The Elbert County tribune., 1912-03-15
EARLIER ATTEMPTS TO
REACH SOUTH POLE

The last word which was heard
from Amundsen before his dash to the
l'ole was received in New York on
July s, 1911. After describing the
splendid qualities of the Fran during
its 10000 mile voyage, and the care
taken of the 100 Eskimo dogs, which
had become 115 at the time OF landing,
he said:
I'VE sighted the mighty barrier at
2:S0 p. m. January II. One would be
less than human II one could behold
such a sight unmoved. AS far as the
eye can see, from western to eastern
horizon. this wall Of ice rises perpen-
dicularly TO a height of 100 feet. And
yet 1t is only very small part Of it
that one sees. What must the man
have thought who first came upon this
wall, and for whom all further advance
seemed an impossibility? 1t was one
of the worlds boldest and cleverest
sailors (not to say the cleverest of
them alb. James Clark Ross, who
after making his way through the ice
pack with his two sailing vessels, the
Erebus and the Terror, came, in Feb
ruary, 1912. upon this remarkable ice
wall Even at that time he observed
the great bay, but. of course, did not
venture into 1t with sailing vessels
Tor years after the Barrier was re-
sarded as bar to all further advance
southwark.
Barrier 10 Level Plain.
1T fell to the lot of Norwegian,
Carsten Borchgrevink, In the Southern
Cross in 1900, to prove that this was
not the case. He succeeded in enter.
ing small bay (Which has since dis
appeared and been merged with the
adjoining great bay), and thence get
ting on to the Barrier. Here he made
a short expedition and found that the
Barrier extended southwards in the
form of wide. level plain. reaching
as far as the eye could see. This de-
molIshed the theory OF It's unassailable
character, and opened the way to-
wards the south. Subsequently an
Englishman, Captain Scott, succeeded
in landing in MacMurdo strait, and
thence made an expedition south.
wards. Sir Ernest Shackleton's bril-
liant expedition in 1908, in which he
reached latitude OF 8S degrees %
minutes. will be known to everybody.
"The great bay, running southwest
into the Barrier. which have chosen
as the base of an expedition towards
the South pole, has been observed not
only by Ross and Borchgrevink, but
also by Scott and Shackleton, and thus
appears to be a constant formation,
something that can be counted upon
Shackleton also thought he saw a
ridge OF hills at the head of this bay,
which would indicate land. After
reading these various accounts and
thinking the matter over, came to
the conclusion that this bay. which
has been proved to have had the same
situation for a period of 60 years,
could not be chance formation in the
Barrier caused by the breaking off Of
icebergs. but must have been produced
by underlying land or rising ground.
II not. the Barrier would have contin-
ued its course unchecked and no bay
would have been formed.
Cruises Along Ice Barrier.
THE day after we sighted the Bar
rier we reached this bay. still in the
same situation-abou longitude 164
egrees west. 1t was so full, however,
OF recently broken up bay ice that
there was no question of getting in.
We therefore took a little run east
wards along the edge of the Barrier
to await events. The next morning
(January 13) we returned, and then
found that so much OF the ice had
floated out that there was an oppor-
tunity for us to get in. My belief as to
the origin of the bay was strength.
ened as we got farther south: the for
nations stood out more clearly and
sharply, and at the southern end we
could distinctly make out hills and
valleys. 1t was certain that underly-
ing land or shoals here arrested the
course of the mighty glacier, and
forced It out to either side. There
would be no perilous wintering on a
floating barrier. The ground was safe
enough.
Land on Barrier.
"on the following day (January 14)
we found a landing place well suited
for our enterprise. The long 10000
miles voyage was safely accom-
plished, and we were only one day out
in our calculation. We had arrived a
day too early.
AFTER having safely moored the
vessel to the Ice we set off to find
suitable place for wintering. This did
not take long. About two and one
half kilometers from the ship, at the
foot Of ridge, well protected from