The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-03-15
Conquering Norwegian Reaches
Antarctic Goal in Wide Plateau
After Plunge Through Ice.
MOUNTAINS OF ICE
BLOCKED THE WAY
Glaciers in Plenty-Norwegian Flag
Pitched at Pole on Dec. 17-Nsmed
Huge Mountains for Queen
Maud Confirms Scott.

New York.-The New York Times
! publishes Captain Roald Amundsen
account Of this discovery OF the South
! Pole. The interest excited by the news
| Of this great feat was sufficient To
keep thousands OF persons out of bed
until copies OF The Times" could be
secured.
Captain Amundsen describes the
! long Journey over the great ice bar
rier and tells how he followed the out
line Of South Victoria and King Ed
ward Land. A great mountain range
which stretches across this region,
the general direction OF which he fol
lowed, he named the Queen Maud
Range. The hardy explorer does not
devote many words to his descriptions
of his feelings upon arriving at the
Pole, but there is just sufficient vague
ness with regard to details to suggest
that he shared the great discovery
with others. He says that he left his
winter quarters on the Bay of Whales.
on October 20.
After crossing the great ice barrier
and following the mountain ranges he
arrived December 8 at Shackleton's
Farthest South. Following the due
southern direction, he came to a great
plateau in six days march. This plat
eau, which he reached ON December
IA, was a vast plain. monOtonous in
it's appearance, stretching for miles in
every direction.
Observations showed that The party
was in latitude 50 degrees So minutes
South. On December Is the party
travelled nine kilometres i'm as near
as possible a direct southcrly line OBJ
servations taken at the point then
reached on December - and the fol.
lowing day fixed this as the approx
mate position Of the Pole. A hut was
! erected here and the Norwegian flag
! hoisted. 1t remained as the only evi.
dence Of the discovery when the trip
! back began
The Pole was in the midst Of the
great plateau, which Amundsen, in
honor Of the King OF Norway. named
King Haakon Plateau,
The following is that part OF
Amundsen's narrative, copyrighted by
the New York Times. which tells Of
his actual attainment of the South
Pole:
The Pole Attained.
"That day was q beautiful one-a
light breeze from southeast, the tom
oerature minus p Celsius, (9.4 degrees
below zero Fahrcnheit) and the
ground and slcdging were perfect The
day went along as usual and at 3
p. NJ, we made a halt
According TO our reckoning we had
reached our destination. All Of us
gathered around the colors-a beauti
full Silk fag-all hands taking hold Of
it and planting IT,
"Thc vast plateau on which the pole
is standing got the name Of the King
Haakon VII. Plateau It is vast
plain. alike in all directions; mile
after mile during the night we circled
around the camp.
"In order to observe the pole as
close as possible. we travelled as near
South as possible, the remaining 9
kilometres.
con December Is there we campcd
It was an excellent opportunity. There
was "A brilliant sun. -Four OF us took
observations every hour Of the days
twenty-four hours The exact result
will be the matter of a professional
priwlte report
This much is ccrtain-that we OBJ
served the pole as close as it is in hui
man power to do il with the instru-
ments we had-a seXtant and an arti
fcial horizon.
"On December II everything was H.
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,
Captain Amundsen sums up the
! principal results Of the expedition as.
! first, the determining OF the extent of
| the Ross Barrier: second, ascertaining
| the apparent connection Of South Vic.
toria Land and King Edward Land
and the huge mountain ranges therein
which probably continue across the
! Continent. He named them Queen
Mauds ranges; third the exploration
OF part OF King Edward Land; fourth
confirmation of the discoveries Of Cap.
| tain Scott.