The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-04-05

land but with the freezing OF the bays
! decided 10 make and attempt TO
reach the station. partly by land and
partly by sea ice.
On April II returned 20 Hut
Point with n fresh sledge party carry.
ing supply stores. AS IL was impos'
sible for animals 20 travel on the
route taken. | left Meares and flye
others IN charge OF those at Hut Point,
and again returned 10 Cape Evans on
April 80. Sea ice continued 10 drive
out OF the sound until the first week
I'm May. II was not until May Is.
three weeks after the sun had gone.
that the men and animals left Hut
Point and safely returned 20 the main
station. The sound froze solid in
May and later in Winter packed ice
extended to an unprecedented dis
tance northward. despite numerous
gales.
Lectures and Football.
After the return OF the absentees We
settled down very comfortably in
our Winter hut. Its arrangements for
lighting. heating, cooking. and ven.
ulation proved eminently satisfactory.
A comfortable stable had been built
for the ponies and some shelter i'm.
proyised for the dogs during the four
Winter months. The temperature NJ
the station was rarely below minus 40
degrees, at lowest minus 90 degrees
The wind averaged fifteen miles an
hour, but sometimes blew hard with
| the temperature minus 30 degrees
Every one was very fully occupied
with station and scientific work, eNer
/ cising animals, etc. A series OF lee
/ lures was organized and football was
/ played TO within a month OF midwin.
/ ter
First Antarctic Telephone Line.
/ At the end of the month telephone
/ communication was established with
Hut Point through fifteen miles OF
! bare wire. This telephone has already
proved extremely useful for reporting
| the movement OF parties, pending
changes OF weather. Lieut.. Evans.
| Gran, and Forde travelled 10 Corner
| Camp 60 rebuild cairns. They expert.
enced temperatures between minus
| sixty and seventy, and Fordes
! hands were badly st.bitten, but are
! now recovering rapidly.
OVerheated Motors Abandoned.
We found the motor party waiting
! at latitude so ID. Two OF their mum.
! Der now leave us. The sole cause Of
! the abandonment OF the motors was
! the oyerheating OF the air-cooled en-.
gines. Time did not permit OF the de
fects being taken in hand The sys.
/ tenn OF propulsion OF the motors prov
/ ed entirely satisfactory. The machines
/ dragged heavy loads over the worst
/ part OF the barrier service and cross.
/ ed several crevasses. Considering in.
/ adequate trial, their success has been
remarkable. With the experience now
/ gained reliable tractor could be con.
/ structed which could travel anywhere
! in this region and save the sacrifice OF
animals.
1 send this note 10y returning teams
/ The party is very Ht but cannot keep
/ up the hours which we have been
working The storm has already cost
] y
US further, which would be serious
matter. Otherwise everything has
worked as planned We hope 20 find
better conditions as We advance up
the glacier. We are necessarily do
pendent on the weather, and the sea.
son thus far has been very unpromis
ing.
$50 Miles from the Pole on Jan. g.
Jan. 3, 1912. latitude S732. height
$500 fect-After leaving the upper
glacier depot, south OF Mount Darwin !
stccred southwest two days. This did
not keep us clear Of pressure ridges
and creyasses, which occurred fro
quently at first and gave US trouble.
but we rose rapidly in altitude. Proba
bly, the difficult places were more
snowcoyercd than further eastward
On Christmas Day We were close UP
10 the SGth parallel, and the prospect
OF Christmas fare gave us an excellent
march, seventeen miles, but the effect
was not sO happy the following day
The surface grew more difficult as we
approached the S7th parallel ON New
Years Eve, in latitude 50 degrees 5G
minutes, We depoted there unit Of
provisions and rebuilt our sledges
with new short runners. which re
markable piece OF work was perform.
I'd by the seamcn under adverse con.
ditions
Although IL cost us nearly days
march, the change amply repaid Us.
We have been able 20 keep up our
average and We are now within ljO
miles OF the pole
Five Going on 20 the Pole.
am going forward with party Of
FIVE men, sending three back under
Lieut. Evans with this note. The
names and descriptions Of the advance
party are. Capt Scott, Il. y, DR.
Wilson. chief Of the scientific stan.
Capt oates, Inneskilling Dragons, o
charge Of the ponies and mules, Lieut.
Bowers Royal Indian Marine. com.
miBsariat officer, Petty officer Evans.