The Holt County sentinel., 1912-03-15
EW NrVIMpVS 10
REACH SOUTH POLE,

The last word which Vas heard
from Amundsen before his dash to the
pole was received In New York on
July \. 1911. After describing the
| splendid qualities OF the Fran during
its iG.ooo.mile voyage, and the car,
taken OF the 100 Eskimo dogs. which
had become ii5 at the time of landing
he said:
We sighted the mighty barrier ~
$50 y. m. Ian. ~. one would be less
| than human " one conld behold such
Q sight unmoy,d. As lar ~ the ey.
| can see from western TO eastern hori.
| lon. this wall OF ice rises perpendicu.
| 'arly o. height of 100 feet. Aud yet
II In onl, u very small part Of |: taat
one sees WHAT must the man hay,
Thought who first came upon this wall,
and for whom all further advince
seemed an impossibility? II was one
of the worlds boldest AMI cleveres,
sailors mot 10 say the cleverest OF
| hem all. James Clark Ross. who.
after making his way through the ice
pack with his two sailing vessels. the
Erebus and the Terror. came. In Feb.
ruary, 1872. upon this remarkable Ice
wall Even NJ that time he observed
the great bay. but. OF course. did not
venture into 1t with sailing vessels.
For years after the barrier WAS re-.
gardcd as "a bar to all further advance
! southwark.
Barrier 10 . Level Plain.
at fell to the lot Of "a Norwegian.
Carsten i,orchgreviuk. IN the southern
Cross In 1900. to prove that this was
no, the ease. lie succeeded In enter.
ing q small bay (which has since dis.
appeared and been merged with the
adjoining great BAY. and thence get
ting on to the l.srri.r. Here he made
= short expedition aud found that the
barrier extended southwards In the
form OF q wide, level plain. reaching
Is far rs the eye could see. This de.
molished the theory Of lis unassailable
| character. and opened the way To-
wards the south. Subsequently an
Engiishman. Captain Scott, succee led
In, landing In Mac MuElo strait and
thence made an expedition south
wards. Sir Ernest Shackleton's bril-.
liant expedition In 1908. In which he
reached q latitude OF So degrees 20
minutes, will be known 10 serybody.
The great bay. running southwest
into the Barrier. which I have chosen
as the base OF an expedition towards
the south pole. has been observed not
only BY Ross and Borchgrevink. but
also by Scott and Shackleion. and thus
appears 10 be constant formation,
something that can be counted upon.
ShackletOn also thought he saw q
ridge OF hills at the head Of this bay.
which would indicate land. After
reading these various accounts and
thinking the matter over, ! came to
| he conclusion that this bay. which
has been proved TO have had the same
situation for period OF 90 years,
could not be q chance formation In the
Tarrier caused by the breaking on Of
icebergs. hut mus. have been produced
BY underlyins land or rising ground
II not, the Rarr'sr would have contin'
ucd It's course unchecked and no bay
would have been formed.
Cruises Along Ice Barrier.
The day after we signied the Bar
rler we reached this bay. still In the
same situati0n--ubout longitude lGl
| degrees west, II WAS so full, however.
Of recently broken up bay Ice tina,
there was no question Of getting in,
We therefore took little run east
wards along the edge OF the Barrier
to await events. The next morning
lJanuary laD We returned, and Then
found that so much of the Ice had
tOated out that there was an opportU'
nifty for us to get In. Ny belief as 10
the origin OF the bay was strength
ened as we got farther south the for
matisns stood out more clearly and
sharply. and al the southern end we
could distinctly make out hills and
valleys. II was certain that underly
ing land or shoals here arrested the
course OF the mighty glacier. and
forced It out to either side. There
would be no perilous wintering on q
floating barrier. The ground was safe
enough.
Land on Barrier.
"On the following day january l4l
We found q landing place well suited
for our enterprise. The long 5000
miles voyage was safely accom-
plished. and we were only one day ou
In our calculation. We had arrived I
day too early.
after having safely moored tn,
vessel to the Ice We set on to find {
suitable place for wintering. This dit
not take long. About two and one
half kil0meters from the ship. At thu