Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-03-08
Norwegian Gables Success of His
Rival from Wellington.
SCOTT USES A MOTOR SLEDGE
He is Also Well Provided with
Ponies and Dogs.
FIVE EXPEDITIONS START SOUTH
Great Britain, Germany, Norway,
japan and Australia Are Rep
resented I'm the Race
for the Pole.


Scott. the British explorer, had reached
the south pole. ....
LONDON. March 1.-The first. message
with The definite statement from Amund.
sen. that Scott had reached the south
pole, was received from Wellington. New
Zealand. by the Daily Express.
1t Is stated on good authority, accord.
ing to a special dispatch received here
this evening from christisnia, Norway.
that Captain Road Amundsen. the Nos-
wegian explorer and leading rival Of
Captain Scott, did not reach the south
pole.
COPENHAGEN, March THE Social
Diemokraten publishes a dispatch from
christlania saying that a private indi-
vidual in that city had received telc-
gram from the Fran expedition stating
that Amundsen reached the south pole.
The cable dispatches from New Zealand
announcing that Captain Scott had found
the south pole came As q startling climax
to the race which five explorers Of DIFF.
feernt nationallties have been making to
reach the last extremity Of the undis-i
covered portion OF the globe.
Scott Well Equipped.
Captain Robert Falcon Scott started
on his expedition from Fort Chalmers,
New Zealand. on November =. 1910. He
was well equipped for this dash for the
fsrthest south. having made a previous
expedition under the direction OF the
Royal Geographical society. At that time
he attained a record OF 50 degrees. 30 min
utes, which remained the record up to
the time Of Lieutenant Shackelton's no.
table exploit. shaekleton passed further
south, and in 1901 reached IS degrees, o
minutes, or about 100 miles from the
south pole. This remained the record and
inspired the hardy nsvigators Of many
nations to attempt the feat Of reaching
the pole itself.
Captain Scott took ziha route -Ihs- xayl
OF Australia and New Zealand. He sailed
due south Into Ross. sea. a great stretch
OF water reaching toward the south pole.
His chief competitor In this dash was
Captain Road Amundsen, who Is COM
missioned by the king Of Norway and the
Norwegian government
Amundsen chose the route by way of
South America. as against Scott and
three others. who went by the Australian
route. Amundsen left Buenos Ayres on
board the steamer Fran toward the close
OF 1910 He passed through the Straits Of
Magellan and then steered for Ross sea,
the same sheet OF water which Scott had
gained by way of the New Zealand and
Australian route.
Follows shackeIton's Trail.
Captain Scott planned TO follow the
same land trail that Shackleton had
taken. This is along a mountain range.
thought TO be an extension of the Andes
range running southwark through South
America.
At the furthermost point Of Ross sea
Captain Scott debaried his party from
his ship, the Terra Nova. Immediately
at this point OF debsrkation stands out
the great volcano Mount Erebus, from
which rises constantly a great column OF
steam. II is one Of the dreaded local..
ties of the Antarctic to which nsyigators
have given the name Of Terror bay, for
here Nordenskiold's ship. the Antarctic,
was crushed In the ice. Back Of this
bay the steam wrapped volcano stands
out like a sentinel against the ice-covered
mountain range stretching southward.
Captain Scott made his first winter
quarters on the slope Of the mountains,
and there remained until November, 1911.
II was then that his dash began. His
plan was TO cover the remaining distance
by the end Of December, and then imme-
dlately about face and make the dash
back again. Besides his equipment OF
food he had placed reliance on a score Of
ponies, with twenty-nine dogs and one
motor sledge. lie designed to use this
sledge in making rapid progress over the |
level stretches of the foot |
hills. Due allowance was made for the |
death Of ponies and dogs. the steady de- |
pletion of stores and the loss of vitality |
of the party making up the expedition.
Captain Amundsen had 70 ponies and
no motor sledge, as his experience led |
him to place ell hls reliance on siberian |
dogs.
Three Other Expeditions.
The three other competitors in the race |
were Lieutenant William Fitchner of |
the general staff Of the German army, /
Lieutenant y. Shirase Of the japanese
navy, and DR.. Douglas Mawson. repre-
senting Australia. Lieutenant Fitchner /
followed largely the plans of DIR. Nan
sen and sailed on the steamer Deutchland /
on October last. He is a daring ex- /
plorer. having been one of the first 10 I
reach Lhassa in Tibet, and much con-
fidence was felt In him by the geogrsphi-
society Of Berlin. The Japanese explorer /
the shackleton route into Ross
sea, but returned to Sydney. Australia,
in 1911, to repair damage done in Terror
bay. His second start was not made |
until November last, so that he is rather
behind in the race.
Dr. Mawson, the Australian, took his 1
route from the harbor at Hobart. Tas-
mania. aboard the little ship Aurora, and .
took the land route to the east Of Ross
sea
These five men and their parties were
out of sight of the world for many
months. until the first rurnor came yes
terday. with the confirmstory report that
Amundsen had returned and has brought