The Elbert County tribune., 1912-04-12

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with infinite difficulties and after
twelve hours OF hard work. The
soft snow brought by the storm con-
tinued over the pass. Men on foot
sank to their knees and sledges sank
to their crossbars continually. The
dogs have given some help but could
only be lightly laden on such sur
face. l send this note by returning
teams. The party Is very fit but can
not keep up the hours which we have
been working. The storm has al
ready cost us FIVE days. Its effects
may yet delay us further which
would be serious matter. Otherwise
everything has worked as planned.
We hope to find better conditions as
we advance up the glacier. We are
necessarily dependent on the wealth
er and the season thus far has been
very unpromising.
A Struggle to Achieve Miles a Day.
December 81. latitude 85 degrees
minutes south, longitude 163 degrees
minutes east. height about $500
feet. four miles south, thirty west of
Mount Darwin. Largely as result
OF the storm reported in my last dis
patch. the lower reaches of the glac-
Ter were filled with terribly soft snow.
Men on foot sank to the knee at
each step. II would have been quite
impossible to advance had we not
pulled on skis. As 1t was the run
ner surface of the sledges proved in
adequate. They frequently sank to
crossbars, requiring to be extracted
with standing pulls. For four days We
struggled in this morass, scarcely
advancing five miles a day although
working ten to eleven hours. 1t Is
difficult to pitch little harder and
we were able to push on. still pulling
on skis we did not get abreast Of
the cloudbreaker mountain until the
seventh, so that the snow cost us a
weeks advance.
Since the sixteenth we have been
able to make very good marches
working up from thirteen to twenty
three statute miles per day. BY pro-
gram | arranged to push on from the
eighty-fifth parallel with eight men
and twelve units of provisions but
hoped to reserve a margin over this.
AS we stand we are only half a days
food short on program and should
have good chance of getting through.
The weather continues unsatisfactory.
We had to march without sight of
land on occasions We are getting
intermitten fog In this most crevassed
part OF the glacier. Everybody is In
the best of health and spirits.
1t has been most difficult to select
the returning party of four which car
ries this note. Our position consti-
tutes our upper glacier depot. Com
plete depots have been established
on the homeward route. The track
Of the barrier is well marked with
snow cairns. The members going
forward are Scott, Lieutenant Evans.
Wilson, Bowers. Oates. Lashley, Petty
Officer Evans and Cream.
Close to the Pole.
January 3, 1912. latitude 1882.
height $500 feet. After leaving the
upper glacier depot. south of Mount
Darwin. | steered southwest two
days. This did not keep us clear OF
pressure ridges and crevasses which
occurred frequently at first and gave
us trouble. but we rose rapidly in alti-
tude. Probably the difficult places
were more snowcovered than further
eastward. The adopting OF this course
was mainly felt on the third and
fourth days wheh owing to our alti-
tude we got a splendid view OF the
distribution of the land masses firing
Ing the Ice sheet and the arm OF leo
falls. Since leaving the depot our
marches have averaged over fifteen
statute miles a day. On Christmas
day we were close up to the seth
parallel and the prospect OF Christ
mas fare gave US an excellent march
seventeen miles-but the effect was
not SO happy the following day. The
surface grew more difiicult as we
approached the S7th parallel, On
New Years eve, in latitude S6 de-
grees, ST minutes, we depoted there
unit of provisions and rebuilt our
sledges with new short runners,
which remarkable piece of work was
performed by the seamen OF the
party under adverse conditions. AL
though 1t cost us nearly days
march. the change amply repaid us.
We have been able to keep up our
average and we are now within $50
miles of the pole.
Five Going On to the Pole.
! am going forward with a party
Of five men sending three back under
Lieutenant Evans with this note.
The names and descriptions OF the
advance party are. Captain Scott, II.
N; DIR. Wilson, chief of the scientific
staff: Captain Oates, Inniskilling
dragons, In charge OF the ponies and
mules; Lieutenant Bowers, Royal
India marine; commissariat officers:
Petty Officer Evans. r. N, In charge
of sledges and equipment