The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-03-14
AMUNDSEN TELLS
HIS OWN STORY
Of FINDING POLE
NorWay's Flag Was
Planted at the
ONLY . BELOW
On Day Pole was Reached the
Temperature Was Com
paratively Mild.
Ii, noll.n AMuNpsr>.


a., tCopsriellt. lsle. by The New York
times ConlpaHy. All rights reserved
lobar Tasmania, March S.-Op
eb. 10, 1911, We commenced to work
oar way toward the southwark, from
that day 10 April II, establishing three
depots, which in all contained uuanti-
~ OF provisions about 5000 kilos.
one thousand six hundred kilos, in
Guiding LOO kilos of seal meat. were
cached in so degrees, 100 kilos in ST
degrees and 500 kilos in SO degrees
south latitude. Az the land marks were
To he seen, these depots were marked
with lags. seven kilometers on each
side in the easterly and westerly di-
lections.
The ground and the state OF the bar
flef We're OF The best, II specially
Well adapted to driving with dogs. ON
February 10. we had travelled about
100 kilometers. The weight OF the
sledges was 600 kilos, and the mum
ber OF dogs was six for each sledge.
he surface of the barrier was smooth
and line with no sastrugi, the, creNices
were local and were found dangerous
>'N WV EioNCs, " laS ISSl III
smooth undulation. The weather was
excellent, calm, or with a light breeze.
ne lowest temperature on these depot
trips WAS minus 40 Celsius or Cent?
grade (49 degrees below, F~'ahrenheit.l
On March 4, on our return from the
first "trip beginning February IL. we
found out that the Fran had ALREADY
lett us. With pride and delight we
heard that her mart captain had sue
ceeded in sailing her furthest south
and there hosting the colors of his
conntry-a glorious moment for him
and his comrades-the furthest nortt.
and the furthest south-good old Fran.
The highest south latitude attained
VAS IS degrees Al minutes.
Winter on the Ice Barrier.
3efore the arrival of winter We had
l.po0 kiios of seal meat in the depots.
'noush for ourselves and ITO dogs.
light dog houses, a combination of
tents and snow hlts. We're built.
Having cared for the dogs the turn
came to use our solid little hut. IL
Was almost entirely covered with snow
by She middle of April. First we had
10 get light and air. The Lux lamp.
which had Il power OF 200 standard
candles, gave us a brilliant light and
kept the temperature up 10 20 degrees
Celius t6S degrees Fahrenheit,
throughout the winter. and our ex.
cellent ventilation system gave us all
the air we wanted
In direct communication With the
hut and dug out on the barrier were
Workshops. packing rooms. cellars for
provisions, coal wood. and oil, a plain
bath, a steam bath, and observatoIies.
Thus we had everything within doors
II the weather should be old and
stormy.
The sun left US April % and did not
return until four months later. The
winter was spent in changing our whole
OUTFIT, which on the depot trips was
foHnd to be TOO clumsy and solid for
The smooth surface of the barrier. Be.
sides this. us much scientific work as
possible was done, and some astonistl.
ing meteoioiogy observations We're tax.
en-.
Open Water all Winter.
There was very little snow, and there
va open water close by throughout
the winter. For the same reason a
higher temperature had been expect.
ed. but it remained very low.
in five months there We're observed
temperatures between minus 30 and 90
degrees Cells laS and 10 degrees be.
low zero ~F#htenheit, the lowest TEN.
p'lature. August Is. being minus % de.
Sfe"s Celsius. 1t was then calm. On
August ] the temperature was minis
ad degrees Celsius. and there were
six meters of wind. The mean temnera.
tElc Tor the year was minus 20 degrees
Celsius GAS below zero Fahrenheit.
had expected hurricane after h,rri.
cane, but ! observed only, two moderate
storms and many excellent Auroras-
Australis in all directions.
Tho sanitary conditions We're of the
best all through the winter and when
the sun returned, August "a, he got
The men sound in mind and body. ready
10 set about the task that had to he
solved.
Already, the day before, we had
80 i|ASN w Ac Starring
Place for our march tour of the south
eihly IN the beginning OF September
aid the temperature rise to such an ex.
tent that there was any question of
setting cut.
First Start for the Pole.
On September s eight men, with
seven sledges, ninety dogs. and pro.
visions for four months started. The
ground was perfect. the temperature
not bad. The next day it appeared that
We had started too early, as the TEN.
perature OF the following days fell and
kept between minus so and so Celsius
toS degrees and &c degrees below
~Fahrenheitl. Personally we did Tot suf.
fer at all from this cold as our good
furs protected Us. but with our dogs ii
was "A Ii6HTant .Il1tfar II Dnn1l a,a.;,.