The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-03-14

ten hurst. From our. camp that
night we had splendid view over
the mountain to the east. There was
@IIelmer Hansens Summit, the most
remarkable of them all. TWAS $4,000
feet high and covered with such hrok
en- glaciers that In all probability NO
fbothoid was to be found. Oscar
1Missings,'' "Sverre Hassels" and
."Olav Hjanlands" mountains also lay
here, beautifully illuminated in the
rays OF the bright sun.
In the distance, and only alternate.
" t. be viewed in the 4 &, appeared
from time to time Mount Nielsen
with its SUBMITS AMI peaks about
$4,000 feet high.
We only saw the nearest surround
ings. 1t took us three days to surmount
the DEVILS Glacier" always in misty
weather. On the LIST of December we
lef this broken glacier. with holes
and crevices without number, with
its height of 800 feet. Before US
looking, in the mist and snowdrift
like frozen sea appeared light
sloping ice plateau filed with small
hummocks. The walk over this froz
en- sea was not pleasant. The ground
under us was lutte hollow, and II
sounded as though we were walking
on the bottom OF empty barrels. AS
it was, a man fell through, then a
couple of dogs We could not use
our skis on this polished ice.
Sledges had the best Of it, The place
got the name the Devils Dancing
Room" This part of our march was
the most unpleasant.
On December we got our greatest
height, according to the hypsometer
and aronoid 10,750 feet at 81 de
grees 40 minutes south. On Deem
Der we came out of the bad weather
Once again the sun slid down or
us. Once again we could get ar
observation. Dead reckoning and OBJ
servation were exactly alike-S8 de
grees 88 minutes 1866 seconds south
Before,us lay an absolutely plain plat
eau only here and there marked with
a tiny sastrugi. In the afternoon we
passed 88 degrees % minutes (Shac
kleton's furthest south was SS de
grees rs minutes); we camped ane
established our last depot, depot No
TO- %
Down Gentle Slope.
From 80 degrees rs minutes tn,
plateau began to slope down yer,
gently and smoothly toward the othe
side On the 9th of December W,
reached 80 degrees SO minutes; OF
December 10. SO degrees Sc minutes
December II, SO degrees, Is minutes
December IL, SO degrees 80 minutes
December 10, SO degrees As minutes
Up to this time the observations AM
dead reckoning agreed remarkabl
well, and we made out that we ough
to be at the pole on December 14tt
the afternoon. That day was beat
tiful one, light breeze from south
east, the temperature minus % celsiu
| (9.4 degrees below zero Fahrenheit
and the ground and sledging were pei
feet. The day went along as usua
and at p. m. we made halt.
Reach Destination.
| According to our reckoning we ha
4 reached our destination. All OF u
gathered around the colorsa beal
tiful silk flag all hands taking hol
| of it and planting. The vast platea
on which the pole is standing got tn
name the Of king. Haakon VII Pla
eau" 1t Is a vast plain alike in a
directions; mile after mile during tn
night we circled around the cam
In the fine weather we spent the 70
| lowing day taking series Of obse
| yations from a. m. to p. m. tn
result gave us 80 degrees SIS minute
In order to observe the pole 9
| close as possible we travelled as nee
south as possible the remaining min
/ kilometers. On December 18th ther
we camped. It was an excellent o.
portunity. There was brilliant SUI
Four of us took observations ever
hour of the days twenty-four hour
The exact result will be the matte
of professional private report. TIL
much is certaintha we observe
the pole as close as it is in huma
power to do it with the instrument
| we had-a sextant and an artifici;
| horizon.
| On December 18th everything We
in order on the spot We fastened
the ground little tent we ha
brought along, a Norwegian flag an
Fran pendant on top Of it. The No
Wegian home at the south pole WE
called "Polheim" The distance fro
our winter quarters to the pole We
3 about 1,400 kilometers. The averaf
march day was rs kilometers. "
started on the return trip on the III
Of December. Unusually favorab
weather made our way home consi
erably easier than the journey to tt
pole. We arrived at our winter qua
! tiers, "Framheim," on the 25th
January, 1912, with two sledges al
eleven dogs, all well.
The daily average speed on the
turn trip was SO kilometers; the To-
est temperature was minus 81 celsi'
(23.8 degrees below zero Fahrenheit
the highest minus 5 celsius (23 d
grees above zero Fahrenheit). Amor
the results are the determination
the extent and character OF the Ro
barrier and the discovery of the co
, nection CT South Victoria land Al
probably King Endward VII land, wi
their continuation in the nigh
mountains running toward the sout