Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-03-20

u
brought our sledges to the starting
place for our search toward the south.
Only in the beginning of September
did the temperature rise to such an
extent that there was any question of
setting out then.
The First Start for the Pole.
On the 8th of September, eight men,
with seven sledges, ninety dogs, and
provisions for four months, started.
The ground was perfect. The temper
ature was not bad. The next day it
appeared that we had started too early,
as the temperature Of the following
days fell and kept steadily between
minus SO and 60 CELSIUS C58 degrees
and rs degrees below zero Fahren-
heiD. Personally we did not suffer at
all from the cold. Our good furs pro-
tected us. But with our dogs it was
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 so degrees south.
We agreed on returning and to wait
for the arrival Of spring. The pro-
visions were cached and off we went
for the hut. With the exception of the
loss of a few dogs and a couple of
frozen heels everything was all right.
Only in the middle of October spring
came in earnest. Seals and birds ap-
peared. The temperature was steady
between 20 and 80 celsius (68 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-five men, four sledges, fifty
two dogs, and provisions for four
months-everything in excellent order.
The Journey to the Pole.
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.
We reached the depot at 80 degrees
on the 9th of November, where the
dogs for the last time got all they
wanted to eat On the 9Th, southwark
again, with a daily march of so kilo-
meters.
In order to tighten our heavy
sledges we established depots at each
degree Of south latitude.
Like a Pleasure Trip.
The trip from 50 to IS degrees, be-
came a pleasure trip-excellent
ground, fine sledging, and an even
temperature Everything went like
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. 4. On the
eleventh we made the interesting dis
covery 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
range on the opposite side running
in a southwesterly irection-probably
a continuation of King Edward VII.
land.
On the thirteenth we reached "a de-
grees where we established depot;
on the sixteenth we were at IS de-
grees, where, also, we made a depot.
From our winter quarters, FRAN
helm" IS degrees 3S minutes south
latitude, we had been marching due
south On the seventeenth of Novem-
Der, at IS degrees, we arrived at
place where the land and barrier we're
connected This was done without
any great difficulty. The barrier here
rises in fluctuations to about 800 feet.
Some few big crevices indicated the
limited boundary.
Here we made our head depot, ta-
king provisions for sixty days on
sledges and leaving thirty days provi-
sions on the spot.
The next day we began to climb.
The first part of it was all easy task
light stops and well filled mountain
sides. 1t did not take 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 sIedge and
take the four sledges in two turns. In
some places 1t was so steep that II
was difficult enough to use our skis.
The next day began the longest part
of our climb. Many detours had to be
made in order to avoid broad cracks
and open crevices.
Glaciers Source of Peril.
These were apparently mostly filed
up, as the glaciers in all probability
had long ago stopped moving, but we