The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1912-03-15

VVV Ieet nlSu. we only saw the nearest
surroundings. II took us three days
to surmount the DEVILS Glacier. al
ways In misty weather.
on the LIST of December We left this
broken glacier with holes and crevices
without number, with its height of
9,10o feet. Before us, looking. in the
mist and snowdrifts, like frozen sea,
appeared light, sloping ice plateau
filled with small hummocks.
The walk over this frozen sea was
not pleasant The ground under us
was quite hollow and 1t sounded as
though we were walking on the bot
toms 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 has the name Of the
Devils Dancing Room" This part OF
our march was the most unpleasant.
On December 9th we got our greatest
height, according to the hypsometer
and aneroid. 1880 feet, at 81 degrees
1 minutes south. On December Sth We
came out OF the bad weather. Once
again the sun smiled on US. Once
again we could get an observation.
Dead reckoning and observation were
exactly alike-SS degrees IS minutes
1916 seconds south
Before us lay an absolutely plain
plateau, only here and there marked
with tiny sastrugie.
In the afternoon We passed IS de-
srees % minutes (Shackleton's fur
thest south was SO degrees % minutes
We camped and established our last
depot, No. 10. From IS degrees
25 minutes the plateau began to slope
down very gently and smoothly to-
wards the other side.
On December we reached So de-
grees 80 minutes; on December 10
IS degrees 56 minutes; December IL
SO degrees Is minutes: December IL
SO degrees 30 minutes; December IL
SO degrees A. minutes.
Up to this time the observations
and dead reckoning agreed remarkably
well. and we made out that we ought
to be ut the pole on December IA In
the afternoon.
That day was a beautiful one.
light breeze from southeast, tempera-
ture minus % Celsius (9.4 degrees be-
low zero Fahrenheit). and the ground
and sledging were perfect. The day
went along as usual. and at 3 p. NJ.
we made halt
According to our reckoning we had
reached our destination. All of us
gathered around the colors-a beau.
tiful silk fiag-all hands taking hold
of II. planting II. The vast plateau on
which the pole Is standing has the
name Of King Haakon VII Plateau"
II Is a vast plain, alike In all direc.
tons: mile after mile during the night
we circled around the camp.
In the fine weather we spent the
following day taking a series OF OBJ
servations from A. NJ. to p. NJ.
The result gave US 80 degrees 55
minutes.
In order to observe the pole as
closely as possible we travelled. as near
south as possible. the remaining kilo
meters.
On December l6 we camped. II was
an excellent opportunity, as there was
n brilliant sun. Four OF us took OBJ
servations every hour OF tho days
twenty-four hours. The exact result
private report.
This much is certain-that we OBJ
served the pole as closely as II Is In
human power to do II with the instru-
ments we had-a sextant and an arti
fetal horizon.
On December 18th everything was
In order on the spot. We fastened to
the ground little tent we had
brought along. Norwegian flag and
the Fran pendant on the top of it,
The Norwegian home at the South
Pole was called "Polheim" The dis.
lance from our winter quarters to the
pole was about 1.400 kilometers. The
average march a day was 20 kilo-
meters.
We started on the return trip Dec
ember II. Usually favorably weather
made our way home considerably easi-
er than the journey to the pole. We
arrived at our winter quarters. Fran.
HEINZ" January 20. 1912, with two
sledges and eleven dogs, all well.
The daily average speed on the re-
turn trip was 80 kilometers; the low
est temperature was minus 81 Celsius
t23.S degrees below zero Fahrenheit).
the highest minus degrees Celsius.
t23 degrees above zero Fahrenheitl.
The expedition to King Edward VII
Land under the command OF Lieuten-
ant Prestud has given excellent re-
suits. SCOTS discoveries have been
confirmed. and the survey OF the Bay
of Whales and OF the Barrier done by
the Prestud party are OF great inter
est. A good geological collection from
King Edward VII and South Victoria
Land Is being brought home.
The Fran arrived at the Ray Of