and
established here depot No. 4.
On the 18th we made the interest
ing discovery that the Ross bar
rier terminated in a blight toward
the southeast at sc degrees south
latitude and 1913 degrees west longi-
tude, formed between the southeast
mountain range running from South
Victorialand and a range on the
opposite side running in a south
westerly direction, probably a con-
tinuation of King Edward VII. land.
The land under which we lay and
which we had to attack looked quite
imposing. The nearest SUBMITS
along the barrier had height from
1000 to 10000 feet, but several
| n 70 nth
feet or more.
The next day we began the climb.
The first part of it was an easy
task, light stops and we'll filled
mountain sides. 1t did not take a
long time, for our willing dogs work.
ed their way up.
Farther up we met with some
small but steep glaciers. Here we
had to harness twenty dogs to each
sledge and take the four sledges in
two turns.
In some places it was so steep
that it was difficult enough to use
skis.
Some big crevices forced us from
time to time to make detours.
The first day we climbed 1000
feet, the next day mostly up some
small glaciers, camping at a height
of $500 feet.
The third day we were Obliged to
go down on a mighty glacier, "Axel
Heiberg's glacier which divided the
mountains farther south.
The next day began the longest
part Of our climb. Many detours had
to be made in order to avoid broad
cracks and open crevices.
These were apparently mostly fl
led up, as the glaciers in all prob
ability had long ago stopped moving,
never knowing for certain how thick
was the layer that covered them.
Our camp that night lay in pic
turesque surroundings at a height of
5000 feet. The glacier here was
narrowed in between tle two $4,000
feet high mountains, the Fridtjof
Nansen and the Don Pedro Christie
phersen.
From the bottom of the glacier
rose Mount Ole England, a big snow
cone $500 feet high. The glacier
was much broken in this compare
lively narrow pass. The mighty
crevices seemed to stop us from 60
ious as it appeared.
Our dogs, which up to this time
had covered a distance of about 700
kllometers, the last days very hard
work, ran this day thirty-five kilo-
meters, the ascent being 5000 feet
an almost incredible record.
1t took us only four days from the |
barrier to get up on the vast inland |
plateau.
We camped that night at height |
Of 1O,600 feet. Here we had to kill |
twenty-four of our brave compan-
ions and keep eighteen, six each for
our three sledges.
We stopped here four days on &C
count of bad weather. Tired of
this, we set out on the 25th of No
vember.
On the goth, in furious blizzard
and in dense snowdrift, absolutely
nothing was to be seen, but we felt
that, contrary to expectations, we
were going fast downhill. The hyp-
gave us that day a descent
Of 600 feet.
We continued our march the next
day in gale, and in a dense snow
could see nothing.
We reached that day sc degrees
dead reckoning. The hypsometer
indicated a fall of 500 feet. The
next day was similar.
The weather cleared a little at
dinner time and exposed to our view
a mighty mountain range to the east
and not far off, only for moment,
and then it disappeared in the dense
sno".,,,,iit.
On the 20 it Gained down and /
the sun shone, though it was not the i
only pleasant surprise he gave us.
In our course stretched big glacier
running toward the south.
At its eastern end was the noun
tain range going in a southeasterly |
direction. OF the western part of it
no view was to be had, it being hid
den in the dense fog.
At the foot of this glacier, the
DEVILS glacier, depot for six days
was established at 1921 degrees
south latitude. The hypsometer in
Heated 5000 feet above sea level.
On November both we began to
climb the glacier. The lower part of
xuuC r1nob hrnkan and 10