The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-03-20
First Start Fer the Pole.

First Start Fer the Pole.
On Sept. s eight men. with seven
sledges, ninety dogs and provisions for
four months, started, The ground was
perfect. The temperature was not bad.
The next day 1t appeared that we had
started too early rs the temperature of
the following days fell and was kept
steady between minus 30 and 60 Gel
sius (JS degrees and TG degrees below
zero F.. Personally. we did not suf-
fer at all from this cold Our good furs
protected us. But with our dogs it was
different matter. 1t would 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 provi
sions were cached, and off we went for
the hut, With the exception Of the
loss of 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
pearcd The temperature was steady
between 90 ana 80 Celsius CGS degrees
and Sc degrees F..
| 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 Edward VII. land
This last mentioned trip was not in
| Guided in our program, but owing to
the fact that the English had not reach
ed it at least this summer, as was their
intention. we agreed that the best thing
to do was also to make this trip.
| On Oct. 20 the southern party started
five men, four sledges, ffty-two dogs
and provisions for four months-every-
thing In excellent order.
The Journey to the Pole.
We lad made up our minds TO take
the first part of the trip as easily as
possible in order to give ourselves and
/ the dogs a rational training, and on
| the 23d we made our depot in so de.
/ grecs south. We went right ahead
In spite Of the dense fog en- error Of
| two to three kilomcters happened once
in awhile. and we were caught by the
/ flag marks and found these on our way
without difficulty.
| Having rested and fed the dogs on
all the seal meat they were able to eat,
we started again on the 2Gth. with the
| temperature steadily between minus 20
and 30 Celsius q degrees and % de.
| grees below zero FL.
From the start 1t was the intention
not to drive more than thirty kllo-
meters day, but it appeared that this
was too little for our strong, willing
animals. At so degrees south we began
to build snow cairns of n mans height,
in order to have marks on our return
trip. On the 31st we reached the depot
vt 81 degrees and stopped there one
day and fed the dogs on as much penn
mican as they wanted.
We reached the depot at SO 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 kilometers.
In order to tighten our heavy sledges
we established depots at each degree
OF south latitude
Like Pleasure Trip.
The trip from 81 degrees to So de-
grees became pleasure trip-excellent
ground. fine sledging and an even
temperature. Everything went like a
dance.
On the 9th 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 83 degrees and estab-
lished here depot No. 4. On the 11tb