The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1912-04-13
Start Delayed TO cave Pom


the movement of parties. pending
changes OF weather.
Start Delayed 70 cave Ponies.
All plans and preparations for the
southern journey are now complete
and despite the accident of last sea
son We have great hope OF success.
The necessity of getting the utmost
out OF our remaining ponies has de-
cided me not TO expose them to great
cold. We shall therefore start later
than ordinarily intended.
November "a, latitude s1.15 S-We
left Hut Point on the eve OF Novem-
Der ,, having decided to march by
night and rest during the day to give
the ponies the benefit of warm day
temperatures. We reached Corner
Camp this morning. Travelling south
for GO miles we followed the tracks
of the motors then we found the ma
chimes abandoned. The party mad
proceeded onward as directed. were
delayed by a blizzard on the eignFh.
but reached One Ton Camp on the
morning of the 10th. The dog teams
had caught us up some days earlier
and the whole party proceeded N
company. A days rest was given ;he
animals at One Ton Camp which We
left on the 18th. Having regard to
the weight OF the loads. the heavy
surfaces and limited number of Sri-
mails, decided to march Is nlies
only every night this distance has
has been maintained on bright nights
and so far as we can forsee, it should
be continued.
The ponies are going very steadily
and keeping in condition remarkably
well. The first pony has been shot
for expediency but could have trav.
eled further The animals have ten
pounds OF oats and three pounds OF
oil cake daily. We are hopeful OF
getting the mems food supply to tho
glacier. according to program, without
great difficulty but shall be a day or
two later than anticipated. We found
the motor party waiting at latitude
S0l2. Two of their number now
leave us The sole cause of the aban-
donment of the motors was the over
heating of the air cooled engines
December 10, latitude SO degrees S
minutes.-After the return OF the
motor party from latitude 81 degrees
l5 minutes we pushed steadily south
hopeful for better weather conditions.
A second pony was destroyed at lati-
tude 50 degrees 10 minutes. third
at latitude 80 degrees As minutes and
two more near the S3rd parallel None
of these animals were exhausted but
were sacrificed on account of light
ening loads and as food for dogs.
AS we approached the weather grew
worse, snow storms We're frequent.
the sky continually overcast and
land very rarely visible.
Close to the Pole.
January 3. 1912, latitude 1892.
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
lOul III ndNS "HtiIssoSfAS 10 oul dlt4-
tude we got a splendid view of the
distribution of the land masses firing
ing the ice sheet and the arm of ice
falls. Since leaving the depot our
marches have averaged over fifteen
statute miles 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 difficult as we
approached the S7th parallel. On
New Years eve. in latitude sc de-
grees, 81 minutes, we depoted there
a 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 it 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.
l am going forward with a party
of five men sending three back under
Lieutenant Evans with this note.
The advance party goes forward
with a months provisions and the
prospects of success good, providing
the weather holds and no 4unforseen
obstacles arise. 1t has been very
difficult to choose the advance party,
as everyone was fit and able to go
forward. Those who returned are
much disappointed. Every
one has worked his hardest The |
weather on the plateau has been good |
on the whole. The sun has never de-
serted us, but the temperatures are
low now, about minus 90 degrees, and ,
the wind pretty constant. However,
llx...