Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-12

camp, we went south to 50 degrees. fol-
lowing the track Of the pole party. Then
we turned east for sixty miles. On reach
ing the meridian at Cape Colbeck we went
north 100 miles. We saw no trace or
land there-nothing but ice and snow
level with the top Of the ice barrier, 1j0
feet above the sea. 1t was splendidly
easy running for our two sledges and our
skis.
After covering twenty miles. we came
to the boundary of King Edward VII
Land laid down by Capt. Scott at IS de-
grees south. There we mounted 1000
feet in fifteen miles, and November "a
overlooked Ross sea. 1t was free Of ice
Came to Bare Rocks.
''Going northeast seventy miles over
the plateau, we came to bare rocks about
!. 500 feet high, exactly as Scott described.
Running away eastward was a low range
of hills called by Scott the Alexandra
mountains.
I'VE returned to our base camp Christ
mas eve. and January IL the Fran ap-
peared-the most welcome sight we had
seen for long time.
THE pole party returned January %.
but the Fran was driven off the coast
by bad weather, and We did not get away
till January 30.
Capt. Amundsen Is great leader.
with wonderful energy. foresight and or
ganizing ability. The way he worked
was wonderful. and every detail was the
outcome of careful thought"
One of Lieut.. Prestrud's two compan-
ions was Johannsen, who went with Nam
sen farthest north. Chatting with me,
he said:
Capt. Amundsen is a great explorer
and has done wonderful work."
Helmer Hansen, one of the four men
who accompanied Capt. Amundsen to
the pole, is described by Amundsen as
the best dog driver he ever saw. Bjaa-
land is wonderful ski runner, and, with
Hansen, contributed much to the success
of the expedition.
Furs Laid Aside.
1T was not very cold" said Oscar
Visiting. I have felt it as cold In
Christiania. We started with furs, but
soon laid them aside. and except at night
wore only our ordinary clothes. Still. we
should never have got through without
plenty of dogs. nor without Capt. Amund-
SEN"
Sverre Hassel, another Of the men who
accompanied Amundsen to the pole. fully
bore out Wisting's statement. He said:
1t was not very cold, and near the
pole itself We experienced fine weather.
] have known it colder in Christiania.
p"
have got through and kept up our food
supplies.
Dog flesh is not the worst kind of
food. The dogs are very ready to eat
each other; indeed, they are sometimes
fonder of their companions dead than
alive.
Capt. Amundsen Is a wonderful man.
We could never have accomplished the
Journey without him.
AS an example of the perfection of
Capt. Amundsen's organization may be
mentioned the arrangement he planned
for finding the food depots. On each side
he erected for some distance q line Of
snow cairns bearing numbered flags, SO
that If the party were of the proper
track they would know. on striking one
of the cairns. which way to go to find
the depot.
Amundsen's Chart.
Today 1 have seen Capt Amundsen's
chart, on which a thin red. line few
inches long across the sheet Of paper
represents the permanent record Of the
their way to the pole. Starting from the
straight southwark over the vast ice
plain lying behind the Great Ice barrier
until 1T reaches the spot where the as
cent was begun to the high land toward
the pOlc. mere the IeQ line SuQUeuly
bends eastward. indicating the place
where the Hjsberg glacier offered q good
route over the mountain barrier. Then
the line runs due south again till a lit
tie dot shows the goal Of the long voy-
age from the far north of Europe and Of
SO much toll and heroic endeavor.
The Fran is still anchored in the river
"a comfortable, roOnly vessel, heavily
laden. and drawing eighteen feet of
water. striking feature is the ships
a nlIItc oil fy,A
large, powerful animals, with furry noses,
pointed ears, and of most varied color,
have the free run OF the decks, where
they feed on stockfsh and quarrel to
their hearts content.
Every man on the Fran has his own
cabin. a little box six by six feet. The
officers and men have separate quarters
we'll warmed and lighted and made very
comfortable.
In the officers quarters is a piano, dec
Grated with stencil work representing
flowers, presented by the ladies Of Horton,
Norway, Capt. Amundsen's birthplace
There are also other touches of home.
Dinner to Explorer.
Capt. Amundsen's own room, which was
formerly occupied by Capt. Nansen, is
very much a reproduction of the others
but a little larger. 1t contains charts
showing the ruote to the pole and
sketches of how the depots and cairns
were laid down and how the observations
of fixing the pole were carried out.
In the seamen's quarters there is a
canary named Fridtjof, which accompa-
MED the Fran all through the voyaging
since the vessel left Norway.
The Fram's motive power is supplied
by an eighty-horsepower Drexel petro-
leum engine. Chief Engineer Sunderek
says 1t has not once gone wrong in the
course OF the voyage.
Several visitors from shore were allow
ed on board the Fran today for the
first time since the vessels arrival The
crew will have a chance Of getting q run
ashore in the next few days. None seems
TO have suffered The four men who &C.
companied Capt. Amundsen are al,
bronzed and healthy and do not appear
to have suffered any Ill effects The dogs
which returned from the pole trip also
look well.
dinner was given in honor Of Amund-
sen last night by the Norwegian consul
here. Admiral King-Hall representatives
OF the government and the Royal So
ciety, and the consuls for France, the
United States. the Netherlands, Sweden
o1c