Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-14
RoALD AMUNDsEN SUCCEEDS IN
REACHING THE SOUTH
POLE.
HIS OWN STORY OF THE TRIP
Tho Norwegian Explorer Gives a
Graphic Account Of His Dash Over
Antarctic Ice Fields-Reached OBJ.
jective Point December H..

~ SehA
1912, by The N. Y. Times Co. All
rights reserved.)
Hobart, Tasmania. March Sat 2
o. m. on the 10th day of February,
1911, we commenced to work our way
toward the south, from that day to
the 18th Of April, establishing three
depots, which in all contained a
quantity of provisions OF about 5000
kilos, including LOO kilos Of seal
meat. were cached in so degrees. 700
kilos in 81 degrees and 500 kilos in 81
degrees south latitude.
AS no land marks were to be seen
these depots were marked with flags,
seven kilometers- on each side in the
easterly and westerly directions.
The ground and the state OF the
barrier were Of the best and special.
ly we'll adapted TO driving with dogs.
On February Is, We had thus travel.
ed about 100 kilometers. The weight
OF the sledges was 800 kilos. and the
number OF dogs was six for each
sledge. The surface OF the barrier
was smooth and fine with no sastrugi.
The crevices were very local and were
found dangerous in only two places.
For the rest long, smooth undla-
lions.
The weather was excellent, calm
or a light breeze. The lowest tenn.
perature or these depot trips was
minus IS celsius or centigrade, (49
degrees below zero, f%ahrenheit.) On
the 4th OF March, on our return from
the first trip beginning IN the 18th
OF February. we found out that the
Fran. had already left us. With
pride and delight we heard that her
smart captain had succeeded in
sailing her furthest south and
there hoisting the colors of his coun-
his comrades, the furthest north and
the furthest south. good old Fran
the highest south latitude attained
was IS degrees al minutes.
Winter on the Ice Barrier.
Before the arrival of winter we
had G,000 kilos Of seal meat in the
depots, enough for ourselves and
40 dogs. Eight dog houses. a COM
bination Of tents and snow huts
were built.
Having cared for the dogs the turn
came to use our solid little hut. 1t
was almost entirely covered with
snow by the middle Of April. First
we had to get light and air. The
Lux lamp, which had a power 200
standard candles, gave us a bril-.
liant light and kept the temperature
an tn on Inornnc pn1sius fRS hourono
F~ahrenheit) throughout the winter,
our excellent ventilation system gave
us all the air we wanted.
In direct communication with the
hut and dog houses on the Barrier
were workshops. packing, rooms, eel
lars for provisions, coal, wood and
oil, a plain bath. a steam BATH. and
observatory. Thus we had everything
within doors il the weather should
be too cold and stormy.
The sun left is on the 22nd OF
April and did not return until four
months later. The winter was spent
in changing our whole outfit, which
on the depot trips was found to be
too clumsy and solid for the smooth
surface OF the Barrier. Besides this
as much scientific work as possible
was done. and some astonishing
meteorological observations were
taken.
Open Water all Winter.
There was very little snow, anc
there was open water close BY
throughout the winter. For the same
reason hipher temneratura had haar
expected. but It remained very low
In FIVE months there were observed
temperatures between minus 30 anc
GO degrees celsius. (5S and 76 de
grees below zero Fahrenheit) the
lowest temperature on the 18th O.
August, being minus SO degreei
celsius. 1t was then calm. On tn.
LIST OF August the temperature wa.
minus IS degrees celsius, and ther,
were six meters of wind.
The mean temperature for the yea,
was minus 26 degrees celsius. GA,
below zero ~fahrenheit.)
| had expected hurricane after hui
ricane. but | observed only two mode
rate seorms and many sxceIlen
auroras, in all directions.
The sanitary conditions we're OF tn,
best all the winter and when the suI
returned on the Gath OF August h,
met the men sound In mind and bod
ready to set about the task that ha,
to be solved.
Already the day before We ha,