Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1912-04-12

treat hurriedly with the ssaysst snx-
iety for our .companions. Ny. fears
were confirmed when Wilson, who had
travelled out over land, reported hav-
sea Ice: An hoar s'i ists sen Cream ao and
set of Immediately to the west. Work
Ing around the bay we approached the
ortane sHss ane at the p missing sy
on pack which had been drifting
slowly northwest and had temporarily
SWtG3FR bp d,n, ewing to swell subsidins.
cued with difi1culty.
Working on through the night We
their loads but could DO nessing for
the ponies. which were only thirty
yards away. At 4 q. m. the pack be-
Ponies with fun nose bags and rested
Stationary. We made desperate EFFORTS
long, desoar o over the sn pack s's ana led
the remainder Of US dug q trench to
The edges Sc Of the see foes Sasr's We're high
whales hung about within few yards.
fa os the ony
as We left it and drifted clear to the
east Of On Marfh we
the party with the two remaining
ponies, and the dog teams was safely
housed at Hut Point. By this incident
This was severe blow to the expedi-
ton, but not enough to wreck its plans
II the remaining animals could be pre-
The heavy swell which caused this
disaster, broke more than ten miles
Of sea Ice. large fragments from the
frVyN Will NJ MD mi
tongue. a feature which had remained
otherwise unchanged since discovery
in 1902. The hut was found almost
windows broken and the door unhinged.
With much labor we cleared and re-
paired It: It then afforded good shell
breeze to blow over we settled down
to very primitive life. With old tins
and discarded fragments Of metal we
and several blubber lamps. ;. We fed
almost entirely on seal meat. Seals
could only be obtained at distance
oyer hills and were sometimes SCARCE
thanks to the ingenuity shown by my
companions in improvising arrange
ments with the slenderest resources ..
comfortable and enjoyed the luxury Of
box Of old magazines.
On March Is, the, Western Geological
party returned, bringing our total to
sixteen persons. This party had spent
six weeks, making close survey Of
the dry valley. lower ferrar. ana
ing an important part Of our plan for
the geological survey for the coast.
~ fr RE par for s,, the WiH Tta:. -,
a party to Corner Camp. completing
the depot arrangements for the coming
season. The temperature at the barrier
Throughout the month Ice continually
formed over the sea but strong winds
quickly drove it out. After March Is,
bays but e drive out 81
sound. Huge Iand-ice falls on the
southwest slopes Of Mount Erebus pre-
vented any possibility Of t, returning ,th to
freezing of the bay I decided to make
an attempt to reach the station. partly
by land and partly by sea ice. =
April II. and. although caught BY a
Evans. early on the 18th; We. found
Simpsons charge. in excellent order
and arrangements for comfort remark
ably perfect Numerous self-recording
ali records complete to d date. Xii the
Of the nine remaining ponies and one
m1ch W the velocity e
per hour. For nineteen per cent Of
o ns w gae str %e the Tna naa
pointed to an exceptionally severe sea-
son.
with fresh sledge party carrying sup
plies and stores. AS it was impossible
for animals to travel on the route tax
en-. l left Mears and FIVE others in
returned to Cape Evans on April 80.
Sea ice continued to drive out Of the
Sound until the first week in May. It
err the sun had gone that the men and
animals left Hut Point and safely re-
turned to the main station. The Sound
froze solid in May and later in winter
distance northward. After the return
Of absentees we settled down very COM
ments TOR lighting: heating: cooking
isfactory;, 4 comfortable stable had
been built for the ponies end
ing the four winter months.
The temperature ct the station was
rarely belo " minus minus 40 degrees leg at low
aged fifteen miles an hour, but some
times blew hard with the temperature
minus 80 degrees; Everyone was very
tific work. exercising animals. etc. A
series Of lectures was organized and
football was played to within a month
made to Cape Royds and Hut Point.
The animals steadily improved in con-
dition. On June 81. middle winter,
Wilson. Bowers. Cherry and Gerard
started on sledge journey to- Cape
Crozier to observe the incubation of
Emperor Penguins at their rookery.
forced the party to. relay work. during
ta tax man on the Rs' outward 5onrnesy Ts as
temperature was seldom above minus
60 degrees and often below minus 70
degrees. the lowest observed with a
sling thermometer being minus n de-
grees. Behind q land ridge on the
three days in building a stone hut
this camp. The men had great diff
Guilty in crossing the huge barrier pres
sure ridges in the dim noon twilight
to reach the rookery: They were sue
cessful at a second attempt. They
found comparatively few birds at the
at even this early date. Fortunately
velopment were secured which should
give considerable information concern
ing the embryology Of this interesting
bird.
menced and the ridge proved made
quate shelter from the hurricane gusts
which whirled down on the hut. A
ticles were blown away. and after
straining for fourteen hours the roof
of the hut few to ribbons For thirty
hours more the travellers were confined
in their frozen sleeping beds. half
buried beneath snow and rock debris.
Forty eight hours elapsed before the
wind. decreased. and they were able to
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