Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-03-21

anu 80 uESISC5 DS4OH LSLO = d4TEu-
heit). Personally We did not suffer at
all from the cold Our good furs pro-
tected Us. But with our dogs it was
q different matter 1t could easily be
seen that they shrunk from day to
day. and We understood pretty soon
that they could not stand the long run
to our depot at 50 degrees south.
We agreed on returning and to wait
for the arrival OF spring. The pro
visions were cached and of We went
for the hut. With the exception Of the
loss Of a few dogs ead a couple of
frozen heels everything was all right.
Only in the middle of October spring
came in earnest. Seals and birds aU-
peared. The temperature wac steady
between 20 ard 80 celsius C68 de-
grees and Sc degrees Fahrenheit.)
The original plan that all of US
should go toward the south had been
changed. Five men had to do this
work, while the other three were to
start for the east and visit King Ed
ward VII. Land
This last mentioned trip was not
included in our program, but owing to
the fact that the English had not
reached it, at least this summer, as
was their intention, We agreed that
the best thing to do was also to make
this trip.
On October 20 the southern party
started-fve men, four sIedges, fifty
two dogs. and provisions for four
months everything in excellent order.
The Journey to the Pole.
We had made up our minds to take
the first part of the trip as easily as
possible, in order to give ourselves
and the dogs a rational training, and
on the 23d we made our depot in so
degrees south. We went right ahead.
In spite Of the dense fog, an error
of two or three kilometers happened
once in awhile, but We were caught
by the flag marks, and found these on
our way without diff cuIty
Having rested and fed the dogs on
all the seal meat they were able to
eat, we started again on the 26th, with
the temperature steadily between
minus 20 and 80 celsius a degrees and
p degrees below zero Fahrenheit).
From the start it was the intention
not to drive more than 80 kilometers
a day, but it appeared that this was
too little for our strong, willing ami
mails. At 80 degrees south we began
to build snow cairns Of mans height,
in order to have marks on our return
trip On the 31st We reached the depot
at 81 degrees, and stopped one ay,
and fed the dogs on as much pemmi-
can as they wanted.
We reached the depot at 80 degrees
on the 5th of November, where the
dogs for the last time got all they
wanted to eat. On the 9Th, southwark
again, with daily march Of so kiIo-
meters.
In order to tighten our heavy
sledges we established depots at each
degree Of south latitude.
Like Pleasure Trip.
The trip from 80 to IS degrees, be-
came a pleasure trip-excellent
ground, fine sledging, and an even
temperature. Everything went like a
dance
On the ninth we sighted South Vic
toria land and the continuation of the
mountain range which Sir Ernest
Shackleton mentioned in his chart as
running toward the southeast from
the Beardmore glacier, and on the
same day we reached SO degrees and
established here depot No A. On the
eleventh we made the interesting dis
cOyery that the Ross Barrier termi-
mated in a blight toward the south
east at Sc degrees south latitude and
1913 degrees west longitude, formed be-
tween the southeast mountain range
running from South Victoria land and
a range on the opposite side running
in a southwesteTly direction-probably
a continuation of King Edward VII.
land
On the thirteenth we reached 81 de-
grees where We established a depot:
on the sixteenth we were at IS de-
grees. where, also. we made a depot.
From our winter quarters, Franz
helm, IS degrees SO minutes south
latitude, we had been marching due
south. On the seventeenth of Novem-
Der, at IS degrees, we arrived at a
place where the land and barrier were
connected. This was done without
any great difficulty. The barrier here
rises in undulations to about 800 feet
Some few big crevices indicated the
limited boundary
Here We made our head depot, ia
king provisions for sixty days on
sledges and leaving thirty days provt-
sions on the spot.
The land under which We lay, and
which we now had to attack, looked
quite imposing The nearest SUBMITS
along the barrier had height OF from
1000 to 10000 feet, but several others
farther south were $4,000 feet or More.
The next day we began to climb.
The first part of it was an easy task
light stops and well filled mountain
sides. 1t did not take a long time. for
our willing dogs worked their way up.
Further up, we met with some small
but very steep glaciers. Here we had
to harness 20 dogs to each sledge and
take the four sledges in two turns. In
some places it was so steep that It
was difficult enough to use our skis
Some big creyices forced us from
time to time to make detours. The
first day we climbed 1000 feet, the
next day mostly up some small gla-
ciers, camping at a height of $500
To Make Work a Pleasure.