Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-03-13
SOUTH POLE
Norwegian Explorer, Roald Amund
sen, Brings Honor to His
Country.
HIS OWN STORY OF THE DASH.
DecOrahians Elated Because of
Nationality and His Recent Visit
Here and Celebrate With
Torch Light Procession.

When the news swept beneath the
mania, in the far southern hemis-
phere, to Christiania, Norway, way
to the north of Europe, that Capt.
Roald Amundsen, the famous Nor
wegian explorer had discovered the
South Pole, and from there was given
out to the world, a cheer and a hur-
rah went up that encircled the globe.
1t was nowhere more vigorous or
more sincere than in the United
States, whose citizens were glad to
share with Norway and the thou
sands of her citizens in America the
glory of the discovery together with
the discovery of the North Pole by
citizen of the United States. And
at no one point in America, and
probably in the whole world outside
Of Norway, was the news received
with more joy than in our city of
Decorah, and the immediate vicinity,
where are thousands of Norwegian
Americans, many of whom person.
ally know Capt. Amundsen.
1t will be remembered that in his
tour across the United States before
preparing for this dash to the South
Pole, he came to Decorah and was
given an ovation, then as one of the
worlds most famous artic explorers
and the discoverer Of the Northwest
Passage, being given an elaborate
banquet at the Winneshiek hotel.
Since the announcement Of his dis
covery, word from Capt. Scott, the
English explorer who was racing
with Amundsen by different route
to reach the pole, has been awaited
At first there we're rumors of word
from him. but these have been prov
en- false, and now the whole honor
is given to Amundsen, and the King
and Queen of Norway have permitted
the land to be named for them.
When the news reached Decorah,
Norwegian and American flags were
quickly unfurled, and people of all
classes joined in congratulating our
Norwegian citizens. Saturday night
flaming torch light procession, one
of the largest ever held here, cele-
brated the great honor that had
come to them. Headed by the mag
nificent Luther College Concert
Band, American and Norwegian
flags, and participated in by hun
dreds of citizens carrying torches,
the procession marched down Water
street and to the court house square,
where speeches were made by Presi-
dent Preus of Luther College, Mayor
Daubney, Prof. DR.. X. Kjerset and
Carl Hanson of Luther College and
Vice Consul J. B. Wist, editor-in-
chief of Decorah Posten. 1t was
joyous occasion, fitting expression
of the sentiment Of our people.
We know our readers will be in
terested in the story of the dash to
the pole, and quote from the Chicago
Tribune and New York Times, Capt.
Amundsen's own story, as cabled by
him from Tasmania:
Hobart, Tasmania, March S.-On
the tenth of February, 1911, we be-
gan to work our way toward the
south, from that day to the eigh-
teenth of April establishing three
depots, which in all contained d
quantity of provisions of about 5000
kilos. One thousand, six hundred
kilos, including LOO kilos of seal
meat, were cached in 80 degrees. 700
kilos in 81 degrees. and 500 kilos
in so degrees south latitude.
AS no landmarks We're to be seea
these depots were marked with flags,
seven kilometers on each side in the
easterly and westerly directions.
The ground and the state of the
Barrier were of the best and special
ly we'll adapted to driving with dogs.
On February ID we had thus travel
ed about 100 kilometers. The weight
of the sledges was 800 kilos and the
number of dogs was six for each
sled.
The weather was excellent, calm,
or a light breeze. The lowest tenn
perature on these depot trips was
minus 10 Celsius or centigrade (49
degrees below zero Fahrenheit)
On the fourth of March on our re-
turn from the first trip beginning
on the fifteenth of February. We
found out that the Fran had al
ready left us.
With pride and delight we heard
that its smart captain had succeed
ed in sailing it farthest south and
there hosting the colors of his
country-a glorious monument for
him and his comrades-the farthest
north and the farthest south-good
old Fran. The highest south lati-
tude attained was rs degrees Al
minutes.
!, Before &c arriva! OF wi W"