The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1912-03-16
EARLIER ATTEMPTS TO
REACH SOUTH POLE

The last word which was heard
from Amundsen before his dash to the
role was received in New York on
July 5. 1911. After describing the
splendid qualities of the Fran during
its 10000 mile voyage, and the care
taken of the 100 Eskimo dogs, which
had become lis at the time of landing,
he said:
We sighted the mighty barrier at
2:30 p. m. January IL. One would be
less than human If one could behold
such a sight unmoved. AS far as the
eye can see. from western to eastern
horizon, this wall of ice rises perpen-
dicularly to height of 100 feet. And
yet it is only very small part OF 1t
that one sees. What must the man
have thought who first came upon this
wall. and for whom all further advance
seemed an impossibility? 1t was one
of the worlds boldest and cleverest
sailors mot to say the cleyerest of
them alb. James Clark Ross, WHO
after making his way through the ice
pack with his two sailing vessels, the
Erebus and the Terror, came, in Feb
ruary, 1912. upon this remarkable Ice
wall. Even at that time he observed
the great bay, but, of course, did not
venture into 1t with sailing vessels.
For years after the Barrier was re-
garded as bar to all further advance
southwark.
Barrier Is Level Plain.
ut fell to the lot OF a Norwegian,
Carsten Borchgrevink, in the Southern
Cross in 1900, to prove that this was
not the case. He succeeded In enter.
ing small bay (Which has since dis
appeared and been merged with the
adjoining great bay), and thence get
ting on to the Barrier. Here he made
a short expedition and found that the
Barrier extended southwards in the
form Of wide, level plain, reaching
as far as the eye could see. This de-
molshed the theory of its unassailable
character. and opened the way to-
wards the south. Subsequently an
Englishman, Captain Scott, succeeded
in landing in MacMurdo strait, and
thence made an expedition south.
wards. Sir Ernest Shackleton's bril-
liant expedition in 1908, in which he
reached a latitude Of SO degrees 23
minutes. will be known to everybody.
"The great bay, running southwest
into the Barrier, which I have chosen
as the base of an expedition towards
the South pole, has been observed not
only by Ross and Borchgrevink, but
also by Scott and Shackleton, and thus
appears to be constant formation,
something that can be counted upon.
Shackleton also thought he saw a
ridge of hills at the head of this bay,
which would indicate land. After
reading these various accounts and
thinking the matter over. came to
the conclusion that this bay, which
has been proved to have had the same
situation for period of 60 years,
could not be chance formation in the
Barrier caused by the breaking off of
icebergs, but must have been produced
by underlying land or rising groun1.
II not, the Barrier would have contin-
ued its course unchecked and no bay
would have been formed.
Cruises Along Ice Barrier.
"The day after we sighted the Bar
rier we reached this bay. still in the
same situation-about longitude 164
7egrees west. 1t was so full, however,
of recently broken up bay ice that
there was no question OF getting in.
We therefore took little run east
wards along the edge OF the Barrier
to await events. The next morning
(January 13) we returned. and then
found that so much OF the Ice had
floated out that there was an oppor-
tunity for US to get in. My belief as to
the origin of the bay was strength,
<ned as we got farther south; the for
nations stood out more clearly and
sharply. and at the southern end we
could distinctly make out hills ana
valleys. 1t was certain that underiy-
ing land or shoals here arrested the
course of the mighty glacier, ana
forced It out to either side. There
would be no perilous wintering on
floating barrier. The ground was sate
enough.
Land on Barrier.
"On the following day (January l4)
We found a landing place well suited
for our enterprise. The long 16.ooo
miles voyage was safely acco"
plished, and we were only one day OUT
in GU. calculation. We had arrived
day too early. .
"After having safely moored the
vessel to the ice we set off to flna
suitab,e place for wintering. This did
not take long. About two and one
haif kilometers from the ship. at the
~. - rsa~e we'll protected from