River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-03-14

ways in misty weather
On the LIST of December we left this
broken glacier with holes and crevices
without number, with it's height of
9,100 feet Before us, looking, in the
mist and snowdrifts, like a frozen sea,
appeared a light, sloping ice plateau
filled with small hummocks.
The walk over this frozen sea was
not pleasant. The ground under us
was quite hollow and it sounded as
though we were walking on the bot
toms of empty barrels. AS it was, a
man fell through, then a couple of
dogs. We could not use our skis on
this polished ice. Sledges had the best
of it.
The place has the name of the
Devils Dancing Room This part of
our march was the most unpleasant.
On December 9Th we got our greatest
height, according to the hypsometer
and aneroid, 10,750 feet, at 81 degrees
minutes south. On December Sth we
came out of the bad weather. Once
again the sun smiled on us. Once
again we could get an observation.
Dead reckoning and observation were
exactly alike-S8 degrees SO minutes
1876 seconds south
Before us lay an absolutely plain
plateau, only here and there marked
with tiny sastrugie.
In the afternoon we passed IS de-
grees % minutes (Shackleton's fur
thest south was SO degrees % minutes
We camped and established our last
depot, No. 10. From SO degrees
rs minutes the plateau began to slope
down very gently and smoothly to-
wards the other side.
On December we reached sc de-
grees SO minutes; on December 10
SO degrees Sc minutes; December II
SO degrees Is minutes; December IL
SO degrees 80 minutes; December 13
SO degrees 45 minutes
Up to this time the observations
and dead reckoning agreed remarkably
we'll, and we made out that we ought
to be at the pole on December IA in
the afternoon.
That day was a beautiful one, a
light breeze from southeast, tempera-
ture minus % Celsius (9.4 degrees be-
low zero Fahrenheit), and the ground
and sledging were perfect. The day
went along as usual, and at p. M.
we made halt
According to our reckoning we had
reached our destination. All of us
gathered around the colors-a beau
tiful silk fag-all hands taking hold
of it, planting it. The vast plateau on
which the pole is standing has the
name of king Haakon VII Plateau"
1t is a vast plain, alike in all direc-
tions; mile after mile during the night
we circled around the camp.
In the fine weather we spent the
following day taking series of OBJ
servations from A. M. to p. M.
The result gave us 80 degrees 55
minutes.
In order to observe the pole as
closely as possible we travelled, as near
south as possible, the remaining 8 kilo
meters.
On December Is we camped. 1t was
an excellent opportunity, as there was
a brilliant sun. Four of us took OBJ
servations every hour of the days
twenty-four hours. The exact result
will be the matter of a professional
private report.
This much is certain-that we OBJ
served the pole as closely as it is in
human power to do it with the instru-
ments we had-a sextant and an arti-
fetal horizon.
On December 18th everything was
in order on the spot. We fastened to
the ground a little tent we had
brought along, a Norwegian flag and
the Fran pendant on the top of it.
The Norwegian home at the South
Pole was called "Polheim." The dis
lance from our winter quarters to the
pole was about 1,4O0 kilometers. The
average march a day was rs kilo-
meters.
We started on the return trip Dec
ember II. Usually favorably weather
made our way home considerably eas1-
er than the journey to the pole. We
arrived at our winter quarters, "Fram-
HEINZ" January 25, 1912, with two
The daily average speed on the re-
turn trip was SO kilometers; the low
est temperature was minus 81 Celsius
(23.8 degrees below zero Fahrenheit),
the highest minus 5 degrees Celsius,
(23 degrees above zero Fahrenheit).
The expedition to King Edward VII
Land under the command of Lieuten-
ant Prestud has given excellent re-
suits. SCOTS discoveries have been
confirmed, and the survey of the Bay
of Whales and of the Barrier done by
the Prestud party are Of great inter
est. A good geological collection from
King Edward VII and South Victoria
Land is being brought home.
The Fran arrived at the Bay of
Whales January 8. She had been de-
layed by the Roaring Forties" on
account of the easterly winds.
On January 16 the Japanese ex-
petition arrived at the Bay OF Whales
and landed on the barrier near our
winter quarters. We left the Bay OF
Whales on January 30 1t was long
voyage. with contrary winds. All are
we'll ROAD Amundsen.
seoesOeeose0eoseOOseSoOSOo
Murder Mystery At Crazy.
Devils Lake.-A murder mystery, in
volving a crime which Coroner e. w.
Cilhartson. of Devils Lake, declares |